But Peter followed at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.” Luke 22:54b-55. One other index of sifting we need to highlight here is a subtle lagging behind... Peter still followed to show some level of commitment and loyalty. But the closeness, the intimacy and the deep communion is now missing. There is now an intervening space between him and the Lord. He has allowed the crowd to come between him and the Saviour. The longing may still be there at this point, but the grip is growing weaker and weaker by the day. The devil will not first suggest backsliding or a turn away. He knows how we will vehemently resist such an attempt. Yet, he proposes it in a more silent way: it is to reduce your speed of following. It is to wait a while and get distracted by side attractions until the distance in between your soul and the Saviour widens... This widening gap enlarges (or increases) each step of the way. The prayer time is shortened and reduced in order to attend to other “urgent issues.” Bible Study time is exchanged to watch some Christian videos initially, but then other interesting programmes on the TV and then other things that easily addict a man’s heart. Precious communion at the feet of the Master is gradually exchanged with ‘visits’ with brethren and other business associates. You only need to picture how Peter began to draw back (not by turning his back) but by reducing his pace of following. He was actually the next to Jesus at the point of His arrest. The Lord was conversing with him when the betrayal occured. How did he suddenly come far behind? This is the quiet issue of sifting that I am pointing at here. Several leaders no more share intimacy with the Lord. They have not turned back yet, neither have they denied the Master but they are no more as close and intimate as they used to be. Their fire, fervour and fervency have reduced. They no more burn with passion for Jesus and for souls; they rather burn now with other passions! All these are still very quiet within their hearts. Those who did not know how close they were with the LORD earlier will still presume they are following hard. It was still a great feat for Peter to come along in those trying times when all others had fled and gone their ways. For them, Peter still followed, but from God’s verdict in the scripture, he followed afar off.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:47:13 +0000
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