BTW, I don't fault leaders 100% for the
increasing lofty, exaltation, vain-glory; self-righteous etc. stuff so common to religious leaders in all organizations . . .
The FOLLOWERS are plenty guilty of foisting the leaders into such constructs, attitudes, positions.
And few leaders seem successfully immune to such pressures from the troops.
I still think that's what 30 years on the back side of the desert was for with Moses.
And the 3 years with Paul.
Interestingly, Peter didn't seem to get such. And it clearly was not becasue he was more humble to begin with.
(1) When I was most junior clergydude at the Episcopal Cathedral in Jackson, MS the dean (boss) lamented that one of the members who was a car dealer always gave him a really nice car every couple of years instead of pledging to the church. Yeah, there's a lot of, "Hey! Act pompous! That's what we pay you for!" (and not a few clerics eager to comply!)
(2) What I love about Peter is that he so often gets it wrong. (Like moi.) He tells Jesus that if he's the Messiah and all he just CAIN'T go to Jerusalem and get killed! He wants to put up tents on the Mountain of the transfiguration (oral tradition has it that he also had a design for bumper stickers and window decals in the works); He totally wusses out (not that I wouldn't have) at Calvary! and then he wusses out again over the eating with gentiles.
You remember in the Return of the King movie Gimli says something like, "Certain Death? Small Chance of Success? What are we waiting for?"
I think that attitude is about the only explanation (after the flesh) for God's giving Peter whatever pre-eminence(if any - we can argue abotu that later) whatsoever. It's like he's saying, "Nobody would think that any courage, wisdom, or sanctity THIS doofus ever shows could be innate. They'll know it was from Me!"
(I have this feeling that if I make it to purgatory or heaven or whatever, I'm gonna have some 'splainin' to do.)
Gotta go. Fun talking with you. Praise God!