64
Education
taliation yet generous in forgiving, Peter often erred, and often received
reproof. Nor were his warmhearted loyalty and devotion to Christ the
less decidedly recognized and commended. Patiently, with discrimi-
nating love, the Saviour dealt with His impetuous disciple, seeking to
check his self-confidence, and to teach him humility, obedience, and
trust.
But only in part was the lesson learned. Self-assurance was not
uprooted.
Often Jesus, the burden heavy upon His own heart, sought to open
to the disciples the scenes of His trial and suffering. But their eyes were
holden. The knowledge was unwelcome, and they did not see. Self-
pity, that shrank from fellowship with Christ in suffering, prompted
Peter’s remonstrance, “Pity Thyself, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee.”
Matthew 16:22
, margin. His words expressed the thought and feeling
of the Twelve.
So they went on, the crisis drawing nearer; they, boastful, con-
tentious, in anticipation apportioning regal honors, and dreaming not
of the cross.
For them all, Peter’s experience had a lesson. To self-trust, trial
is defeat. The sure outworking of evil still unforsaken, Christ could
not prevent. But as His hand had been outstretched to save when the
waves were about to sweep over Peter, so did His love reach out for
[89]
his rescue when the deep waters swept over his soul. Over and over
again, on the very verge of ruin, Peter’s words of boasting brought
him nearer and still nearer to the brink. Over and over again was given
the warning, “Thou shalt ... deny that thou knowest Me.”
Luke 22:34
.
It was the grieved, loving heart of the disciple that spoke out in the
avowal, “Lord, I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison, and to
death” (
Luke 22:33
); and He who reads the heart gave to Peter the
message, little valued then, but that in the swift-falling darkness would
shed a ray of hope: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have
you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy
faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
Luke 22:31, 32
.
When in the judgment hall the words of denial had been spoken;
when Peter’s love and loyalty, awakened under the Saviour’s glance
of pity and love and sorrow, had sent him forth to the garden where
Christ had wept and prayed; when his tears of remorse dropped upon