Lessons in True Leadership.

"Character is built out of circumstances. From exactly the same materials one man builds palaces, while another builds hovels."

Between the Transfiguration and the last eventful week of the Savior's life on earth, there are only a few recorded instances in scripture with which Peter is personally mentioned. It is significant, however, that nearly everyone of these, bears either directly or indirectly upon the moulding of Peter's character as an Apostolic leader. Peter knows that Jesus is the Christ that should come, but has he strength to defend Him in word and deed? Does he comprehend the divine principles of the Gospel sufficiently to manifest them in his daily life and conversation and in all his associations with his fellowmen? With the probable exception of the tribute money incident, which emphasized for Peter the divine Sonship of his Master, all the lessons following bear directly upon strength of character and principles of conduct.

TRIBUTE

An Ancient Law.

In those days, there was a tax levied upon every male Jew of twenty years old and upwards for the maintenance of the Temple and its services. This law had been in force ever since the days of the children of Israel when the great lawgiver, Moses, said a "half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord."^[1]

Matthew tells us that "When they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money, came to Peter and said, "Doth not your Master pay tribute?"^[2] "Yes," promptly answered Peter.

If he knew when he was talking to the tax-gatherers, that "there was no money in the bag," he must have wondered how the half-shekel due as tribute could have been paid that day.

Children of the Kingdom Free.

When Peter went back into the house, Jesus anticipated what he was going to say, and asked Him, "Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

"Of strangers," answered Peter.

"Then are the children free," said Jesus, meaning that since this tribute money was for the maintenance of His Father's house, He, the Son, would not have to pay it; but he added:

"Lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take and give unto them for me and thee."

This experience must have impressed Peter with the fact that it is better to suffer offense than to give offense.

A LESSON IN FORGIVENESS

About this same time, Peter asked the question:

"Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?"^[3]

Perhaps Peter had already been required to settle some difficulty between angry men, or it may be that he had been provoked during a dispute that arose among the disciples as to who was the greatest among them. If some one had taunted him several times about his being the greatest, it is quite probable that his patience was exhausted. At any rate, he wanted to know if there is a limit to the number of times a man should forgive his brother. What a lesson Jesus taught this impetuous apostle when he answered,

"I say not unto thee, until seven times; but until seventy times seven."^[4]

Then, to make the teaching more impressive, the Lord told them the parable of the unmerciful debtor.

A certain king took account of his servants for those who had collected his revenue, and found that one owed him ten thousand talents or about fifteen million dollars. This debt the servant could not pay, so the king commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had.^[5]

The servant begged for mercy saying, "Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all."

"Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt." The master not only had pity for the unfortunate debtor, but freed him from prison, let him keep his wife and children, and cancelled the debt.

The Ungrateful Servant.

But that same servant went out and found one of his fellow-servants who owed him a hundred pence, more than ten hundred thousand times less than the first servant had owed his master.

Seizing the fellow-servant by the throat and choking him, he demanded, "Pay me that thou owest."

The fellow-servant fell down at his feet and begged for mercy, "Have patience with me and I will pay thee all."

But the unforgiving, merciless servant refusing to give pity, "went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt."

So when the Lord heard how the servant whom he had forgiven had treated his fellow-servant, he called that servant back, and said:

"O thou wicked servant! I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me; should not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?"

This unforgiving servant was then told to pay the ten thousand talents, and was delivered over to the "tormentors" until it was all paid.

Then concluded the Savior: "So likewise shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

Do you think Peter would ever forget that lesson?

THE REWARD OF SACRIFICE

The Rich Young Ruler

One day Peter and others listened to a conversation between their Lord and a rich young ruler. He was a young man, rich, and, as painted by the old masters, very handsome. But with all, he had kept himself morally clean, and desired to get eternal life.^[6] But his heart was set upon his riches; so when the Savior said, "Sell all thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me," the young ruler went away very sorrowful.

Then Peter said, "Lo, we have left all and followed thee." As much as to say, Lord we have left everything for Thee, now what shall be our reward? Jesus said:

"There is no man who has left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time; and in the world to come, life everlasting."

"But," He added, "there are many who make themselves first, that shall be last; and the last first."

Humility.

This last statement must have contained for Peter, the first among the Twelve, an important lesson in Humility.

A LESSON IN FAITH

It was probably on Tuesday of the last week that Jesus spent with His apostles, that Peter called attention to the result of a divine curse.

The Barren Fig Tree.

A day or so before this, Jesus had gone out of His way to get some figs from a tree that stood some distance off. When he found that the tree bore no fruit He said it should never bear fruit again.

On this Tuesday morning as the disciples were passing by, "they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots."

"And Peter calling to remembrance said unto Him, Master, behold the fig tree which Thou cursedst is withered away."

Power of Faith.

Jesus answered: "Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."^[7]

On that same day, Peter was undoubtedly with the Twelve on the Mount of Olives when they asked Jesus "privately" about the destruction of the Temple.^[8]

Keep Commandments.

To Peter and to all He said: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, and keep my commandments, that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things which shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man when He shall come clothed in the glory of His Father."

Footnotes:

1. Ex. 30:13.2. Matt. 17:24-27.3. Matt. 18:21.4. Matt. 18:225. See II Kings 4:1; Lev. 25:39.6. Read Luke 18:18-30.7. Mark 11:22-28.8. Mark 13; Matt. 24; Luke 21.