Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-13
BY REV. HUGH II. STEVENSON.

| BY REV. HUGH II. STEVENSON.
, In last weeks lesson the failure o.
| Peter, James and John to keep awake
| when they We're assigned to sentry duty
! was studied. This week brings the fail
| ure off Peter, whose denial of the Lord
| is recorded in all four gospels, to the
! front in considering the trial of Jesus
| When Jesus was arrested Peter took up
| the sword in the defense of Christ. He
! cut off the ear of the servant of the
| high priest. Jesus corrected Peter
warning him against the danger of using
| the sword. The Master requested the
privilege of healing the ear. which He
did. His followers fled when they saw
| that Jesus was arrested. Love sooi,
prompted Peter and John TO turn and
| follow Jesus. They did it, but they fol-
took him to the palace gate of the high
priest. John entered within and later
arranged because of his acquaintance
with the officials for his friend Peter to
enter.
John had not considered Peters dam
| ger, for he had committed a civil Of
Tense by his impulsive fighting to pro-
tect Jesus from the foes. Without doubt
| the apostle planned to see the end and
| to share in it, for he had declared to
the Christ with presumptuous confidence
! that Though all men forSakc thee, yet
will not T. He failed at his strongest
| point. 1t might have been different
story If he had not been so self-confi-
ably would not have failed had he
| watched and prayed, as Christ COM
manded him, when he fell asleep with
the others in the garden.
Peter tried to cover up his fear by
boldly taking his place with the me-
NAL servants, while John went into
the interior of the house. where Je-
sus was being tried. Peters place
was there. but possibly he feared de-
lection. SO he took his place with the
foes of the Master. His love had
brought him to the palace. but his
The Lord when the maid servant I'M
expectedly asked him if he was not a
disciple of Jesus. He tried to cover
up his relationship to the prisoner by
means of a white lie. If Peter had
denied the Lord once. and then recov-
cred himself. it would not have been
so bad. He did as Jesus had pre-
dicted. He denied his Lord at the fire,
then at the gate and again at the fire.
when some relative of Malchus recog-
to recover after he had him once in
his power.
Peters sin is inexcusable from any
standpoint except divine grace. The
high privileges which he had enjoyed
called for him to be loyal and faith
messed the glory of the Lord as He
was TRANSPORTED upon the mount
failed when he ought to have revealed
his strong character. The first one
to confess Jesus as the Messiah had
been warned of his danger He had
seen the love of Christ exhibited in
the Masters washing his disciples
feet, yet in less than twenty-four
hours he denies the Lord thrice. He
lied when first asked by the maid.
He tried to act as if he did not under
stand the second time when he was
questioned concerning his relations to
Jesus. He then told deliberate lie
and followed it up by committing
perjury. At the third denial he COM
menced ito curse and to swear" thus
adding the sin of the vilest of men to
that of his apostacy. Sin is a hard
rapidly. One cannot stand still on the
slippery slide of transgression. If
Peter failed and denied the Master it
ought to serve as warning to all 1t
teaches clearly the danger of every
professed Christian. Let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he
fall"
Peters decline was not unf1oticed by
the Lord, for the Master turned and
looked at Peter when he denied the
Master for the third time. That look
OF love brought the unstable one to
repentance. He needed that encour-
agement. The chanticleer Growing
had awakened him to his sin. 1t re-
called the words of the Master to Pc
ter. His heart was about ready to
break when he noticed the Lords look
OF love that revealed the heart of
Christ Jesus. Crushed by the fact of
his denial. Peter rushed out into the
streets, weeping at his denials of his
Lord. His repentance was genuine.
put he did not know that his res
torat1on was certain. He had to face
the sorrows of Calvary.
There is no mention of Peter In
connection with those who showed
their love for the Christ by assem-
ping around the cross. The man who
left the presence of the Lord with
bear to see his beloved Teacher die
He could hardly stand the anguish OF
that dark hour. Jesus was not left
| alone, The three Marys were there:
Mary. the mother of Jesus: Mary, the
wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magda-
| Oily Salome, the mother of John. and
many other women from Galilee.'
women that knew the Masters char
acter and comprehended possibly bet
ter than His disciples the Lords mes
sage proved their loyalty and love by
! their presence. The only apostle
mentioned as being present was John
who years later recalled the legacy
! of the Masters love. given him when
| in few words Jesus indicated His
| desire that henceforth Mary and John
| should be to each other as mother and
| son. They understood and obeyed
and from that hour the disciple took
| her unto his own home"
| The presence of the agonizing moth
| err at the death of her son is full OF
| tenderness and pathos. In the WORD
| woman" some have sought to find g
breaking of the human ties that
| bound Christ to her and provided fol-
| her future by calling upon the dis
| ciple, whom he loved, to take his
place. Others see in the title desire
to prevent her suffering from the
hands of His enemies. The few words
| that Jesus spoke to His mother AND
John are more impressive because
they were framed by the Master In
! the supreme hour of anguish amid
! the grief of the cross. In His care for
the woman who bore Him Christ has
given an example to all, teaching by
example the proper care of the mother
| who gave them birth. In the honor
Jesus bestowed upon the apostle. who
stood nearest to the Master when
upon the cross. there is an example OF
the honor that Christ will confer or