"Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled....But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's....'I do not know the Man!'" (From Matthew 26)
The progression here is frightening. They all, "forsook," Jesus when they feared for their lives. Peter, however, gathered himself in shamefacedness, and took up the "following" of Jesus, but just in case----------------------- at a distance." When I am, "at a distance," from Jesus, the last phrase is inevitable, "I do not know the Man!"
A popular phrase of the present generation is "political correctness." Now the spiritual elite among us think they could never be guilty of that, i.e., deny Jesus so as not to offend. Yet we have all been guilty of it. It is a subtle but very revealing fact that to speak of "God" does not nearly bring the wrath of man as does the Name of Jesus. Speak of "God," and there may be a little tension in the setting. Speak the Name of Jesus, though, and sectarian, fanatic, narrow-minded will be your tag.
History, ancient and modern, is full of examples of, "Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled." The Church in the Middle East and North Africa is an example of this. I do not "judge" or accuse them. But when Islam rolled over that part of the world, Christianity almost vanished among those people groups. I do not believe it was a whole scale conversion to Islam as much as a fear for their lives. This happened in the reign of communism in Eastern Europe and happening today in China as well as other parts of the world. I repeat; I do not stand aloof or consider myself to be better. Frankly, no one knows what they would do if our lives were actually threatened for total commitment to Jesus Christ.
All I can do is determine not to, "follow[] Him at a distance...." If I stay in Jesus, in His Words with absolutely surrender in obedience to His will, His purposes, when someone says in accusation, "This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth," instead of saying, "I do not know the Man!" I will say, "absolutely."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I really cannot say with absolutely certainty what I will be in the future. But I can say with absolutely certainty what You Will Be. Amen.
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See the similarities of the "Left" in Israel, the USA, and everywhere @:
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
