Matthew 26:75

Peter remembered (emnhsqh o Petro). A small thing, but magna circumstantia (Bengel). In a flash of lightning rapidity he recalled the words of Jesus a few hours before ( Matthew 26:34 ) which he had then scouted with the proud boast that "even if I must die with thee, yet will I not deny thee" ( Matthew 26:35 ). And now this triple denial was a fact. There is no extenuation for the base denials of Peter. He had incurred the dread penalty involved in the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:33 of denial by Jesus before the Father in heaven. But Peter's revulsion of feeling was as sudden as his sin. He went out and wept bitterly (exelqwn exw eklausen pikrw). Luke adds that the Lord turned and looked upon Peter ( Luke 22:61 ). That look brought Peter back to his senses. He could not stay where he now was with the revilers of Jesus. He did not feel worthy or able to go openly into the hall where Jesus was. So outside he went with a broken heart. The constative aorist here does not emphasize as Mark's imperfect does ( Mark 14:72 , eklaien) the continued weeping that was now Peter's only consolation. The tears were bitter, all the more so by reason of that look of understanding pity that Jesus gave him. One of the tragedies of the Cross is the bleeding heart of Peter. Judas was a total wreck and Peter was a near derelict. Satan had sifted them all as wheat, but Jesus had prayed specially for Peter ( Luke 22:31 f.). Will Satan show Peter to be all chaff as Judas was?