A Heart Breaking Verse

This morning as I reading through Luke (I will finish this month, it's only taken a year!), I stumbled across a verse that just breaks my heart. Let me set the scene first. 
In Luke 22 we have the Lord's Supper where this sweet moment is celebrated with Christ that turns into a dispute about who is the greatest. This leads into Jesus approaching Simon (Peter) and tell him that Satan demanded to have him, why? To sift him like wheat. Here's the thing, Jesus lets Satan! I would have been like, "What the what Jesus? You said no, right?!" Then I'd walk around wondering what was lurking around the corner and when this sifting would happen. But Christ knew. And Peter could take comfort because Jesus prayed that his faith may not fail. And listen to this, "And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." Catch that, when you have turned again! Sounds like something dramatic is coming. 
Peter has grand intentions and tells Jesus he is ready to go to prison and death with Christ. He's all in. Ready. Committed. Sold. But see, his intentions would ultimately lead him to denying Christ as Christ had told him he would. 
Keep following the story in Luke and we see that Jesus is taken and what does Peter, this man who was all in do? He trails behind. We see him following at a distance, not wanting to be part but not wanting to be left out. How many of us, me included, do that with Jesus today? Kinda in, kinda out. Close enough to know but not close enough to be associated. And what does Jesus say about that? Rev 3:16: So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 
Keep going and three different people say that Peter was part of this group that Jesus belonged to and of course, fulfilling Christ's prophecy, denied Christ three times. And here is the heart wrenching verse during that third denial:
But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”  And he went out and wept bitterly.
The Lord turned and looked at Peter in the midst of his sin, his denial, the one who would go to prison and death with him. I wonder what Jesus's face was like. Was it a face of condemnation? I told you so? Or filled with compassion, grace, and mercy? Peter then remembers what Jesus had said and went out and wept. Bitterly. 
It seems in this moment that Peter's faith had failed. Ever felt that way? I say, "Lord, I will..." or "Lord, I will never..." only to find out faith has failed and I do that very thing I said I would or would never do. And I go out to weep bitterly because it has broken the heart of God. 
I also see Christ's face in a different way. When I replace Christ with idols of the heart, I will deny Christ his rightful place and when those idol's eyes meet mine, I will be left empty and weep bitterly. With Christ in his rightful place, I can remember that Christ has prayed that my faith may not fail. Though I deny and build idols, he prays for my faith to not fail. John 17 Christ asks God to allow us to be where he is, in glory. 
Whether we are in a season of being sifted by Satan or denying Christ (whether by words or actions), we have a hope and confidence, that once we turn again, we should strengthen our brothers.