TELL his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee." Was there ever a more winning message to a faithless follower than this, given on the morning of the resurrection? "And Peter." Why should Peter have been specially named by the angel visitant to the women at the sepulcher? They had come to seek the Lord; they were told that he was not there. He had demonstrated that death had no power to hold God's spiritual idea, and had gone to show himself again to his sorrowing followers. In view of Peter's recreant denials after the arrest of his Master, his final severance from the little band who bore allegiance to Jesus might have been expected. What had become of all his vehement declarations of loyalty and obedience? Probably there never was a more troublesome follower. Headstrong, impetuous, thoughtless, permitting mortal mind to be dominant at most critical times, declarations of fidelity alternating with deeds that showed how crude was his spiritual perception,—such was Peter, the disciple whom Jesus found to be at times so untractable.
In the years that were to come the Master's teaching was of priceless value to him who became one of the most valiant of the early Christians; but as a student during the three years of the ministry of Jesus he was frequently rebuked and admonished. This failure often arose from overconfidence. He had all the dogmatic certitude so characteristic of young students. How easy it seems to the Christian neophyte, flushed with the new conception of divine realities and all aglow with clearer spiritual apprehension, to demonstrate the power of Truth and win victories over the error of mortal sense. Thus it seemed to Peter in his intense eagerness to follow Jesus, one of the most notable instances being when his impetuous desire for emulation led him to try to walk on the water. But it was necessary that he should be taught lesson after lesson, until in the spirit of true humility he found his real selfhood. He had not yet grasped even the rudiments of that spiritual law which enabled Christ Jesus to rise above the claims of material law, and when he became faint-hearted and fearful, his cry for help evoked that rebuke which is of universal application, and which comes home to each one today as it must have done to this impulsive disciple, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" There is no record that the disciple made any reply, but his life-history would justify the assumption that he mentally resolved then that he would seek to learn more of that faith which is essential to perfect demonstration.
We hear of "slow learners." Was there ever a slower learner than Peter? What opportunities he had for growing in spiritual knowledge! he had seen all the wonderful works of the Master—the proofs, impossible to deny, of his divine mission. He was present at the transfiguration, when there came to the small company assembled that spiritual vision which revealed the Master's sonship—a vision akin to that which comes to every lowly follower of Christ, Truth, as in prayer, watchfulness, and obedience he waits and rests in the divine Principle of all being. lie was a witness to the scene in the garden of Gethsemane, yet he failed even to fulfil the Master's desire that he should watch but one hour. He had repudiated with scorn the warning that he would prove a recreant, although Jesus had told him that the "evil one" had desired to have him. Jesus foresaw the test to which his impetuous follower was about to be put. and he came to his help so far as to tell him that he had prayed for him that his faith fail not.
