by divine grace. When Peter made his denials, you see, he was being shown up
328 SAINT AUGUSTINE - SERMONS
Simon of John—you see, he was called Simon when he was bom; he was the son of John—Simon of John, do you love me more than these ? Who's doing the questioning? The one who knew everything. Is he like someone who doesn't know, this one who has passed on knowledge (Ps 94:10)? It wasn't that the Lord wanted to be informed, but that he wanted Peter to confess.
He questions him once, and he answers, You know, Lord, that I love you. And he says, Feed my lambs. And again he questions him, as if once wasn't enough: Simon of John, do you love me? "I'm devoted to you, Lord, I love you, Lord"; again this answer. And again that same thing: Feed my lambs. And a third time— who doesn't find once enough? It's enough for the person who doesn't know; how much more so for the one who foreknows!—he questions him a third time, Do you love me? Peter was hurt, as though the reason for this persistent questioning was that he was doubted, and he said, Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you. If there was anything that escaped you, you would be right to question me. If you know everything, what you are questioning me about is included in the everything you know. And he said, Feed my sheep (Jn 21:15-17). Love three times confessed the one whom fear had three times denied. That's why the Lord questioned him three times, so that a threefold confession might cancel the threefold denial.
Peter had learned the truth about his own weakness when he denied Christ
3. Such is that Peter, denier and lover; denier out of human weakness, lover by divine grace. When Peter made his denials, you see, he was being shown up to himself. He had, after all, been so cocksure, and had after a fashion given his own strength a puff with his proud boast, Lord, lam with you to the death (Lk 22:33), relying presumptuously on his own strength. And then, indeed, he heard who and what he really was. The sick man, you see, was so cocksure of himself, and the doctor was taking the pulse of his heart. He found him sick in his innermost self, and like a true and truthful doctor, he predicted what was going to happen, as though to say, "Yes, you think you're better. You don't realize the fever's still there, but it will reveal itself to you in no time. You will be dismayed when the crisis comes."
So when he was questioned by the serving maid, and what the doctor had predicted, not what the patient had self-confidently presumed, came true, that before the cock crowed, three times would such a fine servant deny his Lord; what's written in the gospel after he has made his three denials? The Lord looked round at him, and he wept bitterly (Lk 22:61-62). He would never have wept if the Lord hadn't looked round. Finally, to help you understand in what sense it says he looked round at him, examine the gospel, and notice that when Peter denied him, the Lord was in a place where he couldn't look round at him with his bodily eyes; his case was being tried, you see, by the leaders of the Jews in the interior of the house, while Peter denied him in the courtyard.5 But where can he not look round to, the one who is everywhere?