In this scripture we find Peter, after they have taken Jesus away, following "afar off". In our walk with Jesus we are told to seek his face and to run after him. We are taught about being close to our Lord Jesus and having a close relationship with him. I have found that at times, life comes in and pulls me in all directions. I find myself feeling "far from" Jesus because I get busy in ministry, work, family, etc. At times I have to stop what I am doing and "draw near" to Him. The voice of this world gets very loud when you are far from Jesus. Here we see Peter watching "Afar off" as Jesus is in the house of the high priest. In the next verse it says that in the midst of the hall, which was the outer courts of the high priest's house, they kindled a fire and sat down together. In vs. 54 the "they" were the men that took Jesus into the house of the high priest. In vs. 55 the "they" I am sure are these same people that took our Lord Jesus, yet here we see Peter now sitting down among them. Peter, I am sure, was shaken and didn't really know what to do because he was now afar off from Jesus and was broken by the events of the night. But as he sat there by the fire warming himself among the ones that took Jesus, the verse says a maid looked at him earnestly. That means she was studying him. How many know the enemy will study you and watch for a crack in the armor, or a weakness. The enemy will study you. He will watch you earnestly. As she was looking at him she said, "this man was also with Him." She recognized Peter and called him to the attention of the ones he was sitting with as a follower of Jesus. The enemy will try to make you feel as if you do not fit and mock you and challenge you when you try to "fit in". Peter stated he did not know Jesus. He was in the midst of the ones that took Jesus and in that environment he denied even knowing Jesus. The verse says "after a while" another said to Peter that he was one of Jesus' followers and again Peter denied Jesus. So he had been there among these people, listening to them talk about what was happening. Hearing the opinions and voices of the enemies of Jesus speaking against him. He sat with them. He warmed by their fire. He denied at this point Jesus, twice now. The words goes on to say after the space of about an hour another man said Peter was one of Jesus followers and even referenced him being a Galaliaen. The man brought out the fact of cutler and race. Peter this time, said Man, I know not what thou sayest. The account of this event in Matthew 26:73-74 the word says, "And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you. Then He began to curse and swear, saying I do not know the man!" This lets me know that Peter had been there a while talking with these people that took Jesus. The guards and servants of the high priest's house. Even the kinsman of the high priest which was the guard that had been in the garden and had his ear cut off by Peter was there, according to John 18:26. So while Peter sat among these servants, guards and people that took Jesus and warmed himself by their fire. He participated in their conversations which is evidenced by them saying his speech betrayed him. He took part in the conversations about and against Jesus. He warmed himself by their fires and eventually took part in their conversations and ended up denying Jesus three times during the time he was there with them.