At a Distance

September 26

(Luke 22:54-62 NIV) ““Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. {55} But when they 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.””

(Hebrews 11:35-40 NIV) “Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. {36} Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. {37} They were stoned ; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- {38} the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. {39} These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. {40} God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

It was a night of fear and confusion. Armed soldiers arrested Jesus, and His disciples ran for their lives. However, Peter stayed just close enough to observe what was happening. Scripture says he “followed at a distance”. Before His arrest, Jesus predicted that before the rooster crowed, Peter would deny knowing Him three times. As Peter followed at a distance, he was recognized and confronted. He denied Christ three times, the rooster crowed, and Jesus looked at Peter. He was overwhelmed by shame and ran again, this time weeping bitterly. Today, many who claim allegiance to Christ deny Him on a daily basis. With words left unsaid, and deeds left undone, we too, follow at a distance. But eventually, like Peter, we will come under His gaze, and our hearts will be seized with shame. Following Christ at a distance still results in bitter weeping. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day