Far from a stained-glass portrait of dignified robes and beard, Scripture gives a raw, honest perspective on Peter - as with every other human character its pages portrays. And what makes this such a shining example of God's grace is Peter's shiningly pathetic human-ness. I'll wager that we can all see glimpses of ourselves reflected in his story.
Though a simple, "uneducated" fisherman, he seems to have been a natural leader among the twelve.
He was quick to speak his mind. In fact, sometimes it seems he opened his mouth without really thinking about what he was saying. Remember the Transfiguration? "Teacher, it is good for us to be here," Peter starts out, "Let us make three tabernacles, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." Wow. Putting Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah? Completely wrong!
His boldness is embarrassing at times - how could he presume to give Jesus a talking-to?! "No, Lord, You aren't going up to Jerusalem to die!" "No, You will never wash my feet!"
He was fearless or reckless or both - jumping out of a boat on several occasions and cutting off a man's ear, presumably in his desire to defend Jesus (as if Jesus needed defending!).
Yet, for all his hasty words and sometimes misguided ideas, he did speak the truth with conviction. "Where else would we go, Lord? You have the words of eternal life." "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."
And underneath, there was a sincere loyalty to Jesus, even if mixed with self-confidence. "Lord, even if everyone else deserts You, I won't. I am ready to die with You!"
His darkest failure is recorded shortly after that statement.
Jesus was arrested and taken to the high priest's. Peter slinks into the courtyard - not completely deserting Jesus, but keeping a safe distance. As he warmed himself by the fire, a servant girl points him out - "You were that Man's follower, weren't you?" He denied it. Two more servants made the same accusation, and Peter responds with increasingly heated words, even cursing and swearing. Only hours before he'd told Jesus (and he certainly meant it) that he even would die with Him. It took just one look from Jesus, and Peter's failure washed over him like a cold, dark wave.
He went out and wept bitterly.
That's where the story should have ended...if it weren't for grace.
Jesus, in His grace, gave Peter another chance. After the Resurrection, when Jesus appeared to His disciples, He asked Peter a question: "Do you love me?" His recent failure no doubt fresh in his mind, Peter responds with another word, meaning "I have brotherly affection or friendship for You." Jesus could have mentioned Peter's denial. How bad he messed up. How he'd broken his promise. But He didn't. He responded with grace, giving Peter a responsibility close to His heart - to care for and spiritually feed other believers. Only grace would entrust something so important to a person so very flawed!
God is in the business of reclaming failures and turning them into something amazing. When we read about Peter in Acts, we see a changed man. People knew that he (along with John) had been with Jesus. It was obvious. There was something real and something different about these "uneducated fishermen". He boldly preached God's grace - and later wrote two letters, instructing the churches to stand fast and grow in grace. When we truly experience God's grace, we will develop a passion for it, and that's what happened in Peter's life.
I'm thankful that though we are so often like Peter in many ways, we have a God who is full of grace - grace that redeems and restores.
No comments:
Post a Comment