Scripture:
And Peter was following at a safe distance. Luke 22:54b AMP
Let's go back in history, to the Last Supper. Jesus has announced to the rest of us, his disciples, that one of us is a traitor. He has shown us who he is. The son of perdition has left to do what he has been contracted to do. We can safely assume that the rest of us, the Eleven, we are the closest to Jesus, we're not traitors; we are his inner and outer circle. Then comes the mob, the scuffle, and Jesus is taken to face the High Priest. Where should we be? Right beside him; we are his inner circle. He just washed our feet and had dinner with us. Where are we? The Bible records that all his disciples "scattered". And Peter who didn't run away was following from a distance. Peter could be you and I; we're following from a safe distance, walking behind but still able to see Jesus. In this way, should we be teased or persecuted, we can say "we didn't know him that well". We are following Jesus from a distance because it's not 'cool' to be a close associate. From that distance, it's so easy to deny Christ and claim there's no relationship between us. After all, we don't read the Bible, pray or evangelize as we should be doing. Full denial is only a step away. May we move closer and stand faithfully in our circle of intimacy with God.
Let's pray: Father, may we stand strong in our professed faith. May we serve you faithfully to the end. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen
