One of the challenges we face as pilgrims on the road of discipleship is the frailty of our own convictions. We may commit ourselves to an act of obedience or to stand boldly for Christ, but when the chips are down our knees buckle and we find we do not have the fortitude to follow through. Perhaps the greatest example of this is Peter’s failure to follow through on his claim that he was ready to go to both prison and death with Jesus (Luke 22:33), but when the moment came he denied three times that he even knew Jesus (Luke 22:54-62). Several things stand out to me from Luke’s account of that event, which I hope will be an encouragement to us when we fail.
First, Jesus knew Peter, and knew his vulnerability. When warning him about what was about to transpire, he said, “Simon, Simon. Behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” What is interesting is that the initial statement, “…Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,” concerns all the disciples, as the “you”s are plural. But it was for Peter specifically that Jesus had prayed, so his faith would not fail (in that statement the “you”s are singular). What that tells us is that Jesus knew Peter’s unique vulnerability. He knew Peter would fail to keep his vow, but that did not change his love for Peter or his commitment to him. Rather, Jesus had already interceded for Peter, even before he failed. What a tremendous encouragement it is to know that we have a God who loves us even though we are weak. Rather than withdrawing his faithfulness because of our weakness, Jesus intercedes on our behalf, even before we fail!
Another thing that stands out to me is what Jesus prayed for on Peter’s behalf. Luke records Jesus as saying, “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail.” We may wonder if Jesus’ prayer was answered, since Peter did fail—in fact he failed epically! Not only did he deny any association with Jesus, but he swore he had never known him. So in what way was Jesus’ prayer for Peter answered? It seems to me that the true test of Peter’s faith in Jesus was not in whether he would fail, but in what he would do after he had failed. The fact is that Satan wants to shake us in any way he can to destroy our faith. He tempts us to abandon our commitments just as he tempted Peter to do, and, like Peter, we sometimes succumb. Once we have failed, however, he has another trick, and that is to get us either to rationalize our sin away, or to conclude that our failure is so great that there is no turning back. Judas arrived at that conclusion and, having betrayed Jesus, proceeded to take his own life in despair. While Peter might have come to the same conclusion, he chose instead the way of faith, trusting that Jesus’ faithfulness to him was not cancelled out by his unfaithfulness to Jesus. What a sharp contrast to Judas is portrayed when, after Jesus had risen from the dead and appeared to the disciples by the Sea of Galilee, Peter jumped out of the boat, swam to Jesus and fell at his feet (Jn. 21:7). Peter had failed, but even in his failure he believed the only thing to do was to run to Jesus and to trust in his mercy. As a result, Peter’s initial failure was overcome, and he became a bold witness for Christ, even giving his life for his testimony, just as he had promised he would do!
May we all follow Peter’s example and run to Jesus when we fail. May our failure not be a reason for our faith to be destroyed, because we know that Jesus is already interceding on our behalf even before we fail, and we trust that in him there is forgiveness and grace to lift us up. And may we, like Peter, rise up out of our failure to victory, strengthened by God’s grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live boldly and faithfully as his disciples.
Pastor Jon Enright
July 1, 2024