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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
When he had shaken off the dread of being the traitor, and was shown to be one of His own, he afterwards asked boldly himself, while the others held their peace. "What sayest thou, Peter? He said, 'thou canst not,' and thou sayest, 'I can'? Therefore thou shalt know from this temptation that thy love is nothing without the presence of the impulse from above." Whence it is clear that in care for him He allowed even that fall. …
Cyril of Alexandria
What is there, he means, that prevents or that can keep him back from following His Master, now that his deliberate aim is to die for Christ's sake, reckoning this as his proudest boast? For the utmost of all danger, and the extremest violence of the implacable enmity of persecutors, have no effect beyond the range of the flesh; for with the flesh alone has death to deal: and he that is ready and fully prepared even for this extreme, would not easily be hindered from his purpose, or give up his intense conviction as to the duty of …
Theophylact of Ohrid
But Peter is so irrepressible in his eagerness that he even contradicts Christ. He is not satisfied with having received the good hope of following Christ later, but insists on his own way and self-confidently says: "Why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for You." See what power desire has! …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
But what does he say to this? "Why cannot I follow Thee now? I will lay down my life for Thy sake." He saw what was the kind of desire in his mind; but what the measure of his strength, he saw not. The weak man boasted of his willingness, but the Physician had an eye on the state of his health; the one promised, the Other foreknew: the ignorant was bold; He that foreknew all, condescended to teach. How much had Peter taken upon himself, by looking only at what he wished, and having no knowledge of what he was able! …
Thomas Aquinas
When John says, Peter said to him, he indicates Peter's confidence. Peter had understood what our Lord had just said as expressing some doubt about the perfection of Peter's love. Love is perfect when one exposes oneself to death for a friend: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (15:13). And so because Peter was ready to die for Christ, he declared that he was perfect in love when he said, I will lay down my life for you, that is, I am ready to die for you. …
Bonaventure
Peter answered him: Why cannot I follow? I will lay down my life for thee: and this is to follow perfectly: below, in the fifteenth chapter: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." If therefore I can do this, well can I follow. And because Peter does not desist from presumption through the admonition of his own frailty, he is now repressed through the prediction of his future transgression.
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