54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him."
57 But he denied it. "Woman, I don’t know him," he said.
58 A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them."
"Man, I am not!" Peter replied.
59 About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean."
60 Peter replied, "Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.
This passage is often referred to as Peter’s denial. Two things jump out at me here. Verse 61 says Jesus turned and looked "straight at Peter." Looked him dead in the eye. Was this the all time case of conviction, or what! Only hours earlier, Peter vowed to follow Jesus, "even unto death," and at his first opportunity to make good on his vow, he fails miserably. And yet, I have so many times failed in my efforts to serve Christ. And, like Peter, God can look us dead in the eye, holding us accountable for those failures. But as we later find with Peter, God redeems us, forgives us, and give us more opportunities to feed His sheep.
The other aspect of this passage that hits home with me is at the end of verse 54, "...Peter followed at a distance." Simon Peter was at his most courageous, impetuous self when he was in Christ’s immediate presence, wasn’t he? When Jesus came walking on water toward the boat full of disciples, it was only Peter who:"... got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. (Matthew 14:29)
When Jesus was arrested in the garden, we see:
Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; (John 18:10)
And finally, it was our friend Peter, who boldly and correctly answers Jesus’ question of identity with the statement of statements:
"...Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16)
Much like ourselves, when Peter followed "at a distance," his demeanor changed. His boldness weakened. We have to be careful not to follow Christ at a distance. When we put other activities or events ahead of serving or worshiping Christ, we’re guilty of following Christ at a distance. When we hear the Lord’s name used inappropriately and remain silent, we’re guilty of following Christ at a distance. We wouldn’t tolerate someone speaking about a family member in the same manner we tolerate the use of profanity with the Lord’s name, now would we? And that leads to, when we put other relationships ahead of our relationship with Christ, we’re guilty of following Christ at a distance. Our relationship with our Lord and Savior is to be the number one relationship we have. Jesus tells us plainly to:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37)
In his book Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby points out that "What you do in response to God's revelation (invitation) reveals what you believe about God." So many times, I’ve failed in my responses because I found myself following Christ at a distance.
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