This is a phrase which is very striking. It was true physically for there is a distance between Peter and the Lord. Sadly however it is often true spiritually. That the Christian is still following is good, it is the distance that is between the saint and the Lord that is bad. It is an indication that something is seriously amiss in the Christian’s experience. It ought to be an alarm bell. You see this distance was only part of the spiral downwards in the life of the Apostle. It all commenced with pride and self-confidence. Peter found that “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). Following this he slept when he should have been watching and praying. Then he acted without authority and harmed someone by cutting off the ear of the servant of the high priest. It was here the following afar off commenced. Then he sat down in the company of the ungodly. This led to denying his Lord, and that culminated in using oaths and curses. It is no strange thing then that Peter learned to exhort saints to be clothed with humility.

As Thomas Watson wrote;