Mark 14:70

But Peter again denied it.

Soon afterward the bystanders again said to him, “You certainly are one of them; why you are a Galilean!”

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put off
put off
put off

no matter how long
another opportunity
to not put off

put on
put on
put on

again and again
even enemies offer
revealed insight

put away
put away
put away

every excuse
to cover past
missed honor

put here
put here
put here

outworn strategies
polished fabrications
a simple yes

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Now it is more than one servant who is asking about Peter. There is no more room or time—true colors must be shown.

JANT₉₂ uses an interesting phrase in discussing these verses about Peter.

… Mark ironically conveys that Peter’s “self-acquittal” is occurring simultaneously with Jesus’ conviction.

Peter and the disciples had been taught the way of deaconing. Associated with this is the problematic phrase, “self-denial”. For a significant, long-term, purpose we are willing to put ourself in service on behalf of another or some larger group of others. The dramatic image is that of choosing crucifixion if that comes to be the consequence of being a deaconing angel in a wilderness.

Such self-denial needs to be very careful for the temptation will be to unnecessarily call a crucifixion down upon one’s self to be a witnessing martyr. This short-cut is actually a “self-acquittal” that expects a privileged entrance to whatever fantasy of “heaven” one has come up with. There is no virtue in self-acquittal.

Peter began this series of denials by saying he didn’t understand the question about knowing Jesus. Now he moves on to deny that he knows the other disciples. This is the way of denial—one more denial is always needed. “Self-acquittal”, or denial of one’s self, never seems to get to the bottom of the questions being asked.

This is not the self-denial that Jesus spoke about in terms of serving one another for it only serves as a false defense of self.