Article April 2, 1938 ISSUE

Peter, the Impetuous

LOUISE WHEATLEY COOK

Among the disciples who were with Jesus during the three memorable years of his ministry, Peter seemed continually to be battling against certain unfortunate peculiarities of character, which ever appeared to stand in the way of his progress. For Peter, humanly speaking, was one of those who seemed to possess what the world terms a natural proclivity for making mistakes. He might be called "Peter, the impetuous," acting upon impulse, jumping at conclusions, always trying to take advanced positions beyond his power to maintain. This may well apply to some of those later followers of the Christ, who express today that same zeal without wisdom which seemed to characterize Peter.

If any such who read this may still, perhaps, be smarting under the memory of an impulsive step unwisely taken, and quickly seen to be wrong, let them find comfort in remembering how Jesus loved this erratic student, Peter. For Jesus, with his rare spiritual discernment, perceived, as perhaps others did not, that in this many-sided character, at times so trying, there lay beneath the surface an element of unshaken and glorious stability.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Affirmation of the Spiritual