This simple story captures a profound mystical experience. The story tells of betrayal and remorse--a very human sequence but also offers the hope of forgiveness. Peter, after all, becomes one of the greatest of all saints. Human weakness and the need for redemption link us all, past, present, and future.
The student sees that the story touches his listeners--he experiences the power of the word to heal. "Insight" partially captures his experience, because it is a kind of "sight within," but his experience also verges on ecstasy, "a state of overwhelming emotion" or "rapturous delight.