The men who surrounded Jesus each have unique life stories we can identify with, or not. Considered as pairs or trios, we can learn even more by comparing and contrasting the ways they respond to Him.
For example, think about Judas and Peter. During a pivotal few hours, both men were confronted by their own shortcomings. Judas recognized that his role in accusing Jesus led to unintended consequences, and that realization was more than he thought he could bear. Overwhelmed by despair and overcome by Satan's lies, he gave up hope of life. Peter, similarly guilty of betrayal, was also drowning in remorse, but somehow found reason to persist just a little longer, long enough to see the light in a dark tomb, long enough to find redemption and renewal of purpose.
Both men were disciples, both men betrayed Christ, both were convicted of sin, both sank to the bottom of despair ... and yet the two found very different outcomes. What made the difference? Why did one abruptly choose death, and the other eventually choose to lead others to life?
There are many answers, for us as well as for Judas and Peter. When we are personally cut to the heart by the realization that we have chosen to sidestep God's best for us, how will we respond? Will we fall still further, as Judas did, or will we wait like Peter for redirection and a rebirth of hope?
The prevailing image we associate with Judas' betrayal is the bag of silver, the coins he received and then rejected. The symbol of Peter's denial is the crowing rooster, testifying to Jesus' foreknowledge of Peter's failure. Blend the two images together and you have a silver rooster, an image that represents our own crisis at the point when we realize our own denial of Christ. What will we do at that point? Will our "silver rooster" be for us a thing of silver, as we abandon hope of ever being good enough? Or will we instead focus on the crow of the rooster, as we yield to the God who already knew we would sin, but has a purpose for us anyway?
So a silver rooster is an invitation to see our failings honestly, in the light of the expectations we know God has for us, and then to choose what we will do. Will we opt for: death, or life? despair, or hope? falling further, or rising once more? the "valuable" crafted by man, or the song of God's creation? Will it be silver, or a rooster?
