They took Jesus and brought Him to the high priest’s house for questioning. There, the chief religious leaders had gathered. Meanwhile, Peter followed Him from a distance, entered the courtyard, and sat with the guards to warm himself by the fire.

This situation presents a striking contrast: while the Lord endured verbal and physical abuse all night, standing firm, Peter sat by the fire, silently observing what was happening.

Technically, he was following his Master, but from a distance that did not compromise him. He was there, but he would not risk his position or comfort in any way.

This way of following the Savior is very common today. It reflects nominal Christians—people who claim to know Jesus but follow Him at a safe, conditional distance. They never commit to denying themselves or taking up their cross.

For them, salvation is merely a benefit, and blessings are privileges. They are present only to receive but never to give. They are unwilling to pay the price of following their Lord and will abandon their convictions at the slightest challenge.

Because of this distant way of following Jesus, Peter ended up weeping bitterly, walking in shame for a time, and later asking the Savior for forgiveness.