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THE KING’S BUSINESS
Lord at this time in disobedience to the Lord’s suggestion got him into trouble. Furthermore, he followed his Lord “afar off” (Matt. 27:58). If we follow Jesus at all we should follow Him close. Jesus had fully warned him of his weakness and his coming fall. (ch. 13:38) Furthermore, just before this He had given His disciples a hint that they were to go away (v. 8 ). He had told Peter on the preceding evening that he could not follow Him at this time, but that he should later (ch. 13:36), but Peter had turned a deaf ear to all this. He had asked, “Why cannot I follow Thee now?” and started out to do so against the Lord’s warning. He had boasted, “I will lay down my life for Thy sake” (ch. 13:37) and now undertakes to make good his boast and prove his Master mistaken in His estimate of him. But our Lord knows us all far better than we know our selves. We next see Peter standing with Christ’s enemies and warming himself at the enemies’ fire (v. 25). The end now is Sure. Of course he does not sympathize with them, and what they are saying about his Master grieves his soul, but he is not protesting. He ought to have stood entirely separate from them (Ps. 1:1; 26:4-10; 2 Cor. 6:4-17) but that would have attracted too much attention to him and made him appear singular and exposed him to danger. The same arguments for conforming to the world are advanced today and are of as little value now as they were in Peter’s day. After all Peter escaped none of the danger he sought to avoid. He only got away by denying his Lord, and that is the only way anyone can escape who seeks to make friends with the world (James 4:4; 1 Cor. 15:33, R. V.; Prov. 13:20; Eph. 5:11, 12). Bad company is a good thing to keep out of unless one goes into it to win them for Christ and keeps that purpose in his mind every moment. Peter had no such purpose in his mind.
(. Now) the servants name was Malchus. Then said Jesus (Jesus therefore said) unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my (the) Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” And now Peter undertakes to defend Jesus. It was intended as an act of loyalty, but it was a stupid, blundering act and only got Peter into trou ble later on, and brought him down to deepest depths of cowardice (v. 26). Jesus Himself desired no defence, most gladly He drank the cup the Father gave Him, bitter as it was. The other Gospels in relat ing this incident do not give the name of the disciple who cut off the right ear of Malchus, presumably because Peter was still living when they were written, and the record of his rash deed might have gotten him into trouble. John seemingly wrote at a later period after Peter was already dead. One wonders just why the name of the ser vant whose ear Peter cut off is given. It certainly is an indication that the one who tells the story was an eye witness and knew the insignificant details in connection with the incident. There are other reasons for supposing that John was acquainted in the household of the high priest and that accounts for his knowing the name of this servant, (cf. v. IS). vs. 15-17. “And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that (. Now that) disciple was known unto the high priest, and went (entered) in with Jesus in to the palace (court) of the high priest. But (; hut) Peter stood (was stand ing) at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest. (So the other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, went out) and spake unto her that kept the door and brought in Peter. Then saith the damsel that kept the door (The maid there fore that kept the door saith) unto Peter, A rt not thou (Art thou) also one o f this man’s disciples? He saith, I am not." Peter’s following his Lord looked like devo tion, but in reality it was foolishness. The Lord had given him numerous hints that *he should not do it and his following the
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