Learning The Hard Way: Peter
This week, we'll wrap up our series on "learning the hard way" with a look at the apostle Peter, and some of the hard lessons that he had to learn while following Jesus. Peter was chastised and corrected on several occasions, and by examining these rebukes and what Peter learned from them, we can learn a lot about ourselves, and the frailties that we all face.
First of all, let's take a look at the background of Peter. We are told that he was not an educated man, just a simple fisherman. In fact, Peter may have been illiterate, as is eluded to in Acts 4:13..."Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." Peter may have been uneducated, but when he meets Jesus, we are told that he follows him without hesitation. In Matthew 4:18-20, we read..."And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him." So, although Peter may not have had the education of Luke, who was a doctor, or Paul, the Jewish scholar, we see that he had good intuition, and that he recognized the fact that the opportunity to follow Jesus was more important than his livelihood. This is a lesson many of us still need to learn.
The first instance of correction that Peter would face comes as Jesus is walking on the water in the midst of a storm, and Peter, along with the rest of the disciples, are afraid. Jesus tells them in Matthew 14:27..."Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." Peter then boldly answers, "Lord, if it be thou, bid be come unto thee on the water."
Jesus invites Peter to come to him on the water, and Peter climbs down out of the boat, and begins to walk on the water to Jesus. However, the winds picked up and became boisterous, and Peter was afraid. He began to sink, and cried out, "Lord, save me." Immediately, Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
We see that Peter has great boldness, as he summons the courage to climb down out of the boat, and walk on the water to Jesus. But, as the wind howls, fear grips him, and, taking his eyes off of Jesus, he begins to sink. This is a powerful lesson in itself. As long as we keep our focus on Jesus, we can weather any storm, but when we shift our focus to ourself or to our surroundings, we begin to sink just as Peter did. Thankfully, like Peter, we can cry out, "Lord, save me", and we can know that Jesus will reach down to pick us up.
The next instance of chastisement that Peter faces is perhaps the most stinging and brutal rebuke of all. We read in Matthew 16: 13-24..."When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Phillipi, he asked his disciples, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Peter's devotion to Jesus is apparent, and he is blessed because of it. Peter's great confession is the foundation of the church, and Jesus rewards Peter by recognizing his faith, giving him the keys to the kingdom. But Peter's devotion to Jesus has another side, as well, and we see a selfish aspect of Peter's personality when he asserts that the things which must befall Jesus should not come to pass. Peter is a passionate man, but he is also impulsive, and, like most of us, he seems to be unable to get himself and his emotions out of the way. Of course, we recognize that Peter is speaking out of love for Jesus, but his inability to see the bigger picture brings a strong consequence. Jesus rebukes Peter very harshly. In fact, Peter is likened to Satan because of his selfishness. This may seem to be very harsh, but Jesus is driving home the point that prophecy must be fulfilled, that the things which are to come have been planned out from the beginning, and that Peter cannot allow his personal feelings to interfere. Peter had to learn to deny himself, and this is something that we all must learn.
The last example that we'll look at in the life of Peter comes as Jesus is about to betrayed and crucified. We read in Matthew 26:31-35..."Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples." We see Peter's pride getting the better of him, as he defiantly refuses to accept the fact that he would ever deny Jesus. However, as Jesus is betrayed and taken away, all of the disciples flee. Peter follows behind at a safe distance to see what would happen to Jesus, and a woman recognizes him as being one of the disciples, and Peter denies it. Another woman sees him, and points him out as a disciple, to which Peter swears with an oath that he does not know Jesus. Soon after, a group of people corner Peter, and accuse him of being a disciple of Jesus, and Peter begins to curse and swear, denying that he knows Jesus. As the cock crows, Peter remembers the words of Jesus, and he begins to weep bitterly. Many people have empathy towards Peter up until this point. They feel that this is where Peter "crosses the line", and that these instances of denial are simply unforgivable. We must remember, however, that Peter was in fear for his life at this point. None of us can say definitively how we would have reacted to this situation. Although Peter's denial was a terrible sin, we know that he was forgiven. Jesus comes to the disciples after his resurrection, and at the sea of Tiberias, He asks Peter, Lovest thou me more than these?, and Peter says "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee." Jesus then tells Peter, "Feed my lambs." He then asks Peter the second time, "Lovest thou me?" When Peter answers him the same way, Jesus tells him to "Feed my sheep." He then again the third time asks Peter "Lovest thou me?", and we are told that Peter was grieved because Jesus had asked him again and again whether or not he loves Him. For each of Peter's three instances of denial, Jesus wants to hear Peter confessing his love, and He wants Peter to feed his sheep, to go on to preach the gospel. And Peter does go on to preach, and to author three striking epistles by inspiration of the Holy Spirit which contain some of the most profound scripture written by any of the apostles. We read Peter's stirring description of Jesus in 1 Peter 2:21-25..."For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."
The lessons that Peter learned are lessons that we all must learn, and the frailties that Peter had are the same weaknesses that beset us all. We can all learn a lot from Peter's boldness, and from his blind devotion to Jesus. We can also learn a lot from his mistakes. It is easy for us to identify with Peter, as he represents the best and worst in each of us, and we can all see a little of ourselves in him. Peter was changed for the better by his interaction with Jesus, as we all are. 1 Peter 5:6-11 is a fitting summary of the lessons that Peter learned, and how he applied them in his life..."Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
First of all, let's take a look at the background of Peter. We are told that he was not an educated man, just a simple fisherman. In fact, Peter may have been illiterate, as is eluded to in Acts 4:13..."Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." Peter may have been uneducated, but when he meets Jesus, we are told that he follows him without hesitation. In Matthew 4:18-20, we read..."And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him." So, although Peter may not have had the education of Luke, who was a doctor, or Paul, the Jewish scholar, we see that he had good intuition, and that he recognized the fact that the opportunity to follow Jesus was more important than his livelihood. This is a lesson many of us still need to learn.
The first instance of correction that Peter would face comes as Jesus is walking on the water in the midst of a storm, and Peter, along with the rest of the disciples, are afraid. Jesus tells them in Matthew 14:27..."Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." Peter then boldly answers, "Lord, if it be thou, bid be come unto thee on the water."
We see that Peter has great boldness, as he summons the courage to climb down out of the boat, and walk on the water to Jesus. But, as the wind howls, fear grips him, and, taking his eyes off of Jesus, he begins to sink. This is a powerful lesson in itself. As long as we keep our focus on Jesus, we can weather any storm, but when we shift our focus to ourself or to our surroundings, we begin to sink just as Peter did. Thankfully, like Peter, we can cry out, "Lord, save me", and we can know that Jesus will reach down to pick us up.
The next instance of chastisement that Peter faces is perhaps the most stinging and brutal rebuke of all. We read in Matthew 16: 13-24..."When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Phillipi, he asked his disciples, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Peter's devotion to Jesus is apparent, and he is blessed because of it. Peter's great confession is the foundation of the church, and Jesus rewards Peter by recognizing his faith, giving him the keys to the kingdom. But Peter's devotion to Jesus has another side, as well, and we see a selfish aspect of Peter's personality when he asserts that the things which must befall Jesus should not come to pass. Peter is a passionate man, but he is also impulsive, and, like most of us, he seems to be unable to get himself and his emotions out of the way. Of course, we recognize that Peter is speaking out of love for Jesus, but his inability to see the bigger picture brings a strong consequence. Jesus rebukes Peter very harshly. In fact, Peter is likened to Satan because of his selfishness. This may seem to be very harsh, but Jesus is driving home the point that prophecy must be fulfilled, that the things which are to come have been planned out from the beginning, and that Peter cannot allow his personal feelings to interfere. Peter had to learn to deny himself, and this is something that we all must learn.
The last example that we'll look at in the life of Peter comes as Jesus is about to betrayed and crucified. We read in Matthew 26:31-35..."Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples." We see Peter's pride getting the better of him, as he defiantly refuses to accept the fact that he would ever deny Jesus. However, as Jesus is betrayed and taken away, all of the disciples flee. Peter follows behind at a safe distance to see what would happen to Jesus, and a woman recognizes him as being one of the disciples, and Peter denies it. Another woman sees him, and points him out as a disciple, to which Peter swears with an oath that he does not know Jesus. Soon after, a group of people corner Peter, and accuse him of being a disciple of Jesus, and Peter begins to curse and swear, denying that he knows Jesus. As the cock crows, Peter remembers the words of Jesus, and he begins to weep bitterly. Many people have empathy towards Peter up until this point. They feel that this is where Peter "crosses the line", and that these instances of denial are simply unforgivable. We must remember, however, that Peter was in fear for his life at this point. None of us can say definitively how we would have reacted to this situation. Although Peter's denial was a terrible sin, we know that he was forgiven. Jesus comes to the disciples after his resurrection, and at the sea of Tiberias, He asks Peter, Lovest thou me more than these?, and Peter says "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee." Jesus then tells Peter, "Feed my lambs." He then asks Peter the second time, "Lovest thou me?" When Peter answers him the same way, Jesus tells him to "Feed my sheep." He then again the third time asks Peter "Lovest thou me?", and we are told that Peter was grieved because Jesus had asked him again and again whether or not he loves Him. For each of Peter's three instances of denial, Jesus wants to hear Peter confessing his love, and He wants Peter to feed his sheep, to go on to preach the gospel. And Peter does go on to preach, and to author three striking epistles by inspiration of the Holy Spirit which contain some of the most profound scripture written by any of the apostles. We read Peter's stirring description of Jesus in 1 Peter 2:21-25..."For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."
The lessons that Peter learned are lessons that we all must learn, and the frailties that Peter had are the same weaknesses that beset us all. We can all learn a lot from Peter's boldness, and from his blind devotion to Jesus. We can also learn a lot from his mistakes. It is easy for us to identify with Peter, as he represents the best and worst in each of us, and we can all see a little of ourselves in him. Peter was changed for the better by his interaction with Jesus, as we all are. 1 Peter 5:6-11 is a fitting summary of the lessons that Peter learned, and how he applied them in his life..."Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
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