Simon – Peter. Jesus, foreseeing the danger of Peter, and knowing that he was about to deny him, took occasion to forewarn him and put him on his guard, and also to furnish him with a solace when he should be brought to repentance.

Satan hath desired – Satan is the prince of evil. One of his works is to try the faith of believers to place temptations and trials in their way, that they may be tested. Thus God gave Job into his hands, that it might be seen whether he would be found faithful, or would apostatize. See the notes at Job 1:7-12. So Satan desired to have Peter in his hands, that he might also try him.

May sift you as wheat – Grain was agitated or shaken in a kind of fan or sieve. The grain remained in the fan, and the chaff and dust were thrown off. So Christ says that Satan desired to try Peter; to place trials and temptations before him; to agitate him to see whether anything of faith would remain, or whether all would not be found to be chaff – mere natural ordor and false professions.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Luk 22:31-34

Satan hath desired to have you

The temptation of St.

Peter

Our Lord is conversing here with His dear disciples a little before His crucifixion. In the tenderness of His heart, He almost thanks them for their faithful adherence to Him (Luk 22:28-30). And now comes a sudden transition, showing us the strong feeling at work at this time in our Lords breast. He thinks the next moment of the perils these men will have to pass through in their way to those thrones, and gives them abruptly a warning of one of them.

I. We must begin with THIS WARNING.

1. See in it our Lords knowledge of the invisible world. We know nothing of Satan but what we are told. But the Lord Jesus does see him as he goes about and He not only sees him, He can look into his heart and discern the secret purposes and desires of it.

2. See next here the crafty policy of Satan. He hath desired to have you, our Lord says; you especially; you, believers in Me, rather than the Jews or heathen around you; you, My most beloved disciples, etc. Why? Because they stood more in his way than any others.

3. We may see here the limited power of Satan. He cannot touch one of these men without Gods permission.

II. Leaving now the other disciples, let us look at THE EFFECT OF THIS WARNING ON ONE OF THEM, PETER. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you.

1. Observe, that it excited his love. If mere feeling could have made a martyr, Peter was already prepared to be one.

2. And observe again–this warning did not shake Peters self-confidence. And yet it was given in a manner calculated to shake it. It made no impression on him or a very faint one.

3. And mark again–this warning did not prevent Peters fall.

III. We may come now to another point in the text–THE TENDER MERCY OF OUR LORD TO PETER NOTWITHSTANDING HIS SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND FALL, or rather, in anticipation of his self-sufficiency and fall. I have prayed for thee, He says, that thy faith fail not.

1. We must be struck at once, I think, with the lowliness of this language. Our Lord has been speaking just before in the almost unveiled dignity of the Godhead. He has been manifesting, too, a knowledge of Satan and a knowledge of the human heart such as none but the infinite Jehovah can possess; and yet when His fallen apostle is to be rescued, what does He say? I will rescue him? or, as in Pauls case, My grace is sufficient for him? No; He speaks now as a feeble man; The mighty God only can rescue him. I have prayed for him. What a view does this give us of our Lords humility! And what a view, too, of the awful nature of sin! of the difficulty of extricating even a servant of God out of it!

2. Observe, too, the peculiar tenderness of His love for those who are peculiarly tempted.

3. And there is the intercession of our Lord to be noticed here–its influence on our preservation from sin or recovery from it. Faith lies at the root of every grace. It is that within us which first lays hold of the Lord Jesus, and it is that which keeps hold of Him. It seems the lowest, the poorest, and meanest of all graces, but it is notwithstanding the most active and operative of all; it secretly does the most. (C. Bradley, M. A.)

The sifting of Peter

I. THE CHARACTER OF PETER. The character of Peter is a very marked one. His character stands out in bold prominence and relief, like an object situated on a height, and seen between us and a clear sky. We notice at once his natural sincerity and boldness, his vehemence and self-confidence; his liability to be hurried away by the tide of events and the current of prevailing feeling. We perceive that as a disciple of Christ he is under the guardian care and grace of heaven; but we discover sin lurking within, and bursting forth from time to time as the liquid fire of the volcano breaks out from the mountain whose surface may be covered with the loveliest foliage. His love to Jesus was genuine and sincere–for with all his failings Peter was no hypocrite; yet he not infrequently resists the will of his Master, and at times is positively ashamed of Him. He is zealously affected in every good thing, but his zeal is often unthinking and impetuous, and proceeds from a self confident and self-righteous rather than a humble and trustful spirit of dependence on God; and it comes forth when it should be restrained, and fails when it should flow.

II. TEMPTATION OF PETER BY SATAN. Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. We see that we are to regard our temptations as coming from Satan the tempter, the accuser. He who rebelled against God in heaven seeks to thwart His will on earth. The devil entered into Judas Iscariot, whom he hurried from one crime to another till he laid violent hands on himself. May he not succeed also with his brother apostle? In tempting us Satan takes advantage of two circumstances. He employs the world to seduce us, and he addresses the corruption of the heart. First, he takes advantage of the circumstances in which we are placed, and of the worldly and sinful character of those with whom we mingle. Breathing as we do an infected atmosphere, we are apt to take in malaria which breeds moral disease.

III. THE RECOVERY OF PETER, THROUGH THE PRAYER OF JESUS SUSTAINING HIS FAITH. It is of vast moment that Christians should know wherein lies the secret of their strength. It lies first of all in the intercession of Christ, and secondly in their remaining faith.

1. It does not lie primarily in yourselves–in the liveliness of your feelings or the strength of your resolutions. Purposes formed in our own strength are like the writing upon the sand, which is swept away by the first breath of the tempest or the first swelling of the tide. The believers steadfastness does not lie in himself, but in another. His strength is in the foundation on which he rests, and that foundation is the Rock of Ages. How was it that Peter was restored? The cause was to be found in the work of Christ. I have prayed for thee. He was recovered, not by the meritorious power and efficacy of his own prayers, but by the prayers of Christ. When Peter was brought to repentance he prayed; but there is a previous question–What brought him to repentance? If Christ had not first prayed for him, he had never prayed for himself.

2. There was, however, a secondary power, and this was Peters faith.

IV. THE COMMAND, WHEN THOU ART CONVERTED, STRENGTHEN THY BRETHREN. In this conversion there was much searching. This we learn from the interview with which our Lord favoured Peter after His resurrection. Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? was the question; and Peter could answer. Brethren, according to the sins of which you are conscious, so let your love and zeal now be in the service of God. (J. McCosh, D. D.)

The sifting of life

The figure which Christ here makes use of in order to describe the severe ordeal through which Peter, the most prominent of all the disciples, was to pass, is a very significant one; and we cannot believe that it was used by chance, or without full intention. The sifting of wheat is a most hard and thorough, but a most necessary, process. The wheat, as it has grown, has become associated with the protecting chaff, which it is necessary should be blown away, and with the foreign substances taken from the earth and from the air, which must be separated. Before the wheat is ready for use, it must be sifted or winnowed; no pains must be spared to make the process as thorough as possible. Only an enemy to the wheat, or a disbeliever in its true powers, would desire to spare it such an ordeal. As it falls, after such a process, into the receptacle which has been prepared for it, solid and clean, its value is greatly enhanced. There is now no doubt about its true nature and the work to which it should be put. It carries out all the points of the analogy to notice that Peter is not promised that he shall be saved from the sifting process: no hand is put forth to hold him securely sheltered; no cloud wraps him away from danger. Peter is too valuable to be thus treated. If he is wheat he must be sifted.

I. And so we learn the great lesson from Christ, that DIFFICULTIES ARE AS NECESSARY AND BENEFICIAL FOR THE SOUL AS WINNOWING IS FOR THE WHEAT. The winds of temptation blow, and the poor, lightly-weighted souls are carried away; while the strong ones are stripped of many things in which they trusted, and the true power of principle becomes more evident in their lives. The question of the winnowing floor is always being repeated: Are you wheat or chaff?

1. There is the shifting of change of position, the pouring from vessel to vessel–a process under which the light grains are removed, and which finds its parallel in the change of lifes demands. You are rich, and the question the next day is, Can you stand poverty? or you are poor, and the sudden access of prosperity tests your real ability and weight. Will the one rob you of your spirit, or the other of your humility? If they will, then you have been sifted with the result of proving that you are but chaff. Changes from joy to sorrow or from sorrow to joy, from light to dark or from dark to light–those have revealed the substance of many a man to us; and we have said, I thought that he could stand it better, or we have exclaimed, What a noble man he is! He is just as he was before, not puffed up by his exaltation, not broken by dejection.

2. And there is the sifting of progress: ideas and men all pass through that. New tests are applied, just as ever new sieves, with closer and closer meshes, wait for the falling grain with sharper discrimination at each stage of the process. The truth of one generation or one age of life is sifted before it is accepted by the next. Some accretion, some profitless protecting husk, is cast off, and the substance is more valuable than ever. The man finds, after lifes experience, that not one particle of the truth as to honesty, virtue, and God has proved itself false, although he smiles at the childish conceptions which enshrined it for him, and which long ago passed away; and with each generation Gods truth is made simpler and clearer to the eyes of all.

II. BUT WHAT HAS SATAN TO DO WITH IT? Satan rejoiced at the anticipation of this process and longed to see it begin, because he did not believe that Peter could stand it; he does not believe that any man can, and he longs, therefore, to see men come under the test. At first this sifting seems to give evil the advantage. But the meaning of those words of Christs gradually comes out: Fear not them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. There is an ultimate kernel of life which the sifting cannot touch. It is a reality which defies all the processes of ultimate solution which can be brought against it. That is the belief which makes a man strong to endure temptation, brave to pass through all changes, courageous to march with all progress of ideas. It was to the soul that Christ spoke; on it all His work was based. When He had once seen that soul conscious of itself and of its power in the heart of a man, He was not afraid to let the world sift him, though he might be a man with as many weaknesses and foibles as Simon Peter. Let them be shaken off and blown away, like corrupting substances or infolding chaff. When that was all done the man remained.

III. I think, then, that we can understand that tone of confidence with which Jesus speaks of the trial which is to befall His great disciple. To His eye the conditions are not hopeless. He does not deprecate the struggle, but rather in it anticipates the defeat of Satan. But the tone of confidence is still more sublime when THE MEANS OF STRENGTH AND VICTORY are considered. The whole of the sifting process administered by its great master and confident authority, Satan, is to be brought to bear; and yet Peter will not succumb because Christ has prayer for him that his faith fail not. See how Christ puts Himself against the world. Through that prayer the life of Peter was made strong to bear the ordeal; through that prayer he was able to defy the world and Satan. That prayer told of the relation which He had established between that disciple for whom, and the Father to whom, it was offered. He stood between the two. The subject, the offerer, the receiver of the prayer, were one in their purpose and desire to overcome and baffle Satan. Defeat was impossible. (Arthur Brooks.)

Christs warning to Peter

1. The greatness or nearness of the danger. There are some souls that there is no delaying or dallying with them; but if ye will save them at all, ye must save them quickly; ye must deal roundly and nimbly with them if ever ye intend them any good. The Spirit of God, He speaks quick, and He speaks often, again and again, where He would prevent from danger.

2. The security of the person warned. Peter was not more in danger than he was insensible of his danger.

3. The affection of the Monitor or person that gives the warning; that is also in the doubling of the appellation. It is a sign Christs heart was much in it, and that He bore a singular love and respect to Peter, in that He does thus passionately admonish him. Love is full of solicitude and carefulness for the party beloved. The matter of the admonition or the warning itself.

1. The persons aimed at. They are here said to be you. He spake before to Peter in the singular, Simon, Simon; now it is you, in the plural. To signify thus much unto us; that theres the same condition of all believers as of one. That which befalls one Christian it is incident to all the rest. The reason of it is this–because they all consist of the same natures, and are acted by the same principles.

(1) You believers, rather than other men. Satans aim is especially at such, to get them. As for wielded and ungodly persons, who are yet in their unregenerate condition, he has them already. And there are two considerations especially which do lay ground to this practice in him.

(a) That absolute antipathy and hatred and contrariety which is in him to goodness itself, yea, to God Himself, who is the chiefest good. The devil, because he hates goodness itself, therefore he assaults it wherever he finds it.

(b) It proceeds from that envy and pride which is in him.

(2) You eminent believers rather than other Christians. This is the manner of Satan to cast his sticks most at those trees which are fullest of fruit; where he spies more grace than ordinary, there especially to lay his chiefest assaults. There is a double reason for it which does encourage him to it–First, it is the greater victory; and secondly, it is the greater advantage. He does more, both in it and by it. The use of this to ourselves is–First, to teach Christians not to trust to their own habitual graces nor to the number or measure of them. Secondly, we learn, hence, not to pass uncharitable censures upon the servants of God which are under temptations, as to conclude them therefore to be none of His servants.

(3) You apostles and ministers rather than other eminent believers.

I. The DESIGN itself–Satan hath desired you. As here is Satans restraint, so moreover his malice and boldness of attempt.

1. Here is implied Peters ignorance and present unadvisedness. He was not aware of this attempt of Satan. So is it likewise with many others of Gods servants. Satan does secretly lay siege unto their souls, and they do not discern it. It is a great piece of skill to know indeed when we are tempted, and to be apprehensive that we are under a temptation.

2. We see here also the love of Christ, who helps our ignorance in this particular, and advises us where we are less regardful

3. Here is also, as sometimes, the eminency and conspicuousness of the temptation.

(1) To have you to corrupt you.

(2) This were enough to make us look about us; that Satan would have us to corrupt us, but yet that is not all–he would have us to afflict us too. As Satan would weaken our faith, so also darken our comfort; and as he would draw us into sin, so likewise trouble us and torment us for it.

II. The AMPLIFICATION of it. And to sift or winnow you as wheat.

1. Take it in an ill sense; as Satans intent, so to winnow you, is to shake and remove you. This expression shows the unweariedness of Satan in his attempts upon the godly, and his several courses which he takes with them, to annoy them. He shifts them and he removes them from one temptation to another. But–

2. It may also be taken in a good sense; and so, as expressing to us the event of Satans practices, though beyond his own desire and intention. The winnowing of the corn in the fan, it is not for the hurt of it, but for the good of it. And they fit them also for future service. We see here how also God outwits Satan and destroys his own plots by himself. (J. Horton, D. D.)

Peters sifting

I. THE DISCRIMINATION WHICH OUR LORD MAKES IN PRAYING FOR HIS DISCIPLES. Why single out Simon for this peculiar distinction? Because he was the weakest, the most in danger, the most liable to fall. His rashness and impulsiveness would expose him to the fiercest assaults, and render him least able to resist. Let us learn from this that the easily tempted ones are they to whom Christs sympathy and helpfulness go out in most tender interest.

II. THE NATURE OF THE HELP WHICH CHRIST GAVE TO PETER IN HIS PERIL.

1. Notice the individuality of this intercession. For thee. Each one of us is the object of Christs particular watchfulness and care.

2. Christ made His supplication before the danger came. I have prayed. He did not wait until the disciple was in the snare before He sought help for him.

3. The petition itself. What did Jesus ask for His imperilled disciple? Not that he might escape the trial, for he needed just this experience, not even that he might not fail; but that his faith might not fail, might not suffer an utter and endless eclipse as had that of Judas.

III. THE RESULT OF PETERS SIFTING. Chaff sifted out, pure wheat left.

IV. THROUGH HIS PAINFUL EXPERIENCE, SIMON WAS PREPARED TO BE A MORE HELPFUL MAN. When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. He was to use his new knowledge, gained by his sad and painful experiences, in blessing others. Whatever God does for us, He wants us to do in turn for others. All the lessons He teaches us, He wants us to teach again. (J. R. Miller, D. D.)

The benefits of sifting

There are defects in many Characters which apparently can be removed only by some terrible experiences like those of Peter. This seems to have been true of David. Mingled with all his noble qualities, qualities which made him, when purified, the man after Gods own heart, there were many evil elements of which his nature had to be cleansed; and he also was allowed to fall into Satans hand to be sifted. But from that sifting he came a new man, cleansed and enriched. Many of Davids sweetest songs received their inspiration from the experience of his fall and eclipse, and from the painful chastening he endured. In every matured life, however many the noble qualities, there are also many faults and defects bound up with the good. For example, one has firmness, and firmness is a good quality; but it is yet a very chaffy firmness. Some of it is stubbornness; part is selfish pride; part is most unamiable obstinacy. There is a good element there, but there is also much chaff which must be blown away before it can be noble, Christlike firmness. By and by, when mid-life has come, and when the defects have been sifted out, you will see a firmness stable as a rock, yet gentle as the heart of a little child. It has been cleansed of its chaff in the gusts of trial, and is now pure, golden wheat. Or there is pride in the character. It makes a man arrogant, self-willed, haughty. But pride is not altogether an evil quality. It has in it an element of nobleness. It is the consciousness of dignity, of Divine birthright, of power. As it appears, however, in early years, there is much in it that is offensive and bad. The man must be winnowed until the unlovely qualities are removed, till the arrogance and the selfwill are gone. At length you see the old man, after many experiences of trial and pain, lordly and regal still, but gentle, humble, benevolent, with a sweet spirit, using his noble gifts for lowly service, with his fine hands washing the feet of humble disciples. Pride has not been destroyed; it has been sifted, cleansed, and sanctified. Or take gentleness; even this quality, beautiful as it is, may be very chaffy. It may be weakness; it may be the absence of firmness, mixed up with timidity and want of strong moral principle. The gentleness is golden, but the defects must be got out. Take, once more, what we call temper. A man is easily provoked, swept away by sudden gusts of anger. Now, temper itself is not a bad quality. It is not to be destroyed, as we sometimes say. Without temper a bar of steel becomes like lead. A man without temper is weak and worthless. We are to learn self-control. A strong person is one who has a strong temper under perfect mastery. These are simple illustrations of the sifting which Peter experienced. Every one has, in greater or less degree, to pass through the same processes in some way. Sometimes the separation and cleansing go on quietly and gradually, under the kindly culture of the Spirit. Sometimes afflictions are Gods messengers–sickness, or sorrow, or pain. Sometimes temptation is necessary, thebuffeting of Satan. All of us have in us by nature, even after regeneration, much that is unlovely, much that can never enter heaven, and must in some way be got out of us. In Guidos painting of Michael and the Dragon the archangel stands upon the fallen foe, holding a drawn sword, victorious and supreme; but the monster beneath him yet lives. It cowers and writhes. It dares not lift up its head, but it is not yet slain. This is a symbol of the conquest of grace over the old nature in the best of us. It is not dead, though under our feet; and this old evil must be got out. The process may be tong and painful, but Christ is looking on, and every experience of sifting should leave us a little purer. Thus it is that even our falls, if we are Christs, make us holier. Evil habits conquered become germs of character. An old man sat dreaming one day about his past, regretting his mistakes and follies, and wishing he had never committed them. He made a list on paper of twenty things in his life of which he was ashamed, and was about to seize an imaginary sponge and rub them all out of his biography, thinking how much more beautiful his character would have been if they had not been committed. But to his amazement he found that if there were any golden threads running through his life, they had been wrought there by the regrets felt at wrongs; and that, if he should wipe out these wrong acts, he would destroy at the same time whatever of nobleness or beauty there was in his character. He found that he had got all his best things out of his errors, with the regret and the repenting which followed. There is a deep truth here–that our mistakes and our sins, if we repent of them, will help in the growth and upbuilding of our character. We can make wrong the seed of right and righteousness. We can transmute error into wisdom. We can make sorrows bloom into a thousand forms like fragrant flowers. Our very falls, through the grace and tender love of Christ, become new births to our souls. In the hot fires of penitence we leave the dross, and come forth as pure gold. But we must remember that it is only Christ who can make our sins yield blessing. (J. R. Miller, D. D.)

St. Peters sifting and conversion

1. The secret may be told in a few words. The cause and spring of the most obvious defects in the apostles character was that large and assured confidence in himself which made him so quick to speak, so prompt to act. But, throughout Scripture, as in human nature, self-confidence is opposed to faith or confidence in God. Everywhere, too, we are told that God dwells only in the humble, lowly, contrite heart. So that if God was to take up His abode with Peter, if the impulsive and vehement strength of the man was to be schooled into stedfastness and hallowed by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, in order that, being himself divinely moved and led, he might rightly lead the Apostolic Company during those first critical months in which the foundations of the Church were laid, then, obviously, his self-confidence must be purged out of him, and replaced by the humility with which God delights to dwell. On no other terms could he be fitted for the work to which he was called. And therefore it was that Satan obtained him–obtained, i.e., permission to sift and purge self-trust out of him. If the process was severe, the task and honour for which it prepared him were great; and greatness is not to be achieved on easy terms. It is a cruel spectacle, one of the saddest on which the stars have ever looked down–a brave man turned coward, a true man turned liar, a strong man weeping bitterly over the very sin which of all sins might well have seemed impossible to him! But would anything short of this open and shameful fall, this fracture at his strongest point, have sufficed to purge him of that self-confidence which we have seen to be so potent and so active in him up to the very instant of his fall? And if nothing else would have so suddenly and sharply sifted it out of him, and wrought into him the humility which fitted him to receive the Holy Ghost and to found the Church which Christ was about to redeem with His precious blood, shall we complain of the severity of the process by which he was purged from a dangerous self-trust and made meet for a task so honourable and blessed? Shall we not rather ask that we too may be sifted even by the most searching trials, if we too may thus be made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and be qualified for a Divine service?

2. So far, then, we have seen how Satan obtained Peter, that he might sift him. But if Satan obtained, Christ prayed for him, and even obtained him in a far higher sense; for He obtained that Peter should only be sifted, and that the sifting should issue in his conversion. It is to this second part of the process that we have now to turn our thoughts; for the conversion of the apostle was no less gradual, and no less complete and wonderful, than his fall. Event meets and answers event, false steps are re,rod, broken threads are taken up and worked in, triumphs of faith are set over against failures in faith, denials are retrieved by confessions; the evil in the man is sifted out of him, the good cultivated, consolidated, made permanent; and in and through all this strange and mingled discipline we see the grace of God at work to prepare him for the most honourable service and the highest blessedness. Let us be sure, then, that God has a plan for us no less than for Peter, a plan which dominates all our fugitive impulses, and changeful passions, and broken purposes, and unconnected deeds. Our lives are not the accidental and purposeless fragments they often seem to us to be. God is so disposing them as that we may be sifted from all evil, converted to all goodness, His end for us being that we may become perfect and entire, lacking nothing. (S. Cox, D. D.)

Satans prayer, and Christs

Three parties are before us in these words–three parties to a crisis–the sinner, the sinners friend, and the sinnersfoe. A conflict is revealed to us–a conflict between two of the parties with reference to the third. The conflict is a conflict of prayer. It is by prayer that tile great rivals strive for the mastery. Of the two prayers, that of Satan is first in order. The adversary speaks first, and makes his request. Jesus follows him. The suit of Jesus is founded upon the adversarys demand, and is shaped accordingly. There is the prayer of Satan, and then there is the counter-prayer of our Lord. How fares it with the two requests? The answer is favourable–favourable to both. Is Satans prayer granted? It is. Yes! Satan succeeds in his application, and Peter is banded over to him to be sifted as wheat. It is easy to discover the reason. He might boast that if he had been allowed to subject Peter to the ordeal Jesus would not have been able to carry Peter safely through; and that, if he had been suffered to try, he could have plucked the sheep from the Shepherds hands. It is necessary that Satans defeat be directly and manifestly the work of Christ. The prayers, then, are granted. Let us see what their import is. Satans request is, that he may be allowed to tempt Peter. He expresses his desire to have Peter, that he may sift him as wheat. He would sift him as wheat; that is, in the same way. Wheat is sifted by being shaken up and down. He would sift Peter by the shock and agitation of great and sudden trials. He would sift him as wheat; that is, for the same purpose. Wheat is sifted that it may be known what amount of wheat there is, and what amount of chaff, as well as for other reasons. He would sift Peter, in order to show what measure of genuine faith is in him, and perhaps to show that no true faith is in him, and that Peter himself, with his great professions, is chaff entirely, and not wheat at all! What now is the prayer of Jesus? Does it betray any fear? It might seem to betray fear, if it were that Satans request should be denied. But He prays not that the trial may not come. What, then, does Jesus pray for? I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. His request is that Peters faith may not be wholly or finally overborne. It is that Peter may not have too little faith for the emergency that is at hand to keep him from being an apostate and a castaway. The Saviour has a glorious purpose with reference to the serpent. He means to plant His own foot on the serpent, and to bruise his head. Let us now deduce some lessons from the scene which has been surveyed. These prayers may afford us much instruction.

1. For one thing, we learn somewhat of the malice of the devil. He knows nothing of love or pity.

2. But if the malice of the devil appears, so do the love and compassion of Jesus. The contrast between them is beautiful. The spectacle of Satan praying against Peter and Jesus praying for him brings out in strong relief the kindness of the Friend that sticketh closer than a brother. The sympathy of Jesus is also here exemplified.

3. Again, there is a lesson here, that ought not to be lost upon us, respecting the craft and hypocrisy of Satan. In the very presence of God we find him trying to hide his malice under cover of something like a zeal for uprightness and truth. His insinuation is that Peters religion is but a pretence; and he would fain appear as a friend of truth, who is prepared to show this if he is allowed. His motive, forsooth, is less to do harm to Peter than simply to unmask him for the sake of truth, and to prove him to be what he really is. He does not want to corrupt Peters mind; oh, no! He would merely show it to be corrupt already! But there is a lesson, on the other hand, to encourage and comfort us. Jesus is watchful, and Jesus is wise.

4. One lesson more. We may learn the excellence of faith. Mark the testimony of the Saviour Himself: I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. And we have not the testimony of Jesus alone. We have Satans involuntary tribute to this capital grace. It was the faith of the apostle that he was about to assail, and, if possible, to extinguish. Peter had signalized himself by his faith. It was his faith that produced his renowned confession, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. The confession was gall and wormwood to Satan; he could not forget or forgive it; and he denounced, in his rage, and determined to strike at, the faith from which it sprang. He dislikes, and he fears, the faith of Gods people. And not without reason. It is faith that unites us to Christ, and keeps up the communication with His fulness. If the foe can but break that blessed bond of connection, he will have us for his own. (A. Gray.)

Satans power is limited

1. The Bible doctrine of Satans existence is strikingly corroborated by the devilish in society.

2. His existence has been revealed in mercy to us.

3. He has the will to destroy us, but not the power.

4. He is ever active.

5. We are saved from his cruel and hellish hate by the intercession of Christ. (Anon.)

I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not

Christs prayer for Peter

I. The ESSENTIAL FACTS involved in the occurrence.

1. It was an hour full of trial and danger for all the disciples.

2. Peter especially was in danger.

3. Christ prayed, not simply for them all, but for Peter particularly and personally.

4. The specific point in his spiritual condition to which the prayer was directed, was the preservation of his faith.

5. Christ also advised him of all the facts in the case–of the greatness of the peril, the source of it, and the duty of the hour.

II. The PRACTICAL TRUTHS it teaches for all time.

1. Christ really interposes to save His people when in peril.

2. He intercedes for particular persons.

3. Christs intercessions go into effect only through the moral or spiritual state of the disciple.

4. Faith is the special element of the Christians security.

5. Christs prayers, as well as His design and desire, as to each one, look beyond the individual to others. Strengthen thy brethren.

6. Christs intercessions are not in vain, but take effect even when they seem to fail. (M. Valentine, D. D.)

Divine help in temptation

Now, what the Lord said to Peter, He still virtually says to all His people: I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. When Mrs. Winslow was bereaved of an affectionate husband, deprived of fortune, and in a strange land, and friends far away, The enemy, she said, seemed to sift me as wheat. I would steal away and weep in agony, for I lost my hold and confidence in Him who had said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. This buffeting of the adversary, however, was but for a season, for afterwards, through the helpful grace of her Lord, her faith revived, and she was able to say, He is all and everything He said He would be. He is my joy by night and by day, my stay in trouble, my strength in weakness, the lifter-up of my head, my portion for ever. God be praised! God be praised! Not less touching is the recorded conflict and triumph of a young disciple. A Christian mother, not long ago, finding, as she sat beside her dying boy, that Satan had been dealing with him, said, Does he ever trouble you, George? Oh yes; he has been very busy with me, especially when I have been weak, telling me I was too great a sinner and could not be saved. And what did you say? I told him I had a great Saviour; and then he added, I think the tempter is nearly done with me now. Some weeks before his death he had been saying, There is light in the valley; and turning to his mother, he said very solemnly, Ah, it would be a dark valley without a light! On the last day of his life she said to him, Is there light in the valley now, George? Oh, yes, yes! And when further asked, Is Satan done with you now? Well, I think he is almost. He is lurking near, however; but Jesus is nearer. (R. Macdonald, D. D.)

Christs praying for Peter

In this adversative but, there is a threefold antithesis or opposition, which may be here observed and taken notice of by us. First, an opposition of the persons, Christ against Satan. It is the devil that assaults, but it is the Saviour that labours to divert it. And there is a great matter in this–a potent assistant is a great encouragement against a potent assailant. Now, thus is Christ, in comparison of Satan. He has the greater prevalency with Him, especially in approaches to God, and the requests which He makes to Him for His people. The second is, the opposition of actions or performances, praying against desiring. Satan has but desired, yea, but Christ has prayed. But He choses rather here to do it by prayer, that He might hereby sanctify this performance to us, and show us the efficacy of it as to the vanquishing of temptations themselves. The third is, the opposition of success, establishment against circumvention. Satan has desired to have you, but I have so ordered the matter that thy faith shall not fail notwithstanding. His attempts upon thee shall be in vain. Which latter now leads me from the first general part to the second here in the text; to wit, the matter of Christs prayer, or the thing itself requested by Him in these words, That thy faith fail not. For the negative–First, to consider that what it is not. Where we may observe that it is not that Peter might have no temptation befall him; that, one would have thought, had been more suitable. When He had said before Satan hath desired to have you, we might have expected He should have said next, but I have prayed that he shall have nothing to do with you. This it pleases God to suffer and permit upon divers considerations. First, for their greater abasement and humiliation. The servants of God are apt sometimes, where grace is not more watchful in them, to be advanced and lifted up in themselves. Secondly, as to breed humility, so also to breed compassion and tenderness of spirit to others. Christians, as they are apt sometimes to be too well opinionated of themselves; so also to be now and then too harsh and rigorous towards their brethren. Thirdly, God suffers His servants to be tempted for the honour of His own grace in supporting them and keeping them up, and for the confusion likewise of the enemy in his attempts upon them. Let us not, then, have our armour to get when our enemy is coming upon us, but be furnished aforehand; and remember that we trust not to any grace which we have already received, but be still labouring and striving for more. The second is the positive part of it in the words of the text, that thy faith may not fail. To take them absolutely as they lie in themselves, and so they do signify to us the safety of Peters condition; and, together with him, of all other believers. Their faith, it shall not fail. This, it may be made good unto us from sundry considerations.

1. The nature of grace itself which is an abiding principle. Faith is not a thing taken up, as a man would take up some new fashion or custom, but it is a thing rooted and incorporated in us, and goes through the substance of us, it spreads itself through the whole man, and is, as it were, a new creature in us.

2. The covenant of grace, which is an everlasting covenant. I will make an everlasting covenant with them (Jer 32:40).

3. The spirit of grace, which is not only a worker but an establisher and a sealer of this faith in us, and to us (2Co 1:20). That the servants of God they shall have their faith much upheld in such conditions. We have this implied, that a steadfast faith is a singular help in temptation. Now, the efficacy of faith in temptation is discern-able in these particulars–

(1) As it pitches us upon the strength and power of God. That which keeps up a soul in temptation, it is an almighty power, it is a power which is above all the powers of darkness itself.

(2) Faith helps in temptation as it lays hold upon the promises of God.

(3) As it lays hold upon Christ, and pitches us, and fastens us upon Him, we are so far safe and sure in temptation, as Christ has any hold of us and we of Him. When the stability of a Christian is said to depend upon the prayers of Christ, this is exclusive of any virtue or merit of their own. The consideration of this doctrine is very much still for the comfort of believers, as to this particular. They may from hence, in the use of good means, be very confident, and persuaded of their perseverance, because they have Christ praying for them. And there arc two things in this that make for them. The one is, as I said, first, the acceptance which Christ is sure to have with His Father. Secondly, As there is Christs acceptance, so the constancy of His interceding for us. If Christ should only pray for us sometimes we might seem to be no longer upon sure terms, than such times as He prayed for us; but now He ever liveth to make intercession for us. (J. Horton, D. D.)

When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren

Peter helped by his fail to strengthen his brethren

I. On the first view of such a crime as Peters, WE SHOULD SUPPOSE THAT ALL HIS INFLUENCE OVER HIS BRETHREN, ALL HIS ABILITY TO DO GOOD, HIS CAPACITY TO IMPART STRENGTH TO OTHERS, WERE LOST, AND THAT FOR EVER. At the most, he could only hope to be forgiven, and to live as an unnoticed believer, brooding in the shade over his ingratitude and content to take an obscure place during the remainder of his life. For consider in what position he would now be placed.

1. First his own shame would naturally bring with it a sense of weakness, and would furnish a good reason for concentrating his efforts upon himself.

2. His brethren in such a case would naturally lower their opinion of him.

3. His brethren would naturally feel that a man of such glaring sins was not the man to be put foremost in their efforts to do good outside of the Church.

II. But, notwithstanding all this, it may be true, under a system of grace, that THE MANIFESTATION OF CHARACTER WHICH IS MADE BY A PARTICULAR SIN MAY TURN INTO A BLESSING TO HIM WHO IS ALLOWED TO FALL INTO IT. In this case it is not sin, but an outward sin that is the source of good, and this is accomplished, not in the ordinary course of things, but through the grace of the gospel. Of two persons in the same moral condition before the eye of God one may be untempted and so far forth innocent, while the other yields to a temptation, before which the first also would have fallen, had it been allowed to assail him. Now I say in such a case as this the outward sin may under the gospel be made a blessing to him who commits it; nay, more, the blessing may extend beyond himself to all around him. He may become a wiser, better, stronger Christian than he was before.

1. And this will be made apparent, if we consider that in this way he arrives at a better knowledge of his own character and is impressively warned against his own faults.

2. But secondly, a person who is thus recovered from his sins has the practical power derived from a renewed hope of forgiveness.

3. A person in Peters condition appeals to the affections of the Church, and he has a closer hold upon them than if he had never become a kind of representative of Divine grace. (T. D. Woolsey.)

The ministry of a converted man

I. JESUS EMPLOYS CONVERTED SOULS TO DO HIS WORK. The testimony of living men glorifies Christ.

II. A CONVERTED MAN CAN GIVE A REASON FOR HIS FAITH. II workman who has been employed in the manufacture of machinery is best able to explain the principles and manner of its work.

III. A CONVERTED MAN CAN SPEAK CONFIDENTLY.

IV. A CONVERTED MAN SPEAKS WITH SYMPATHY, AS NO ONE ELSE CAN. Learn–

1. The strength of the ministry.

2. Grace is given to be employed for others.

3. We must use means, and be very diligent in the use of them, if we would strengthen our brethren. (Canon Fremantle.)

Second conversion

I. WHAT IS MEANT BY SECOND CONVERSION. It implies that there has been a first conversion; that is, a principle of true piety has been implanted in the bosom, but it has hitherto been there in a weak, imperfect form. The heart has been changed, but the change is superficial and defective. The repentance is sincere, but not deep and thorough. The faith is real, but not strong and controlling. The love is genuine, but inconstant and feeble. And so of all the Christian graces; they exist in him who has had a first conversion, but in an imperfect, partially developed state, weak, unstable, unsymmetrical, and bearing but little fruit in the life. Now the effect of a second conversion is to take the subject out of this low, inadequate, and ineffective state of piety, and raise him higher, and make him more faithful in the Divine life. The antecedents of this change are often very similar to those that precede first conversion. It commences in a serious, scrutinizing view of ones spiritual state and prospects. The subject of this change becomes dissatisfied with his present type of religion. As he passes through this second conversion as I call it, he seems to himself to enter into a new spiritual region. He sees Divine things in a clearer and more affecting light than he ever did before.

II. ITS REALITY AS A MATTER OF EXPERIENCE. The apostles before and after Pentecost. Through the gift of the Spirit they rose to holier love, to a more spiritual faith and hope in Christ, and to a greater consecration to His service. The late Dr. Judson, of the Burmah Baptist Mission, after he had been years in his field of labour, earnestly engaged in his work, and no doubt as a true Christian man, experienced a change in his religious feelings and views which, in all its essential elements, may properly be regarded as a second conversion, and which gave a new impulse and a new power, as well as a greatly increased spirituality, and joy, and hope, to the whole of his subsequent life. The late Judge Reeve, of Litchfield, furnishes another remarkable example illustrating the point now under consideration. For many years after he professed religion he was saris fled to keep up the usual routine of religious observances, but with little of the life and enjoyment of a clear, indwelling spirit of piety. Then he passed through a great and most decided change in his Christian experience and character, in which he felt as if old things had indeed passed away, and all things had become new to him. From that time till the close of his life he enjoyed great nearness to God and peace of mind, and his path became like that of the sun, shining more and more unto the perfect day.

III. WHY A SECOND CONVERSION IS NECESSARY TO PREPARE ONE TO BE TRULY AND EMINENTLY USEFUL IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, or in promoting the spiritual good of others.

1. It is necessary because first conversion is often very superficial. It does indeed change the heart and turn the affections towards God and Divine things; but the whole inner man is far from being subdued to the obedience of Christ. Much land remains yet to be possessed.

2. A second conversion is often necessary to bring the soul into a nearer union and a deeper sympathy with Christ.

3. This second conversion of which I speak, brings those who are the subjects of it to see and feel the miserable condition of such as are out of Christ and perishing in sin.

4. Second conversion qualifies those who are the subjects of it, to do good in the most acceptable and successful manner. It begets a new spirit of humility, tenderness, and love in the soul; gives tone to the voice and look to the eye, imparts an aspect of benevolence and kindness to the whole manner and style of address, and makes it entirely apparent, when attempting to do good to others, to converse with them for example on the subject of personal religion, that you are moved to it by real concern for their salvation. This, beyond anything else, disarms opposition, subdues prejudice, gives access to the heart and conscience, and is well-nigh sure to render your efforts successful.

5. When the heart is deeply imbued with the feelings implied in second conversion, Gods presence maybe expected to be with you, to guide and crown with success your endeavours to do good to others. (J. Hawes, D. D.)

Conversion and strengthening

I. CONVERSION.

1. The essential, primary idea is that of a corporeal turning round, without anything to limit it. But to this original notion, which is inseparable from the word, usage in many cases adds certain accessory notions. One of these is, the idea of turning in a definite direction; that is, towards a certain object. The difference is that between a wheels turning on its axis and a flower turning towards the sun. But in some connections there is a still further accession to the primary idea; so that the words necessarily suggest, not the mere act of turning, nor the act of turning in a definite direction, but the act of turning from one object to another, which are then, of course, presented in direct antithesis to one another. Thus the magnetic needle, if mechanically pointed towards the south, is no sooner set at liberty than it will turn from that point to the north. In this case, however, there is still another accessory motion added to the simple one of turning, namely, that of turning back to a point from which it had be[ore been turned away. And this idea of return or retroversion may, of course, be repeated without limit, and without any further variation of the meaning of the term used, which is still the same, whether the turning back be for the first or second, tenth or hundredth time. All these distinctions or gradations may be traced also in the spiritual uses of the term. As thus applied, conversion is a change of character, that is, of principles and affections, with a corresponding change of outward life. Now, such a change may be conceived of, as a vague, unsettled, frequently repeated revolution of the views and feelings, without any determinate character or end. But the conversion spoken of in Scripture is relieved from this indefiniteness by a constant reference to one specific object to which the convert turns. It is to God that all conversion is described as taking place. But how, in what sense, does man turn to God? The least and lowest that can be supposed to enter into this conception is, a turning to God, as an object of attention or consideration–turning, as it were, for the first time to look at Him, just as we might turn towards any object of sense which had before escaped attention or been out of sight.

2. Sometimes, again, the idea is suggested that we not only turn to God, but turn back to Him. This may at first sight appear inconsistent with the fact just stated, that our first affections are invariably given to the world and to ourselves. But even those who are converted, for the first time, from a state of total alienation, may be said to turn back to God, in reference to the great original apostasy in which we are all implicated. As individuals, we never know God till we are converted. As a race, we have all departed from Him, and conversion is but turning back to Him. But this expression is still more appropriate, even in its strict sense, to the case of those who have already been converted, and are only reclaimed from a partial and temporary alienation, from relapsing into sin, or what is called, in religious phraseology, declension, and, in the Word of God itself, backsliding. That the term conversion may be properly applied to such a secondary restoration, is apparent from the language of the text, where it is used by Christ Himself, of one who is expressly said to have had faith, and faith which did not absolutely fail.

II. Conversion tends to the STRENGTHENING OF OTHERS. In answer to the question, How does conversion tend to this result? the general fact maybe thus resolved into three distinct particulars:

1. It enables men to strengthen others.

2. It obliges men to strengthen others.

3. It disposes men to strengthen others.

The convert is enabled to confirm or rescue others by his knowledge of their character and state. He knows, not only what he sees in them, but what he feels or has felt in himself. He knows the difficulties of the restoration–how much harder it is now to excite hope or confirm faith, how much less effective either warning, or encouragement, or argument is now than it once was–how precarious even the most specious reformation and repentance must be after such deflections. This advantage of experimental knowledge is accompanied, moreover, by a corresponding liveliness of feeling, a more energetic impulse, such as always springs from recent restorations or escapes. Out of this increased ability arises, by a logical and moral necessity, a special obligation. This is only a specific application of a principle which all acknowledge, and which the Word of God explicitly propounds, To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin. It needs not so much to be explained or established, as to be exemplified from real life. The recognition of the principle is there unhesitating and unanimous. He who has been recovered from the power of a desperate disease by a new or unknown remedy, is under a peculiar obligation to apply it, or at least to make it known, to all affected in like manner. Hence the unsparing, universal condemnation of the man who, from mercenary motives, holds in his possession secrets of importance to the health or happiness of others. He who is mercifully saved from shipwreck, often feels especially incumbent on himself the rescue of his fellows. He must do what he can even though he be exhausted; how much more if he is strengthened. The heart must beat in concord with the reason and the conscience. And it does so in the ease of the true convert. (J. A. Alexander, D. D.)

Strengthening the brethren

That the brethren may be weak in faith, in love, in humility, and in some departments of Christian duty, is clearly implied in the command to strengthen them. But this cannot be done by abandoning them. How, then, can it be accomplished?

1. By being always in the place, and punctually discharging the duty which the Lord requires of you, according to your covenant.

2. By the spirituality of those who are turned from any particular course of sinfulness.

3. The brethren may be strengthened by our meekness, and other mild graces.

4. Nor should this work of strengthening the brethren, be a matter of mere contingence. It must be undertaken systematically. Each Christian should adopt a system of doing good, and carry it out in all the branches of a Christian life.

5. He should strengthen them, by meeting with them in circles for prayer.

6. He will also encourage them, by praying for them.

7. He will encourage them by his conversation. (J. Foot, D. D.)

Peter after his restoration

I. First, it is HIS DUTY. He has gone astray, and he has been brought back; what better can he do than to strengthen his brethren?

1. He will thus help to undo the evil which he has wrought. Peter must have staggered his brethren.

2. Besides, how can you better express your gratitude to God than by seeking to strengthen your weak brethren when you have been strengthened yourself?

3. Do you not think, too, that this becomes our duty, because, doubtless, it is a part of the Divine design? Never let us make a mistake by imagining that Gods grace is given to a man simply with an eye to himself.

4. By the way, the very wording of the text seems to suggest the duty: we are to strengthen our brethren. We must do so in order that we may manifest brotherly love, and thus prove our sonship towards God.

5. Let us see to it, dear friends, if we have been restored, that we try to look after our weak brethren, that we may show forth a zeal for the honour and glory of our Lord. When we went astray we dishonoured Christ.

II. Now secondly, HE HAS A QUALIFICATION FOR IT. This Peter is the man who, when he is brought back again, can strengthen his brethren.

1. He can strengthen them by telling them of the bitterness of denying his Master. He went out and wept bitterly.

2. Again, Peter was the man to tell another of the weakness of the flesh, for he could say to him, Do not trust yourself.

3. But he was also qualified to bear his personal witness to the power of his Lords prayer. He could never forget that Jesus had said to him, I have prayed for thee.

4. And could not Peter speak about the love of Jesus to poor wanderers?

5. And could not Peter fully describe the joy of restoration?

III. And now, lastly, the restored believer should strengthen his brethren, because IT WILL BE SUCH A BENEFIT TO HIMSELF. He will derive great personal benefit from endeavouring to cherish and assist the weak ones in the family of God.

1. Brother, do this continually and heartily, for thus you will be made to see your own weakness.

2. But what a comfort it must have been to Peter to have such a charge committed to him!

3. And, brethren, whenever any of you lay yourselves out to strengthen weak Christians, as I pray you may, you will get benefit from what you do in the holy effort. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Christs command to Peter

1. Here is an enlargement of personal conversion, to fraternal or brotherly confirmation. He that is converted himself, he must strengthen his brethren. And that in divers respects–

(1) In a way of faithfulness, as closing with that end for which they are converted themselves. The reason why God does bestow such a measure of grace or comfort upon this or that particular Christian, it is not for himself only, but for others, that so they may be so much the better, or comfortabler for his sake.

(2) In away of thankfulness, When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren; upon this account likewise, we cannot better testify our acknowledgments of Gods goodness, in the bestowing of grace or comfort upon our own souls, than by imparting and communicating it to others. True thankfulness, it hath, for the most part, joy with it.

(3) Out of zeal to the glory of God. We should endeavour others conversion, that so God may have more glory by it. The more that sinners are converted, the more is God honoured.

(4) Out of love to ourselves and our own good. The more we strengthen others, the more indeed do we confirm ourselves, whether in grace or comfort. This oil, it increases in the spending; and this bread in the breaking of it. And to him that thus hath, it shall be given. This is done divers ways, as–

(a) By discovering and laying open the flights of sin, and the subtilties of the spiritual enemy.

(b) By quickening and exciting and stirring up one another to good, we do hereby strengthen our brethren. There is nothing does more strengthen men in goodness, than the practice of goodness.

(c) By imparting and communicating of our own experiences, we do hereby likewise strengthen our brethren; when we shall show them what good we ourselves have found by such and such good courses.

This is a means not only to draw on, but to confirm others with us.
To help us, and enable us hereunto, we must labour especially for such graces as are conducing to the practice of it, as–

(1) A spirit of discerning, whereby to judge aright of the case and condition which our brethren are in. It is a great part of skill in a physician, to be able to find out the disease, and to know the just temper and constitution of his patients body; and so is it also for a healer of souls.

(2) A spirit of love and tenderness and condescension. There is a great deal of meekness required in a spiritual strengthener and restorer (Gal 6:2).

(3) A spirit of faith, whereby we do believe ourselves those things which we commend to others.

2. The confinement of brotherly confirmation to personal conversion. He that will strengthen his brethren, he must himself be first of all converted. Peter, till himself be converted, he cannot confirm or strengthen his brethren, whether in comfort or grace. When we say, he cannot do it, this holds good according to the notion of a threefold impossibility which is in it.

(1) In regard of the performance; he cannot strengthen his brethren in this respect, who is himself unconverted. The reason of it is this: because persons in such a condition, they are devoid of those graces which are requisite to such a performance.

(2) Cannot do it, in regard of acceptance; God will not take it so well from him, in his making and pretending to do it; neither is it altogether so satisfactory to men.

(3) Cannot, in regard of success. He that is himself unconverted and unexperienced in his own heart, he cannot speak so profitable to others, and to the good of their souls. Nothing goes to the heart so much as that which comes from it. (J. Horton, D. D.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 31. Simon, Simon] When a name is thus repeated in the sacred writings, it appears to be always intended as an expression of love, manifested by a warning voice. As if he had said, While thou and the others are contending for supremacy, Satan is endeavouring to destroy you all: but I have prayed for thee, as being in most danger.

Satan hath desired – you] That is, all the apostles, but particularly the three contenders: the plural pronoun, , sufficiently proves that these words were not addressed to Peter alone. Satan had already got one, Judas; he had nearly got another, Peter; and he wished to have all. But we see by this that the devil cannot even tempt a man unless he receive permission. He desires to do all evil; he is permitted only to do some.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Our Lord directeth his speech to Peter, as one who (as it will by and by appear) had a greater confidence of himself than the rest expressed, and as one who he foresaw would fall more foully than the rest; though it appears, that in his speech he had a respect to them all, for the word you is in the plural number. The devil had a mind to disturb them all by his temptations (that is here called sifting). Christ hath his fan in his hand, and will sift his church, but his sifting is to purge his floor; he sifts a particular soul, to purify it from its lusts and corruptions; but Satan sifts the soul and the church merely to give them trouble, and to keep them from rest and quiet by continual motion and agitation. This we are all concerned to take notice of, that we may both be continually prepared for the time of our siftings, and bless God who doth not satisfy Satans desires to sift his; for he hath the same mind to winnow us now, that he had to sift Peter and the rest of the apostles.

But (saith our Saviour) I have prayed that thy faith fail not. There is a total and a partial failing of faith. Peters faith did fail in part; but the seed of God did yet abide in him, his faith did not wholly fail: so will it be with the faith of every true disciple of Christ. In hours of great temptation and trial, their faith may, as to some degrees, fail, but totally it shall not: they may be perverted, but they shall again be converted. As the apostles saith of the bodies of the saints, Rom 8:10,11, And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you: may also be said of their souls. They have in them a body of death, and they may in act hour of great temptations fail, and their gracious habits may seem to die. But if the Spirit of God dwelleth in the soul, he will again quicken their souls by his Spirit which dwelleth in them.

And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren; that is, when God hath recovered thee from thy fall, and made thee to see thy error, make an improvement of thy recovery out of the snare of the devil, by admonishing others to take heed of too much confidence in themselves, and encouraging them not to despair, though they also may fall into temptation; but that the grace of God shall be sufficient for them.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

31-34. Simon, Simon(See on Lu10:41).

desired to haverather, “hath obtained you,” properly “askedand obtained”; alluding to Job (Job 1:6-12;Job 2:1-6), whom hesolicited and obtained that he might sift him as wheat, insinuatingas “the accuser of the brethren” (Re12:10), that he would find chaff enough in his religion, ifindeed there was any wheat at all.

younot Peter only, butthem all.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon,…. Peter is particularly, and by name, spoken to, either because he might be a principal person in the debate and contention about superiority, mentioned in the context; or because he was chiefly to suffer in the following temptation of Satan; or because he was generally the mouth of the rest of the apostles; and he is addressed, not by the name of Peter, the name Christ gave him, when he first called him, signifying his future solidity, firmness, and steadfastness; because in this instance, he would not give any proof of it; but by his former name, Simon, and which is repeated, partly to show the earnestness of Christ in the delivery of what follows, and partly to express his affectionate concern for him; so the Jews observe s concerning God’s calling, “Moses, Moses”, Ex 3:4 that

, “the doubling of the word”, is expressive “of love”, and finding grace and favour; even as it is said, “Abraham, Abraham”,

Ge 22:11 or it may be to excite attention to what Christ was about to say. Though the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read the first of these, “to Simon”, thus: Jesus said to Simon,

Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you; not only Peter, but all the apostles; for the word , “you”, is plural: Satan, the enemy of the woman’s seed, the accuser of the brethren, the wicked one, and the tempter, desired, asked leave of God, for he can do nothing without permission; that he might have these disciples under his power, and in his hand; just as he got leave to have the goods, and even the body of Job in his hand, and fain would have had his life, and soul too, could he have obtained it; and he would have the lives and souls of others; for he goes about, seeking to devour whom he may; and he had now an evil eye upon the apostles, and wanted an opportunity to gratify his malice and envy: his end in desiring to have them in his power was,

that he may sift you as wheat; not to separate the chaff from the wheat, but to make them look like all chaff, by covering the wheat of grace with the chaff of sin and corruption; or to destroy the wheat, was it possible; or to toss them to and fro as wheat is in a sieve; that is, to afflict and distress them; see Am 9:9 by scattering them both from Christ, and one another; by filling them with doubts about Jesus being the Messiah and Redeemer: and by frightening them with the fears of enemies and of death, which end he obtained; see Mt 26:56.

s Tzeror Hammor, fol. 38. 4. Jarchi in Gen. xxii. 11. Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 14. fol. 217. 1.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Asked to have you (). First aorist indirect middle indicative of , an old verb to beg something of one and (middle) for oneself. Only here in the N.T. The verb is used either in the good or the bad sense, but it does not mean here “obtained by asking” as margin in Revised Version has it.

That he might sift you ( ). Genitive articular infinitive of purpose. First aorist active infinitive of , to shake a sieve, to sift, from , a winnowing fan. Later word. Here only in the N.T.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Hath desired [] . Only here in New Testament. It sometimes means to obtain by asking, or to beg off. So Xenophon, “Anabasis,” 1, 1, 3. The mother of Cyrus, who is charged with an attempt to kill his brother, begged him off [] . Rev., in margin, obtained you by asking. The result proved that Satan had obtained him for the time.

Sift [] . Only here in New Testament.

Wheat [] . A general term, grain.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

PETER’S DENIAL OF JESUS FORETOLD V. 31-34

1) “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold,” (Simon, Simon idou) “Simon, behold,” or take note of what I tell you. The repeating of the name indicates solemnity and tenderness in the appeal.

2) “Satan hath desired to have you,” (Satanas eksetesato humas) “Satan has begged earnestly for you,” desired to have you, is not content with just Judas, the old slanderer who possessed Judas Iscariot, Luk 22:3; that deceived Adam and eve, Gen 3:1-8, who is a liar, Joh 8:44; Rev 20:10.

3) “That he may sift you as wheat.” (tou siniasai hos ton siton) “To sift or shake you down like wheat,” as he goeth about seeking whom he may devour, 1Pe 5:8. Peter was true wheat, his carnal self confidence was chaff, Psa 1:4; Mat 13:31; The harvest of Jesus’ friends he still desires to sift, 1Pe 5:5.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

Luk 22:31

. Lo, Satan hath desired. The other two Evangelists relate more briefly and simply, that our Lord foretold to his disciples their fall. But the words of Luke contain more abundant instruction; for Christ does not speak of the future trouble in the way of narrative, but expressly declares, that they will have a contest with Satan, and, at the same time, promises to them victory. It is a highly useful admonition, whenever we meet with any thing that gives us offense, to have always before our eyes the snares of Satan; as Paul also teaches, that

we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual armies, (Eph 6:12.)

The meaning of the words therefore is: “When, a short time hence, you shall see me oppressed, know that Satan employs these arms to fight against you, and that this is a convenient opportunity for destroying your faith.” I have said that this is a useful doctrine, because it frequently happens that, from want of consideration, we are overcome by disregarding temptations, which we would regard as formidable, if we reflected that they are the fiery darts (Eph 6:16) of a vigorous and powerful enemy. And though he now speaks of that singularly fierce attack, by which the disciples, at one time, received dreadful shocks, so that their faith was well nigh extinguished, yet he manifestly conveys a more extensive doctrine, that Satan continually goes about, roaring for his prey. As he is impelled by such furious madness to destroy us, nothing is more unreasonable than that we should give ourselves up to drowsiness. Before there is apparent necessity for fighting, let us already prepare ourselves; for we know that Satan desires our destruction, and with great skill and assiduity seizes on every method of injuring us. And when we come to the conflict, let us know that all temptations, from whatever quarter they come, were forged in the workshop of that enemy.

That he may sift you as wheat. The metaphor of sifting is not in every respect applicable; for we have elsewhere seen that the Gospel is compared to a winnowing-fan or sieve, by which the wheat is purified from the chaff (Mat 3:12😉 but here it simply means to toss up and down, or to shake with violence, because the apostles were driven about with unusual severity by the death of Christ. This ought to be understood, because there is nothing in which Satan takes less delight than the purification of believers. Yet though it be for a different purpose that he shakes them, it is nevertheless true, that they are driven and tossed about in every direction, just as the wheat is shaken by the winnowing-fan. But we shall shortly afterwards see that a still more disastrous fulfillment of these words was experienced by the disciples. And this is what is meant by the words of our Lord, as related by Matthew and Mark: you will all be offended at me. They mean that the disciples will not only be attacked, but will nearly give way; because the ignominious treatment of Christ will quite overpower their minds. For whereas it was their duty to advance steadily with their Master to the cross, fear kept them back. Their infirmity is thus exhibited to them, that by prayers and groans they may betake themselves to God’s holy protection.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

Butlers Comments

SECTION 2

Care (Luk. 22:31-38)

31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren. 33And he said to him, Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death. 34He said, I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you three times deny that you know me.

35 And he said to them, When I sent you out with no purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything? They said, Nothing. 36He said to them, But now, let him who has a purse take it, and likewise a bag. And let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one. 37For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, And he was reckoned with transgressors; for what is written about me has its fulfillment. 38And they said, Look, Lord, here are two swords. And he said to them, It is enough.

Luk. 22:31-34 Advised: What Johns gospel records (Joh. 13:31-38) precedes Jesus warning to Peter here. So, also, do the texts in Mat. 26:31-33 and Mar. 14:27-29. These three texts document the overconfident braggadocio of Peter. Johns gospel indicates Jesus begins to talk about His imminent humiliation on the cross in the enigmatic statement, Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, Where I am going you cannot come. Then Jesus gave the new commandment that all His disciples should love one another with the same kind of love He displayed so the world would know they are His disciples (Joh. 13:34-35). But Peter was not listening intently to that. He was still thinking about going wherever Jesus was. He was determined and confident that he could follow Jesus anywhere Jesus would go. In the Matthew and Mark texts Jesus quotes the messianic passage in Zec. 13:7 about the Shepherd being smitten and the sheep scattering, as a warning to Peter and the other disciples, that when the time comes for Him to be humiliated, they will all scatter. Peter boastingly says, Even though they all fall away, because of you, I will never fall away (Mat. 26:33; Mar. 14:29). Yes, Peter was no coward when it came to physical combat. He later proved that in Gethsemane when he whipped out his sword and took a swipe at one of the mob come to arrest Jesus (Luk. 22:49-50; Joh. 18:10). And our text here in Luk. 22:33 documents the fact that Peter was willing to go with Jesus to prison and to death. But there is a great deal of difference in fighting proudly for an earthly ambition than being willing to suffer humiliation and apparent failure for a spiritual goal! None of the disciples wanted to go with Him when, later, it appeared that He had failed to set up His kingdom and was willing to be humiliated like a common criminal on a cross. Jesus predicted they would all fall away that very night, and the gospel writers used the Greek word skandalisthesesthe from which the English word, scandalized, originates. The disciples were not frightened by the mob which came to arrest Jesusthey would have fought for Him until they died had He only asked them to do so. But they were scandalized by His acquiescence, His humility, and His submission to be unjustly slandered and slain with a criminals executioncrucifixion. They were scandalized by what they considered His failure to be able to carry through with the establishment of the kingdom He had so often promised to set up.

So Jesus warns them all. They are all much too confident in the flesh. Jesus said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you all, that he might winnow you like wheat. . . . The Greek pronoun in Luk. 22:31 is plural, showing that Jesus is warning them of Satans designs on them all. But in Luk. 22:32 the pronoun is singular indicating that Jesus is focusing on Peter because he was in special danger, being the most impetuous of them all.

The Greek verb exetesato is aorist and intensive. It is translated demand in the RSV, however, Vine says the Greek word punthanomai is usually translated demand (see Mat. 2:4; Act. 21:33). The word exetesato means to examine, seek out by intense inquiry, search out or ask intently. G. Campbell Morgan says, What He (Jesus) said about this is most arresting. Satan hath obtained you by asking. That is the real force of the Greek verb. It is not merely that Satan had asked; he had obtained them by asking. It certainly is a clear indication that Satan is always under Gods sovereign power. Satan can have nothing unless God gives it to him. Satan cannot winnow until he is given permissionhe must ask. Satan is always bound to some degree by the very fact that he is creature and not Creator. There is only one Almighty and that is Jehovah and His Son.

Satan wanted to winnow the apostles like the farmer winnows his wheat. When a farmer winnowed his wheat in those days he took some kind of a shoveling instrument and threw the threshed grain roughly into the air, measure by measure, and let the wind blow upon it to separate the good grain from the chaff. It was a purifying process, much like putting gold or silver into a crucible to purify it and test it. Jesus winnows men by the truth hoping to sift all impurity and chaff away. Satan asks to winnow men by falsehood hoping to sift all the good wheat away so that only the chaff is left.
Jesus encouraged the apostles by saying, I have prayed for you. . . . The Greek word translated prayed is edeethen, from the verb, deo, which means, to bind. In other words, Jesus is saying, I have asked the Father for you, as your Bondmanyour Surety. I have asked the Father that you be bound to me. Jesus prayed that their faith would not fail, especially Peters faith, for Peter would be the one needed to strengthen and establish his brethren. Jesus knew Peters faith would not fail, but that it would simply need redirection, turning. The Greek word epistrepsas is an aorist participle and might be translated, having turned . . . confirm your brethren. Peter believed wholeheartedly in Jesus, but he needed that heart-rooted faith redirected toward the spiritual and heavenly goals of Christ. After the resurrection and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, Peter did direct that deep faith toward spiritual matters and he did strengthen his brethren! Jesus plainly predicts that, in spite of Peters courageous commitment to die physically for his Lord, before morning comes (before the cock crows) he will disown (Gr. aparnese) or deny knowing Jesus three times. Peter is not willing to die spiritually for Christ. Jesus knew Peters heart thenlater, Peter saw it too (cf. Luk. 22:54-62).

Luk. 22:35-38 Armed: This was an evening of amazing statements by the Lord. But the next statement was one of the most amazing ever to fall from the lips of Jesus! He reminded the apostles of the time He had sent them out to do the work of the kingdom without money bags or sandals and they had lacked for nothing (Mat. 10:1-42; Luk. 9:1-6; Mar. 6:7-13). For that job, they had everything which was sufficient. Now, He had another job for them. It was an urgent one. He commanded them, Let any one of you who has a purse, take it immediately, or a bagand anyone of you who does not have a swordtake his outer cloak immediately and sell it and buy a sword. The Greek verbs arato and polesato (take and sell) are aorist imperative and suggest that He commanded them to take and sell immediately.

The mission Jesus had for His apostles here was to protect Him against the mob that He knows had gathered and would want to seize Him for murder on the spot. Jesus knew He was going to die. He accepted the will of God, but He also knew it was Gods will that He die in a particular way (crucifixion) and at a particular time. He would not surrender to the violence of a mob. Jesus was no pacifist. He always stood for law and order (see comments on Luk. 20:19-26). Jesus told the apostles to make haste, even if they must sell their coats (so necessary for keeping warm), to purchase some swords to defend Himself and them against the disorderly, anarchistic mob of Jerusalems rabble, agitated by the murderous priesthood, coming to do violence to Him. Some have suggested that Jesus ordered the apostles to get swords to defend themselves against the persecution that came their way as they went to preach the gospel. They certainly did not carry swords as they later went out to evangelize. But very shortly they faced uncontrolled hostility and mob mentality. He and they were in peril of life and limb from a lawless mob which looked upon Jesus and His followers as transgressors and insurrectionists. They needed some weapons to defend themselves. Two swords were enough for defense, but not enough to start a war. Jesus did not intend them to use swords to fight for His release, (see Joh. 18:10-11). We certainly cannot interpret Jesus instructions here to be sanctioning vigilante action or armed aggression. Neither does He intend by this to advocate spreading the gospel by the power of the sword (as Mohammed advocated). When the apostles told Jesus they already had two swords among them, He said, That is enough. One of these two swords appeared in the hand of Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane. He drew it and cut off the right ear of the high priests servant. There Jesus told Peter his action was wrong (see comments, Luk. 22:50-51).

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(31) And the Lord said, Simon, Simon.The first three Gospels agree in placing the warning to Peter after the institution of the Lords Supper. The two-fold utterance of the name, as in the case of Martha (Luk. 10:41), is significant of the emphasis of sadness.

Satan hath desired to have you.Both this verb, and the I have prayed, are in the Greek tense which indicates an act thought of as belonging entirely to the past. The Lord speaks as though He had taken part in some scene like that in the opening of Job (Job. 1:6-12; Job. 2:1-6), or that which had come in vision before the prophet Zechariah (Zec. 3:1-5), and had prevailed by His intercession against the Tempter and Accuser.

That he may sift you as wheat.The word and the figure are peculiar to St. Lukes record. The main idea is, however, the same as that of the winnowing fan in Mat. 3:12; the word for sift implying a like process working on a smaller scale. The word for you is plural. The fiery trial by which the wheat was to be separated from the chaff was to embrace the whole company of the disciples as a body. There is a latent encouragement in the very word chosen. They were to be sifted as wheat. The good grain was there. They were not altogether as the chaff.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

125. JESUS FOREWARNS PETER, Luk 22:31-38 .

31. Simon, Simon Peter had probably had his full share in the contention just mentioned; and our Lord here addresses him with a most solemn emphasis by his old natural name, in distinction from his new name of Peter.

Hath desired In the Greek ( ) has asked that you be surrendered over to him, as Job was surrendered to this same Satan. So Philip of Macedon demanded of the Athenians to surrender his enemy, Demosthenes, over to him. Demosthenes, in relating the fact, adopts the very word here used by our Lord.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat,”

There is an important emphasis in this passage that emphasises what has gone before. It is clear that Jesus regularly called Peter ‘Simon’, for that was his original given name (Mat 16:17; Mat 17:25; Mar 14:37; Joh 21:15-17), while His only actual use of the name ‘Peter’ was in this passage. To Jesus in their daily activities Peter was always ‘Simon’. This then makes even more emphatic the deliberate alteration in this passage from ‘Simon’ to ‘Peter’. ‘Peter’ was, as it were, Simon’s throne name (Luk 6:14; Mar 3:16; Mat 16:18; Act 10:5). It is because he is now about to enter onto a new phase of his life, which will begin with this extraordinary sifting, that the change takes place. It is a further indication of Peter’s taking his place on one of ‘the thrones of David’. (By the time that the Gospels were written Peter was established as Peter, but he is never directly addressed as that in the Gospels).

The repetition of Simon’s name (Simon = Peter) indicates the intensity of Jesus’ words, and the affection that He feels for Peter (compare Luk 10:41. The thought is powerful. Satan has desired that the Apostles (‘you’ in the plural) might be put where he can get at them, so that just as wheat is sifted in separating the grain from the chaff, he can give them a thorough going over. Without God’s permission he could not do so. But God does allow it for He has confidence in the disciples and knows that it will be for their good. They have been with Him throughout His temptations, and they too will be allowed further testing.

‘Sift you as wheat.’ This sifting of wheat imitated the purposes of God. John the Baptiser had declared that one day God would sift men like wheat (Luk 3:17). Thus Satan sought that he too might be allowed to do the same. Satan is confident that if he sifts Peter the grain will fall away and only the chaff will be left. He always had confidence in men that they would fail in the end. What he does not realise is that by his actions in fact the opposite will happen, because of the mercy and goodness of God. For he knows nothing of mercy and goodness. As a result of the coming of the Holy Spirit the wheat will be gathered into the barns of God, and Satan will be left with only the chaff which in the end will burn along with him.

There are similarities between what is happening to Peter here and what happened to Joshua the godly High Priest in Zechariah 3. There too Satan arraigned him before the Lord, only finally to be thwarted because of God’s protecting hand. For God will not allow His true servants to fail in their hour of need if their hearts are right towards Him (that is, if they truly believe in Him).

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Walk to Gethsemane and the Agony.

The warning to Simon:

v. 31. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat;

v. 32. but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

v. 33. And he said unto Him, Lord, I am ready to go with Thee both into prison and to death.

v. 34. And He said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest Me.

Jesus had now left the upper room of the supper and was probably on His way to Gethsemane with His disciples. On the way a conversation was begun, in the course of which the Lord gave Peter this emphatic warning. Twice He calls him Simon, his former name, to indicate even in that way the seriousness of the situation. He puts all the affection of His Savior’s love and yet enough distress into His tunnel to make Peter feel the solemnity. Satan had eagerly and earnestly sought them all; he was not satisfied with Judas, but desired other conquests. Even as the wheat, after the first treading out, was winnowed and then shaken in a sieve, to separate the grain from the chaff, just as in the modern fanning-machine, so Satan would take hold of the disciples to sift them by means of afflictions and various temptations. He would make use of God’s permission to the very limit. The Passion of the Lord would bring trial, fear, and terror also upon them, and then the devil would make every attempt to take their faith out of their hearts. All disciples of Christ should remember that in days of trouble and distress their adversary, the devil, will take advantage of the fact and will attempt to devour them. And just in the case of Simon the devil succeeded; for a very little while he conquered. But the Lord adds at once that He has made him the special object of earnest prayer, in order that his faith, which he would lose in the denial, would not be taken away, would not be lost, permanently. But when Peter has then turned from his great sin, he should strengthen his brethren, the other disciples, making them firm in faith and love. Peter, with his usual impetuous rashness, would not have the words of the Master true; he simply would not admit that he, who had received such evidences of the Savior’s love and felt himself so secure, should prove unfaithful. He assured Jesus: Lord, with Thee ready am I to go even into prison and into death. He protected his readiness repeatedly, foolishly depending upon his own strength. But Jesus told him, in turn, that the cock would not crow, the regular time of cock-crowing would not come, Mar 13:35, before he had denied his Master three times. And his denial would be an absolute one, a declining of even personal knowledge of Him. But Peter did not heed the warning. If any Christian depends upon his own strength and ability, he is on the surest way to deny his Savior. Only by constant humility and ceaseless, trustful prayer for the sustaining strength of God can one hope to remain faithful to the end.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Luk 22:31-32. Simon! Simon! This repetition of the name of Simon, shews much earnestness in our Saviour, and intimates the great danger to which Peter was exposed. Our Lord speaks herein the plural, ; “You, my apostles in general.”That he may sift you as wheat, is an expression denoting the violent agitations, the formidable temptations, and numerous artifices, which the enemy of mankind would make use of to try their integrity. See Amo 9:9. “But, continues our Lord, I have prayed for thee,Peter, in particular,foreseeing the danger to which thou wilt be peculiarly exposed; and when thou art returned back to thy duty, [, ] from those wanderings into which I foresee thou wilt fall;strengthen thy brethren, by setting them an example of eminent faith and fortitude; and do thine utmost through all the remainder of thy days, to engage all, over whom thou hast any influence, steadily to adhere to my cause, in the midst of the greatest difficulties.” There can be no objection against taking the charge in this comprehensive sense; and as there can be no question but that Peter, after he had wept his fall so bitterly as we know he did, applied himself to rally his dispersed brethren, and to prevent their fleeing from Jerusalem till the third day was over,in the morning of which he was up betimes, and early at the sepulchre of our Lord; (See Joh 20:3.)so, indeed, the strain of his epistles shews his long and affectionate remembrance of this solemn charge. Many passages of the first are peculiarly intended to animate his Christian brethren to a courageous adherence to Christ amid the greatest dangers; and the second has several cautions to guard them against the seductions of error; in some instances more to be dreaded than the terrors of the severest persecution. See Act 9:35; Act 11:2., &c.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Luk 22:31-34 . The conversation with Peter concerning his denial is found in John also at the supper, while Matthew and Mark, on the other hand, place it on the way to Gethsemane. But how possible it is that the momentous word, which had already been spoken at the supper, was returned to again on the journey by night! so that in this way both narratives are correct in regard to the point of time. The words addressed to Peter in Luk 22:31 f. are peculiar to Luke, and are so characteristic in substance and in form, that they seem to be original, and not the offspring of tradition. The words (which, nevertheless, are not found in B L T, Copt. Sahid., and are hence suspicious, and deleted by Tischendorf), if they are genuine, separate what follows from what precedes as a special opening of a discourse the occasion of which Luke does not state, and probably, moreover, could not, and hence the question at issue cannot be decided.

, ] urgently warning, as Luk 10:41 ; Act 11:4 .

] he has demanded you (thee and thy fellow-disciples) for himself, longed for you into his power , sibi tendendos postulavit; namely, from God , as he once did in the case of Job (Job 1 .). A similar allusion to the history of Job may be found in the Test. XII. Patr . p. 729: . Comp. Const. Apost . vi. 5. 4. The compound . refers to the contemplated surrender out of God’s power and protection. Comp. Herod. i. 74: ; Plat. Menex . p. 245 B; Polyb. iv. 66. 9, 30:8. 6. Moreover, the meaning is not to be reduced to a mere “ imminent vobis tentationes ” (Kuinoel), but the actual will of the devil ( , Theophylact), which is known to Jesus, is by Him declared, and only the form of the expression by means of is, in allusion to the history of Job, figurative, so that the meaning is: The devil wishes to have you in his power, as he once upon a time asked to have Job in his power.

] so far as the ancient Greek writers are concerned, the verb [253] is not to be found; but according to Photius, p. 512, 22, Hesychius, Suidas, and the Greek Fathers (see Suicer, Thes . II. p. 961 f.; van Hengel, Annot . p. 31 f.), the meaning is without doubt: in order to sift you ( ); , , Euthymius Zigabenus. The point of comparison is the which puts to the test . As the wheat in the sieve is shaken backwards and forwards, and thus the refuse separates itself from the grains, and falls out; so Satan wishes to trouble you and toss you about (by vexations, terrors, dangers, afflictions), in order to bring your faithfulness to me to decay.

Luk 22:32 . ] spoken in the consciousness of the greater power which He by His prayer has in opposition to the demand of Satan. “Ostenderat periculum, ostendit remedium,” Maldonatus.

] Comp. previously ; “totus sane hic sermo Domini praesupponit, Petrum esse primum apostolorum, quo stante aut cadente ceteri aut minus aut magis periclitarentur,” Bengel. Jesus here means a more special intercession than in Joh 17:15 .

. . .] that thy faith in me cease not , that thou mayest not be unfaithful, and fall away from me. Jesus knows this prayer is heard, in spite of the temporary unfaithfulness of the denial, the approaching occurrence of which he likewise knows. “Defecit in Petro ad tempus,” Grotius. Therefore he goes on: and thou at a future time ( , opposed to the ), when thou shalt be converted (without figure: resipueris , , Theophylact), strengthen thy brethren (thy fellow-disciples); be their support, which maintains and strengthens them, when they become wavering in their faith. Even here we have the dignity and duty of the primate, which was not to cease through the momentary fall. For the idea of , see especially Act 14:22 . On the form , see Winer, p. 82 [E. T. 110]. According to Bede, Maldonatus, Grotius, Bengel, van Hengel, Annot . p. 1 ff., Ewald, and others, . is a Hebraism ( ): rursus, vicissim , so that the meaning would be: what I have done to thee, do thou in turn to thy brethren. This is contrary to the usus loquendi of the New Testament (even Act 7:42 ; Act 15:36 ). But it is inconsistent with the context when Wetstein takes . actively : “ convertens fratres tuos,” since Jesus has the fall of Peter (Luk 22:34 ) in His view.

Luk 22:33 f. Comp. on Mat 26:32-35 ; Mar 14:20-31 . The provoked the self-confidence of the apostle.

] stands with passionate emphasis at the beginning; , Theophylact.

] not this time. The significant name in contradiction with the conduct.

] after . , as Luk 20:27 .

[253] Ignatius, Smyrn. Interpol . 7, has , plainly in reference to the passage before us.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

DISCOURSE: 1576
THE MEANS OF SECURITY FROM SATANS MALICE

Luk 22:31-32. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.

THE agency, or even the existence, of evil spirits is scarcely credited amongst us; but there is nothing more certain than that they exist, and act in the world. To conflict with them, constitutes a principal part of the Christians warfare [Note: Eph 6:12.]; and to be aware of their devices is no inconsiderable attainment in Christian knowledge [Note: 2Co 2:11.]. There is however a Being who is able to counteract their agency: and of this we have a proof in the history before us. Satan, the prince of the devils, meditated the destruction of Peter. Our Lord with affection and earnestness warned Peter of his designs; and, by his own intercession, secured him against his assaults.

I.

The malice of Satan

Satan is the great adversary of mankind
[He was once as bright a morning star as any in heaven. But he rebelled against the Most High, and incurred his displeasure [Note: 2Pe 2:4.]. Full of hatred against God, he sought to efface his image from our first parents. Through subtlety he prevailed to the destruction of them and us [Note: 2Co 11:3.]. Nor does he cease to assault those who through grace are restored.]

He desires to agitate and distress them
[This is evidently implied in the expression in the text. He has various ways of effecting his purpose. He may harass us with temptations and persecutions: he may perplex us by artful insinuations and suggestions. His efforts were exerted against all the Apostles [Note: .]: but the more eminent any are, the more they are hated by him. Peter was distinguished for his knowledge and intrepidity [Note: Mat 16:16.]: yea, he had had a peculiar honour conferred on him [Note: Mat 16:18.]. On this account Satans malice raged against him more especially.]

But his ultimate end is to prove them hypocrites, or to make them apostates
[This was evidently his design in assaulting Job [Note: Job 1:9; Job 1:11; Job 2:5.], and in asking permission to try the Disciples [Note: seems to imply a kind of challenge, as in the case of Job, wherein he undertook to prove them to be but chaff, if God would suffer him to make the trial.]. Nor would he leave one faithful person upon earth. As a roaring lion he seeks to devour all. He can do nothing indeed but by Divine permission [Note: He could not afflict Job more than God saw fit to suffer him: nor could he enter into the swine without our Saviours permission, Mat 8:31.]: but if suffered to fulfil all his will, he would destroy every soul. His influence on the herd of swine shews what he would do to men [Note: Mat 8:32.]: not one vassal of his would escape the fate of Judas [Note: Compare Luk 22:5. with Mat 27:5.].]

But God has not left his people without means of resistance

II.

Our security from his assaults

God has both armed his people for the combat, and given them a great Deliverer
Faith is the grace whereby he enables us to maintain our stand
[It was by faith that we were translated from Satans kingdom into Christs [Note: Gal 3:26.]. It is by that also that our daily warfare is to be carried on [Note: 2Co 1:24.]. Yea, through that are we to attain our full and final salvation [Note: 1Pe 1:5.]. Faith is the shield whereby alone we can ward off the darts of Satan [Note: Eph 6:16.]: if that fail, we are exposed to the fiercest assaults of our enemy. If we lose our hold of the promises, we shall be driven away as chaff: we shall have no point around which to rally our scattered forces. Whereas, if faith be strong, we shall hope even against hope [Note: Rom 4:18; Rom 4:20.]; and, though wounded, we shall return with fresh vigour to the combat. Nor shall our great adversary be able to prevail against us [Note: Rom 10:11.]. Hence that earnest caution against unbelief [Note: Heb 3:12.] and that express direction respecting the mode of opposing Satan [Note: 1Pe 5:8-9.]]

But the intercession of Christ is necessary to uphold our faith
[Peters faith would have failed utterly, if he had been left to himself; but through the intercession of Christ he was preserved. Thus we also should make shipwreck of our faith. But our prevailing Advocate pleads for us also [Note: Joh 17:20.]: as our High-Priest he bears us on his breast-plate before the throne [Note: Exo 28:29.]: he obtains for us fresh supplies of the Spirit. In this way he, who has been the author of our faith, will also be the finisher [Note: Heb 12:2.]. Hence the encouragement given us to rely on the intercession of Christ [Note: Rom 8:34.] Hence the encouragement given us to regard it under every backsliding [Note: 1Jn 2:1.] Hence the encouragement given us to rest assured of Christs power to save [Note: Heb 7:25.]]

Infer
1.

What need have we to be ever on our guard!

[Perhaps at this moment Satan may be desiring to sift us. And what if God should give us up into his hands? If suffered to exert his strength, he could soon dissipate whatever is good in us; nor should our past zeal in Gods service remove our apprehensions; that would rather provoke Satan to more activity against us. Let us then not be high-minded, but fear. Let us follow the salutary advice which our Lord has given us [Note: Mat 26:41.] Let us plead with fervour those important petitions [Note: Mat 6:13.] At the same time let us put on the whole armour of God, and prepare, as God has taught us, for the assaults of our enemy [Note: Eph 6:13-18.].]

2.

What a mercy is it to have an interest in Christ!

[They who know not Christ, are wholly under the power of Satan [Note: 2Ti 2:26.]; but they who are Christs, have a watchful and almighty guardian. Our Lord provided for Peters safety, before Peter even knew his danger. Thus will he keep the feet of all his saints. He will suffer none of them to be plucked out of his hand [Note: Joh 10:28.]. If he permit Satan to sift them, it shall be only for the removing of their chaff [Note: Compare 2Co 12:7. with Heb 12:10-11.]. He has pledged his word for the security of the weakest of his people [Note: Amo 9:9.]. Let us therefore commit ourselves entirely into his hands. Let us beg him to remember our unworthy names in his intercessions, and to deal with us as with Joshua of old [Note: Zec 3:2-4.]]

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

Ver. 31. Simon, Simon ] q.d. Mi charissimo Simon. Piscat.

Satan hath desired, &c. ] As a challenger desireth to have one of the other side to combat with, as Goliath did. He cannot harm us without leave. So he desired to have Job, and had him.

That he may sift you ] Cribratione Satanae non perditur, sed purgatur frumentum, saith Zanchy See Trapp on “ Mat 3:12 “

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

31 34. ] APPEAL TO PETER: HIS CONFIDENCE, AND OUR LORD’S REPLY. (See Mat 26:30-35 ; Mar 14:26-31 ; Joh 13:36-38 .) The speech appears to proceed continuously . There are marks in these words of our Lord, of close connexion with what has gone before. His way which the Father to Him, is to His kingdom but it is through . To these , who have been with Him in these trials, He , but His way to it must be their way, and here is the , the sifting as wheat.

The sudden address to Simon may perhaps have been occasioned by some remark of his, or, which I think more probable, may have been made in consequence of some part taken by him in the preceding strife for precedence. Such sudden and earnest addresses spring forth from deep love and concern awakened for another.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

31. . ] Not only ‘ hath desired to have you ,’ E. V., but hath obtained you; ‘his desire is granted.’

all . This must include Judas, though it does not follow that he was present the sifting separated the chaff from the wheat, which chaff he was, see Amo 9:9 .

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Luk 22:31-34 . Peter’s weakness foretold . With John (Joh 13:36-38 ) Lk. places this incident in the supper chamber. In Mt. and Mk. it occurs on the way to Gethsemane (Mat 26:31-35 , Mar 14:37-41 ). It is introduced more abruptly here than in any of the other accounts. The of the T.R. is a natural attempt to mitigate the abruptness, but the passage is more effective without it. From generous praise and bright promises Jesus passes suddenly, with perhaps a slight pause and marked change of tone, to the moral weakness of His much-loved companions and of Peter in particular.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

Luk 22:31 . , : one can imagine, though not easily describe, how this was said with much affection and just enough of distress in the tone to make it solemn. . The reference to Satan naturally reminds us of the trial of Job, and most commentators assume that the case of Job is in the view of Jesus or the evangelist. The coming fall of Peter could not be set in a more advantageous light than by being paralleled with the experience of the famous man of Uz, with a good record behind him and fame before him, the two connected by a dark but profitable time of trial. , not merely “desired to have” (A.V [188] ) but, obtained by asking (R.V [189] , margin). Careful Greek writers used = to demand for punishment, and = to beg off, deprecari . Later writers somewhat disregarded this distinction. The aorist implies success in the demand. It is an instance of the “Resultative Aorist” ( vide on this and other senses of the aorist, Burton, M. and T. , 35). Field ( Ot. Nor. ) cites from Wetstein instances of such use and renders . . periphrastically “Satan hath procured you to be given up to him”. , you, the whole of you (though not emphatic); therefore, Simon, look to yourself, and to the whole brotherhood of which you are the leading man . Bengel remarks: “Totus sane hie sermo Domini praesup ponit P. esse primum apostolorum, quo stante aut cadente ceteri aut minus aut magis periclitaientur”. : a . ., but of certain meaning. Hesychius gives as equivalent , from , a sieve. Euthy. Zig. is copious in synonyms = , , . He adds, “what we call is by some called ,” and he thus describes the function of the sieve: . Sifting points to the result of the process anticipated by Jesus. Satan aimed at ruin.

[188] Authorised Version.

[189] Revised Version.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Luk 22:31-34

31″Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” 34And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

Luk 22:31 “Simon, Simon” The doubling of a name was a way of gently chiding (cf. Luk 6:46; Luk 10:41; Luk 22:31; Act 9:4; Act 22:7; Act 26:14). Notice Jesus calls him Simon and not Peter (rock). He will be anything but a rock in the next few hours.

NASB”Satan has demanded permission to sift all of you like wheat”

NKJV”Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat”

NRSV”Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat”

TEV”Satan has received permission to test all of you, to separate the good from the bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff”

NJB”Satan has got his wish to sift all of you like wheat”

The “you” is plural. This means all of the disciples. This sounds much like Job 1:12; Job 2:6. Satan must ask God’s permission before he acts. The TEV and NJB catch the connotation of the verb exaite (here an aorist middle indicative) as it was used in the papyri (Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament, p. 221).

Sifting was a process of (1) shaking grain through a strainer to remove dirt and small stones and other impurities before preparing it to eat or (2) separating the grain from the chaff by winnowing. Here it is metaphorical of a time of testing/separation.

Luk 22:32 “but I have prayed for you” The pronoun eg is fronted, implying “I myself.” Jesus prayed specifically for Peter. Jesus prayed for His disciples then and now in John 17. Jesus continues to pray for all believers (cf. Heb 7:25; Heb 9:24; 1Jn 2:1). This same verb is used in Luk 21:36 for believers praying and keeping watch.

“that your faith may not fail” This is a sobering thought (see Special Topic at Luk 6:46). Peter will deny any knowledge of Jesus three times, with an oath! But Peter repents and reestablishes his relationship by faith (Judas does not).

If the strong leader of the Apostolic group is open to Satanic attack and failure, why not the rest of Jesus’ followers (past and present)?

“when once you have turned again” Even in the midst of temptation, Jesus strengthens Peter by this statement. I believe John 21 is Peter’s official reinstatement as leader of the Apostolic group after his denial. Amazingly, he will preach the first Christian sermon at Pentecost in Acts 2!

Luk 22:33 This verse clearly shows the struggle of the will. Peter truly wanted to follow and serve his Lord, but there is a terrible conflict in the fallen human heart (cf. Eph 6:10-19). Self, self-interest, and self-preservation become ultimate issues (cf. Romans 7). Peter was willing to die for Jesus at the arrest in the garden of Gethsemane, but not at the fire outside the high priest’s home (cf. Mat 26:41; Mar 14:38).

Luk 22:34 “the rooster will not crow” The time of the crowing (before 3 a.m.) and the number of crowings (cf. Mar 14:30) are examples of Jesus’ supernatural knowledge.

“that you know Me” The verb “know” is a perfect active infinitive denoting a past act come to a settled state of being. The Hebrew connotation of “know” is not facts about, but intimate personal relationship (cf. Gen 4:1; Jer 1:5). Peter was asserting that he had never had a personal relationship with Jesus!

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

the Lord. See App-98. B.C.

Simon, Simon. The sixth example of this Figure of speech Epizeuxis (App-6). See note on the first (Gen 22:11).

Satan. See note on Mat 4:10.

hath desired = hath demanded. Greek. exciteo. Occurs only here in N.T. It means to obtain by asking. you. Plural.

sift. Greek. siniazo = to sift (as wheat), to get rid of the corn. Occurs only here. The Lord “winnows “to get rid of the chaff. Compare Mat 3:12. Pet. Luk 5:8, Luk 5:9.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

31-34.] APPEAL TO PETER: HIS CONFIDENCE, AND OUR LORDS REPLY. (See Mat 26:30-35; Mar 14:26-31; Joh 13:36-38.) The speech appears to proceed continuously. There are marks in these words of our Lord, of close connexion with what has gone before. His way which the Father to Him, is to His kingdom-but it is through . To these, who have been with Him in these trials, He ,-but His way to it must be their way, and here is the ,-the sifting as wheat.

The sudden address to Simon may perhaps have been occasioned by some remark of his,-or, which I think more probable, may have been made in consequence of some part taken by him in the preceding strife for precedence. Such sudden and earnest addresses spring forth from deep love and concern awakened for another.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Luk 22:31. , , Simon, Simon) A most weighty Epizeuxis.[236] Peter also had joined in the strife, mentioned in Luk 22:24, which was inimical to faith, Joh 5:44 [How can ye believe, who receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only].-, behold) That is to say, the fact is in this case manifest from its palpable effect; which effect, however, Peter did not suppose to have come from the Tempter, as it really had.- , Satan) not content with having entered into Judas. See Luk 22:3.-, [hath desired] hath sought to get you out) viz. out from your safe-guard. Satan demanded, that Peter should be given up to him, as Job was: but the Saviour repulsed him. The antithesis is, , I have prayed.- , you [the apostles]; for thee) Satan had perceived that there was great faith in Peter, and yet also a great proneness to fall, and he supposed that, if Peter should be overcome, all of them would be overcome. But Jesus by preserving Peter, the ruin of whom would have carried with it the ruin of the rest, preserved them all. In fact this whole discourse of our Lord takes for granted, that Peter is the first of the apostles, by whose standing (maintenance of his ground as a believer), or else fall, the rest of them would either escape the risk, or else be the more endangered. But it was in respect of faith that he was the first, not in respect of authority and power. Whereas the pretended successor of Peter, after that he revolted from the pure simplicity of the faith, and yet claimed to himself alone the primacy in the faith and in authority, fell wholly and miserably into the sieve [of Satan]. Those in the foremost van are generally followed by the rest of their fellow-soldiers: the foremost soldiers are imperilled more than the rest: the foremost need especially to be fortified with the care and prayers of themselves and of the watchmen.-) , a sieve. Hesychius explains , i.e. , (to shake as in a sieve): corn is shaken and tossed about in a sieve: and men do so for the sake of cleansing it of chaff and refuse. But Satans sifting was for the sake of utterly destroying the faith of the apostles, whilst making them come into collision with one another, by means of raising agitations from without and from within, in things high and low alike.-, as) with as much ease [as one would, wheat].

[236] The forcible repetition of the same word in the same sentence. Append.-E. and T.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Luk 22:31-34

4. PETER’S DENIAL FORETOLD

Luk 22:31-34

31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you,-Parallel records of this event are found in Mat 26:31-35; Mar 14:27-31; Joh 13:36-38. This is one of the few events recorded by all four of the writers of the gospel. This prediction to Peter was a forewarning that he would deny the Lord. Matthew and Mark, with Luke, locate it after the institution of the Lord’s Supper and immediately before the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Some think that the record in Joh 13:31-38 was a prediction before this one, and that Jesus here foretells the second time the denial of Peter and the dispersion of the disciples. Jesus calls Peter “Simon” and repeats his name to emphasize that which he is predicting; he does not use the name “Peter” which signifies a more stable character. “Satan” had asked to have Peter; he had demanded Peter as he had demanded Job. (Job 1:6-12; Job 2:1-6.) “To have you” is in the plural, and means “you all,” or includes all the disciples.

32 but I made supplication for thee,-In the Greek the word for “you” is plural in fact as well as form, and may apply to all the disciples; but Simon is solemnly addressed and warned, since he was foremost in the strife. Jesus did not invest in Peter any preeminence or sanctity, as is claimed by those who worship the pope at Rome; Peter is regarded as being fallible. When he had “turned again,” or when he had recovered from his fall, then his work would be to “establish” or “strengthen” his brethren. The act of returning is Peter’s; he should correct his wrong, and then teach and encourage others to do likewise. He should confirm others in the faith, especially those who might be influenced by his own fall. Jesus had prayed for him that his faith should not fail; that his trust and conviction that Jesus was the Son of God should not falter.

33 And he said unto him, Lord,-Peter was still full of self-confidence; he little knew his own heart, neither did he know the wiles and snares of the devil. He could now face prison and death for Jesus; a few hours later he could not face the taunts of a housemaid without denying the Lord. Oftentimes, we boast about what we will do or will not do, but when faced with the realities of the situation, we act differently. Peter needed to learn the lesson of depending on God, and not on himself.

34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter,-It is strange as we read this distinct and terrible warning that Peter was off his guard in less than twenty-four hours after this. It has been affirmed that the Jews around Jerusalem were forbidden fowls because they scratched up unclean worms; hence, it is said that this statement was out of harmony with the facts in the case. However, the Roman residents, over whom the Jews had no authority, might keep fowls. Mark says: “Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice” (Mar 14:72), and Matthew says, “Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice” (Mat 26:34). The first crowing was about midnight, and the second about three o’clock in the morning; the second crowing more generally marked time, and was the one meant when only one “cockcrowing,” as here, was mentioned. Peter would deny or disown Christ three times. Jesus simply says that before a single cock shall he heard, early in the night, Peter would deny him. There was a wide contrast in what Jesus predicted and what the self-confident Peter thought he would do.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

Chapter 43

Sifted Wheat

If you were asked how to best secure the spiritual well-being of one of Gods saints, or how to best promote a believers spiritual growth in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, what would you recommend? I suspect you might say, Put him in some place where he will be unmolested by the influence of the world, and always surrounded by other believers. Arrange for the brother or sister to have as few distractions, worldly cares, and tempting circumstances as possible. Encourage the child of God to spend several hours each day reading his Bible, praying, and meditating on spiritual things. And encourage him to exercise a life of strict discipline, abstaining from everything that might gratify his physical body.

Pursue the same line of thought a little further. If I were to ask you the best way for a man to be prepared for the blessed work of preaching the gospel, to prepare a man to be a pastor or missionary, what would you suggest? You might say, Send him away to a Bible college or seminary. Give him a good education. Teach him Hebrew and Greek. Supply him with a good library. Surround him with other aspiring preachers, with whom he can meditate, pray, study the Bible, and discuss doctrine and religious issues of the day. And keep him, as much as possible, away from worldly people, who might corrupt his mind.

That has been the practice of religious people throughout history. And it is appealing. It seems to make sense. Doesnt it? But, if you care to look at history, you will discover that convents and monasteries have been, more often than not, dens of indescribable iniquity. And Bible colleges and seminaries, following the traditions of Rome, have made little improvement.

You can be sure of this fact. It applies to all things spiritual. Gods ways are not our ways. And his thoughts are not our thoughts. John Newton, the man who wrote that great hymn, Amazing Grace, understood this. He wrote …

I asked the Lord that I might grow

In faith, and love, and every grace;

Might more of his salvation know,

And seek more earnestly his face.

Twas he who taught me thus to pray,

And He, I trust, has answered prayer;

But it has been in such a way

As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favoured hour,

At once Hed answer my request;

And, by his loves constraining power,

Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, he made me feel

The hidden evils of my heart,

And let the angry powers of hell

Assault my soul in every part.

Yea, more, with his own hand he seemed

Intent to aggravate my woe;

Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,

Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this? I trembling cried;

Wilt Thou pursue Thy worm to death?

Tis in this way, the Lord replied,

I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I employ,

From self and pride to set thee free;

And break thy schemes of earthly joy,

That thou mayst seek thine all in Me.

In the passage before us God the Holy Spirit shows us, in the experience of his servant Peter, how our blessed Saviour graciously causes his saints to grow in grace, how he causes believers to grow in faith and in the knowledge of himself. And, in this passage we see the method our blessed, all-wise, and ever-gracious God and Saviour has chosen to prepare his servants to minister to and serve his people. Read it again.

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

If we belong to Christ, Satan desires to have us, that he may sift us as wheat; but Christ himself prays for us, and thereby keeps us secure in his grace. May God the Holy Spirit make his Word in this place effectual to our hearts by the blessing of his grace, for Christs sake.

Our Adversarys Desire

First, the Lord Jesus declares our adversarys desire regarding us. The Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. As the time drew near when the Lord Jesus would be forsaken by his disciples and forsaken by his Father, when he would suffer and die as our Substitute, bearing our sins in his own body upon the cursed tree, Satan seems to have seized what he thought was a perfect opportunity to draw away the Saviours disciples. He was not ignorant of the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, or that he came into this world in human flesh to redeem and save his people from their sins. Satan knew our Saviour had declared that he would build his Church and that the gates of hell could not prevail against it.

The fiend of hell also knew that the disciples were in a time of great confusion. They fully expected the Lord Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom. They had left all and followed him in the expectation of immediate glory. But the Master had now told them that he must suffer and die at Jerusalem by the hands of wicked men, that the scriptures might be fulfilled. Can you imagine how confused, disappointed, and frustrated they must have been. They said, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? So the devil seems to have thought, This is the perfect time for me to strike. If I can destroy these disciples, I will frustrate Gods purpose and promise. I will, at last, be victorious! He seems to have reserved his great strength for this hour. He appears to have set his watchful eye upon the Lords followers, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Job

The first two chapters of Job shed some light on this, showing us how Satan marks out his prey (Job 1:8-12; Job 2:4-6).

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD (Job 1:8-12).

And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life (Job 2:4-6).

If you will look at the alternate translation of Job 1:8 given in the margin of your Bible (if you have a marginal reference), you will see that the words, Hast thou considered my servant Job, might be better translated, Hast thou set thy heart upon my servant Job? The Lord God knew that Satan had set his malicious heart upon Job, like a butcher sets his eye upon the calf selected for slaughter, or a wolf singles out one lamb in a flock of sheep.

Satan did not deny his malicious intent. Rather, he seems to have acknowledged it. His reply to God was, Hast not thou made an hedge about him? he did not deny that his heart was set upon Job, that he longed for his hands to be dipped in the blood of Jobs heart. But he complained that God had set a hedge around him, that the Lord had put a fence around his servant through which he could not break. He could look over the hedge and roar; but he could not touch Job until God took the hedge away. Twice the Lord took the hedge away, but still preserved the object of his mercy, love, and grace, saying, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

Though he gave everything else to the devil, he preserved his servant Job. When the hedge was taken away, Satan burst in upon Job, first stripping away his property and his family, then afflicting his body, but he was not permitted to touch his life.

That is a good picture of the scene before us in Luke 22. The wolf has circled the Lords flock, setting his heart on the sheep. Judas was permitted to be taken and destroyed, because he was the son of perdition. But, now, with the taste of Judas blood still warm in his mouth, Satan sets his heart upon the rest of the disciples. The fiend of hell wanted them all!

Thee And Ye

Did you ever wonder why the Bible sometimes uses the words thee and ye, and at other times uses the word you? Let me show you one of the beauties of our King James translation that is completely lost in all modern translations.

In the New Testament there is a distinct difference between the words thee and ye and the word you. Many object to using the word You, when referring to or speaking to our God, because they superstitiously imagine that Thee is more reverent than You. That certainly is not the case. It is no more reverent to say, Hallowed be Thy name, than Hallowed be Your name. Both are accurate translations of our Saviours words. We do not have to use thee, thou, thy, and thine in our prayers to be heard by God.

Yet, as I said, there is a distinct difference between the words thee and ye and the word you. Whenever you read the words thee and ye in your Bible, try to remember that those words are always singular pronouns, referring to one person. But, when you read the word you, that is a plural pronoun, referring to more than one person.

That sheds much light on our Saviours words to Peter. Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you (you all of you, my disciples), that he may sift you (all of you) as wheat: But I have prayed for thee (thee singular) specifically for you, Peter that thy (thy singular) faith fail not The words thy and thou, like thee and ye, are singular pronouns. The Lord is saying, Peter I have prayed for you specifically, that your faith fail not. He is saying, Peter, Satan has set his heart on you all to destroy you by sifting you as wheat, but I have prayed for you personally, that your faith fail not.

All Wanted

I have said all that to say this. It is a mistake to think these words are only applicable to Peter. The Lord Jesus includes all his disciples, both in his prayer and in his stated purpose. He includes you and me here. Satan wants us all; and our Saviour wants us all. Who do you think will have what he wants?

Satan desires to have us all, that he may sift us as wheat. And, according to the measure of his own wise and gracious purpose, our Lord Jesus permits Satan to do just that. He will not allow him to have us; but he does use the devil to sift us as wheat. Yet, the Lord Jesus has prayed for us (Joh 17:15), prays for us (1Jn 2:1-2), and secures us by his grace (Joh 10:28).

The difference between Judas sin, which was for him sin unto death, and Peters sin (as well as yours and mine), was not their deeds, or the extent of their guilt, or the aggravating circumstances of their crimes, or even that one sinned against greater light or more persistently than the other. The only difference between Judass fall and Peters was this. The Lord Jesus prayed for Peter, that his faith fail not, but not for Judas.

The Sieve

All who profess faith in Christ, all who profess to be his disciples, all who call themselves by the name of the Lord Jesus must and shall be sifted as wheat. You and I must and shall be put into the sieve. By this means, God separates the wheat from the chaff and the precious from the vile.

You know what a sieve is. Every housewife uses one when she bakes. But the sieve referred to here is not commonly used today. It was a really big version of the one in your pantry. A sieve is a large meshed basket used to separate the grain from dirt, and chaff, and rubbish. It is shaken roughly back and forth. As it is shaken to and fro, the grain is separated from the chaff. All the dust and debris falls through the meshes of the sieve, while the good grain remains behind. This is a necessary instrument and a necessary work. Until the wheat is separated from the chaff, it is not fit for making bread.

Our Lord Jesus used that process to describe what is done when Satan is permitted to tempt and try Gods elect. But we must never imagine that Satan has his way. He never does. The sifting work is Gods. He simply uses Satan to do it. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth (Amo 9:9).

We are sifted when we are put into circumstances that try our faith. Throughout our lives, we must be sifted. The sifting process does not change anything. It simply separates the wheat from the chaff. There are many sieves by which the precious grain is separated from the worthless chaff. Let me mention just four.

The sieve of prosperity is one means by which people are sifted. By prosperity, many who once appeared to have true faith in Christ have erred from the faith, proving themselves to be reprobate (1Ti 6:10).

Job tells us that though they have great wealth and live in ease, though they have all that they can desire in their hands, their good is not in their hand They are as stubble before the wind, and chaff that the storm carrieth away (Job 21:16-18). David tells us that he was envious at the prosperity of the wicked, until he went into the house of God and understood what God had done to them by making them prosperous. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction (Psa 73:18).

Nothing is more dangerous than the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. By this sieve, God sifts many and makes manifest whether their religion is true or false. The false, because of the love of money and the care of this world, when they have opportunity to gain what they really love, will, like Demas, forsake Christ, having loved this present world (2Ti 4:10). The true believer, when he is enriched like Abraham, or like Job in his later end, uses that which God has given him to worship, serve, and honour his God.

A second means of sifting is the sieve of adversity. This sieve tries both those who have not been tried in the sieve of prosperity and those who have survived it. Many who are poor would be ruined if they were suddenly, or even gradually made rich. And many who are rich would be ruined if they became impoverished. But there are many other adversities by which God separates the wheat from the chaff; sickness, domestic trouble, a neglectful and abusive spouse, an adulterous spouse, a disobedient child, bereavement.

A third means of sifting is the sieve of soul trouble. Tribulations within can be far more difficult to endure than those from without. What soul trouble Peter was about to experience! The sieve would cause him such anguish and pain as no one can comprehend, except those who experience it. He went out and wept bitterly because having denied his Saviour with oaths, he thought he had been nothing but a hypocrite. He thought everything was over for him. He said to the other disciples, I go a fishing. Im going back to being a fisherman. How painful, how troublesome, how trying it is to discover the evil of our hearts! How painful, how troublesome, how trying it is to be suddenly assaulted with the unbelief, infidelity, obscenities, blasphemies, and rebellion of our depraved nature!

The children of darkness seem to always walk in the light. But how often the children of light walk in darkness, with no light shining upon our path, with no sweet view of our Saviour and his grace. Rather, groaning and sighing with tears that seem to be unheard by our God! What a painful sifting we get by the sieve of soul trouble! Yet, I have no doubt that if Peter could sit down beside you and talk to you about these things, he would tell you that even these bitter things shall prove sweet works of Gods wondrous grace for you. In fact, he has done just that (1Pe 1:1-9).

Temptation is a sieve. Often we are sifted in one hand by the sieve of soul trouble and in the other by the sieve of temptation. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Aaron were sifted by the fear of man. Rachel was sifted by envy and jealousy. Moses was sifted by impatience and a hot temper. David was sifted by lust and power, Solomon by women and idolatry, Hezekiah by pride.

Read through the Book of God. You will not find any believer whose name is recorded upon the pages of Inspiration who was not sifted in the sieve of temptation. But there are more severe temptations than these by which Satan is allowed to sift Gods saints. How often have you been tempted by inward doubts you would never dare talk about, questions by which many have finally been overcome? Questions and doubts regarding Gods existence, Christs deity, the Word of God, the love of God, the work of Christ, Gods goodness, Gods providence! How often have you felt within you an urge to scream out, Enough! I cannot go on. I go a-fishing, all the while weeping bitterly in your soul because of it! These are all sieves through which we must and shall be sifted, as long as we are in this world.

Our Saviours Intercession

Enough of that. Let me show you about something indescribably better than Satans desire and the pain of being sifted. Yet, were it not for the experience of being sifted, we could never appreciate the great mercy and grace of our Saviours intercession. In Luk 22:32 our Saviour says to Peter, to you, to me, to every sinner chosen in his love, redeemed by his blood, called by his Spirit, and saved by his grace, But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.

The Lord Jesus did not pray for Judas. He was the son of perdition. Therefore, when he was sifted, he fell through the sieve and fell into hell. Our Saviour did not pray for the world. But, blessed be his name, he says to us who believe, I have prayed for thee! Were it not for that fact, you and I would fall through the sieve, just like Judas, and fall with him into everlasting hell. But that shall never happen, no matter how often, how long, or how severely we are sifted. If Christ has prayed for us that our faith fail not, our faith shall not fail and we shall not fall into hell!

Read John 17 again, and remembering how he has prayed for you and prays for you, lift your heart to heaven with grateful praise.

When we are sifted, though Satan seeks to destroy our faith, though he seeks to rip us from the heart and hand of God our Saviour, all he does is separate the wheat from the chaff. The only thing that falls through the sieve is the dirt, debris, chaff, and rubbish of self-righteousness and legal religion, self-confidence and vainglory, self-reliance and presumed strength, carnal wisdom, and pride and judgmental severity.

That which falls through the sieve is everything of an evil, earthly, carnal nature. Everything that is not planted by our God in our souls. Everything that God himself has not breathed into our hearts, and made known to us by the power and grace of his Spirit fails us in the time of sifting. Everything fails except our God-given faith in Christ! Our Saviour said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up (Mat 15:13).

What sweet words these are: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not! What does faith do when we are sifted? How does faith react to the sifting? Faith clings the more firmly to Christ alone! In fact, it is by our being sifted that our Lord calls for us to trust him the more (Joh 13:36 to Joh 14:3). Faith hopes more completely in Christ alone, Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Faith loves Christ more perfectly as the only and all-sufficient Author and Finisher of our faith, as the only and all-sufficient Saviour of our souls, as our only and all-sufficient Refuge and Hiding Place. These things are not hindered or hurt by the sifting, but shine forth more brightly. Peter, when he was sifted, did not cease to love and trust his Saviour, but loved him and trusted him more and with far greater humility than he had known or could have known before (Joh 21:15-17).

Benefits Of Being Sifted

Our Saviour said to Peter, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. He did not say, if you are converted, but when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren, assuring us that with every sifting, we shall be converted into instruments of greater usefulness.

Some have drawn the ridiculous conclusion from this statement that Peter was not converted before! That is not the meaning of our Lords words. The Lord Jesus had assured Peter that his confession of faith was made as the result of the revelation of grace, that his name was written in heaven, and that his sins were forgiven, and had sent him forth as a preacher of the gospel.

The meaning of our Lords words is, when you are restored and brought back by my mercy, when you are brought forth out of the furnace like purified gold, strengthen your brethren. Now, he was fit to minister to others. Now, he was to be made a blessing to others. Now, through his weakness, he was made strong, strong enough to strengthen his brethren.

Peter was a far better man after his sifting than before, a better and more useful preacher. He strengthened his brethren and continues to do so to this day! His boldness as a preacher inspired boldness in others. Peters utter devotion to Christ and his people, after his sifting, is held forth in the Book of God as an example for us to follow. What strength is given to his brethren by the epistles he was inspired to write for our learning, reminding us of the boundless mercy and grace of God flowing to us from electing love and blood atonement, pointing us to him who bear our sin in his own body on the tree, and setting our hearts upon Christs coming and the world to come!

May God the Holy Spirit seal the Saviours word to your heart and mine by his grace. Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible

wheat

Peter was the wheat, his self-confidence the chaff. Cf. Mat 13:30; Joh 5:24; Joh 10:23; Rom 6:1; Rom 6:2; 1Jn 1:8; 1Jn 2:1.

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

Sifted as Wheat

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not: and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, stablish thy brethren.Luk 22:31-32.

1. Our Lord has just been speaking words of large and cordial praise of the steadfastness with which His friends had continued with Him in His temptations, and it is the very contrast between that continuance and the prevision of the cowardly desertion of the Apostle that occasioned the abrupt transition to this solemn appeal to him, which indicates how the forecast pained Christs heart. He does not let the foresight of Peters desertion chill His praise of Peters past faithfulness as one of the Twelve. He does not let the remembrance of Peters faithfulness modify His rebuke for Peters intended and future desertion. He speaks to him, with significant and emphatic reiteration of the old name of Simon that suggests weakness, unsanctified and unhelped: Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat.

2. The imagery of the passage is borrowed from the Old Testament. There was a day, says the author of the Book of Job, when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. Like them, he has his petition. He has cast a malignant eye, in his going to and fro in the earth, upon the prosperity and the integrity of one righteous man. He is well assured that the two things are one. The integrity is bound up in the prosperity. God has made a hedge about him, so that no evil comes nigh his dwelling. Let his prosperity be touched, and the integrity will go with it. He desires to have him. And God says, Behold, he is in thine hand. Such is the figure. He is to be tried. He is to be tempted. Satan begs him of God, that he may sift him as wheat.

Now, about a week or fortnight after this, I was much followed by this Scripture, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you. And sometimes it would sound so loud within me, yea, and as it were call so strongly after me, that once above all the rest, I turned my head over my shoulder, thinking verily that some man had, behind me, called me: being at a great distance, methought he called so loud. It came, as I have thought since, to have stirred me up to prayer and to watchfulness; it came to acquaint me that a cloud and storm was coming down upon me; but I understood it not.1 [Note: Bunyan, Grace Abounding.]

The Lords words, addressed specially to Simon, give to the whole circle of the disciples an indication of

I.Danger.

II.Defence.

III.Duty.

I

Danger

Behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat.

1. All the disciples were in danger. The Saviour here forewarns the whole band of Apostles that Satan had asked to have them, that he might sift them as wheat. Hitherto he had only been permitted to sift them with a gentle agitation. Now he sought permission to shake them violently, as wheat is shaken in the sieve; to toss them to and fro with sharp and sudden temptations; to distract their minds with dismal forebodings and apprehensions, in the hope that they would be induced to let go their fast hold of Faith, and take refuge in utter and irretrievable defection. Our Lord states this plainly, because it was important for them to know the full extent of their danger, in order that they might be on their guard. He does not tell them so plainly how far Satans assault upon them would be attended with success. His disclosure stops short just where it would appear to be most interesting to His hearers. And this is generally the case with the Divine communications. Vain man would always like to be told more than it is good for him to know. But God draws the line, not with reference to our curiosity, but with reference to His own gracious purposes for our well-being. The Saviour warns His disciples of their danger, to induce them to watch and pray. If He had told them moreif He had revealed to them all that was to happen within the next twenty-four hoursthey would have considered their fate as sealed, and would have given way to utter despair. But, while withholding this information, He told them something else which, instead of harming, was calculated to encourage and help them. Having excited their fears, by telling them what their adversary purposed against them, He threw into the opposite scale the cheering intelligence of what He would do and had already done for them. He told them, that He had chosen one of them, whom He would take under His special protectionnot for the sake of that individual alone, but in order that his preservation might be the means of saving them all.

Satan desires us, great and small,

As wheat to sift us, and we all

Are tempted;

Not one, however rich or great,

Is by his station or estate

Exempted.

No house so safely guarded is

But he, by some device of his,

Can enter;

No heart hath armour so complete

But he can pierce with arrows fleet

Its centre.

For all at last the cock will crow,

Who hear the warning voice, but go

Unheeding,

Till thrice and more they have denied

The Man of Sorrows, crucified

And bleeding.

One look of that pale suffering face

Will make us feel the deep disgrace

Of weakness;

We shall be sifted till the strength

Of self-conceit be changed at length

To meekness.

Wounds of the soul, though healed, will ache;

The reddening scars remain, and make

Confession;

Lost innocence returns no more;

We are not what we were before

Transgression.

But noble souls, through dust and heat,

Rise from disaster and defeat

The stronger,

And conscious still of the divine

Within them, lie on earth supine

No longer.1 [Note: H. W. Longfellow, The Sifting of Peter.]

(1) The devil has not only sought them; he has obtained them, that he may sift them as wheat. The words are even stronger than the Authorized Version renders them; it is not only Satan hath desired, but Satan hath obtained his desire. We might even translate them, Satan hath got hold of you. And the pronoun is plural; it was not only Peter, but all the twelve, that Satan had desired, and had for a space obtained. The one who was always the ready spokesman for the rest, and who, through his impetuous rashness, was to thrust himself into the fire of temptation, was to give the most flagrant proof of Satans possession, in that he would deny with cursings his Master and his discipleship; but all were to be overtaken and to be found wanting, in that they would forsake their Lord in His dire extremity, and would leave Him in the hands of His foes. Satan had desired and had gained them all.

Twice in the New Testament this figure of sifting or winnowing is brought before us, and, strange to say, the sifter or winnower in the one case is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and in the second case the wicked tempter. St. John the Baptist, when speaking of the coming Messiah, says, Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, etc. And here we have that very Messiah speaking of the devil sifting even His Apostles. By sifting is meant testing, shaking those to whom the process is applied in such a way that part will fall through and part will remain.

The sifting of wheat is a most hard and thorough, but a most necessary, process. The wheat, as it has grown, has become associated with the protecting chaff, which it is necessary should be blown away, and with the foreign substances taken from the earth and from the air, which must be separated. Before the wheat is ready for use it must be sifted or winnowed; no pains must be spared to make the process as thorough as possible. Only an enemy to the wheat, or a disbeliever in its true powers, would desire to spare it such an ordeal. As it falls, after such a process, solid and clean, into the receptacle which has been prepared for it, its value is greatly enhanced. There is now no doubt about its true nature and the work to which it should be put. It carries out all the points of the analogy to notice that Peter is not promised that he shall be saved from the sifting process; no hand is put forth to hold him securely sheltered; no cloud wraps him away from danger. Peter is too valuable to be thus treated. If he is wheat, he must be sifted.

When Christ at a symbolic moment was establishing His great society, He chose for its corner-stone neither the brilliant Paul nor the mystic John, but a shuffler, a snob, a cowardin a word, a man. And upon this rock He has built His Church, and the gates of Hell have not prevailed against it. All the empires and the kingdoms have failed because of this inherent and continual weakness, that they were founded by strong men and upon strong men. But this one thingthe historic Christian Churchwas founded upon a weak man, and for that reason it is indestructible. For no chain is stronger than its weakest link.1 [Note: G. K. Chesterton, Heretics.]

(2) The devil will do his best to scatter the wheat, and keep the chaff. Throughout the ages the Spirit of Evil reveals a cynical distrust of goodness. Between the time of ancient Job and the self-confident Peter, the Spirit of Evil had not changed in character or method. Now he has asked to have Simon that he may sift him, sure that his character is unsound, and that all his professions are chaff. His failure with a hundred Jobs meantime has not given him any confidence in goodness. Evil never can believe in good. Still is this Satan hurrying to and fro throughout the earth, peering into every keyhole of character to find baseness there, sneaking into every corner of the soul to catch it in its depravity. Years after this sifting of Simon, in which the Spirit of Evil repeated the work upon Job, to whom he came as he said, from hurrying to and fro in the earth, the sifted Peter speaks of Satan, in his first letter (v. 8) as the peripatetic, a wandering, roaring lion, intent on finding prey. That is the history of evil, and in nothing has it a surer manifestation than in its scepticism concerning goodness.

Milton, in his most masterly manner, has delineated the sneering diabolism of distrust in that archangel ruined. Evil begins its infernal career in its utter lack of faith in goodness; and its Satanic spirit is most manifest when virtue appears to have a blackened heart, righteousness to have been insincere, and truth to be only a concealed falsehood. Here is the very profession of evil.

But of this be sure,

To do aught good never will be our task,

But ever to do ill our sole delight,

As being the contrary to His high will

Whom we resist. If then His providence

Out of our evil seek to bring forth good,

Our labour must be to pervert that end,

And out of good still to find means of evil;

Which oft times may succeed, so as perhaps

Shall grieve Him.1 [Note: Milton, Paradise Lost, i. 158.]

Watts painted his Miltonic Satan with the face averted from the light of the Creator with whom he talked. For title, these words were used: And the Lord said unto Satan, whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. The Satan the painter conceived is a mighty power ruling over the evils which were unconnected with sin.2 [Note: M. S. Watts, George Frederic Watts, i. 97.]

2. The disciples had brought the peril upon themselves. They gave, as it were, an invitation to Satan to come into their company. They had evidently not paid any great regard to Christs teachings concerning love and humility. The evil spirit of envy and ambition which they had harboured among themselves was the scent which attracted Satan to that particular upper room. These men, by their angry strife or calculating worldliness, lit, as it were, a beacon which brought the Spirit of Evil to the battle. If these Apostles had had more of the spirit of true prayer, if their spirits had been more humble, if their hearts had been more guileless, and their characters attuned by discipline to the teachings of the Lord, the devil would never have been attracted to that upper room, his eye had never shone with triumph at their bickerings, nor had they stood in such danger of an awful overthrow.

There was in Peter in particular one great defecta large amount of self-confidence, which made him quick at speaking and acting; and self-confidence in the New Testament is always treated in one way, as that which shuts out confidence in God. It is the enemy of faith. Faith is insight, and self-confidence is a blinding influence. Again and again there is pressed upon us the necessity of a lowly estimate of self; Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted; God who dwells in the high and holy place, dwells also with him who is of a humble spirit. If God was to dwell in Peter, if the Divine was really to take up His abode in him and rule him, if the impulsive and vehement strength of the man was to be made a steadfast and certain fire, and to be hallowed by the Divine indwelling, so that he might lead the Apostles during those critical times which were coming, then clearly his self-confidence must be purged out of him, he must be sifted as wheat, the grain must be separated from the chaff.

But the others were not less guilty than Peter. It is not the case that he, who should have been a pattern to the rest, proved the weakest of all, and the first to fly. When the chief priests came with a band of soldiers to take Jesus, Peter was the only one of the Apostles who made even a show of resistance. Peter and one other were the only two who followed Jesus into the palace of the High Priest. Peters failure, when it did happen, was owing to a train of circumstances from which his brethren, by their more hasty and precipitous failure, were exempt. Satan on his first sifting, shook out all the other Apostles; but it required a stronger temptation, a more violent agitation of the sieve, to unfix the faith of Peter. And as Peter was the last to fall, he was also the first to rise and put together again the fragments of his shattered faith. From that hour he was an altered man. He added to his zeal, steadfastness; he exchanged his confident boasting for humility and dependence upon God. In this blessed recovery, do we not plainly see the influence of Divine grace? Are we not reminded immediately of the Saviours wordsSimon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat; but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not.

My feelings being easily excited to good as well as bad, I am apt to mistake an excited state of the feelings for a holy state of the heart; and so sure am I of the deception that, when in an excited state regarding eternal things, I tremble, knowing it is the symptom of a fall, and that I must be more earnest in prayer. Self-confidence is my ruin.1 [Note: Norman Macleod, in Memoir, i. 129.]

3. Peter and the others were unconscious of peril. There they recline, rising now and then to emphasize their angry words. Their minds are occupied only with thoughts of place and power in some fancied coming kingdom. The strife grows keen, and all forgetful of their Masters loving words, humility is banished from the room, and self-assertiveness speaks loud with its imperious voice. All unconscious of the tempters presence, these men dispute among themselves, and it was not till afterwards that Peter was informed by Christ that the devils eye had been intently set on him, and that, whilst he had been claiming to be greatest, Satan had almost claimed him for his own.

When it was once said to him, I would fain know what the devil is like in shape and character, Doctor Martin said, If you would see the true image and form of the devil, and what his character is, give good heed to all the commandments of God, one after another, and represent to yourself a suspicious, shameful, lying, despairing, abandoned, godless, calumnious man, whose mind and thoughts are all set on opposing God in every possible way, and working woe and harm to men. The devil seeks high things; looks to that which is great and high; scorns what is lowly. But the eternal, merciful God, reverses this, and looks on what is lowly. I look on him who is poor and of a broken heart. But what is lifted up, He lets go; for it is an abomination to Him.2 [Note: Luther, Table-talk (ed. Frstemann), i. 140.]

4. But the power of Satan is strictly limited. God reigns though Satan sifts. The powers of evil are in Gods holy hands. Evil is not altogether its own master, and cannot therefore be the master of the world. Over all is now God blest forever! And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand, only spare his life. So God permitted Jobs trial and stood behind the demoniac forces which racked the sufferer, restraining and checking them. Then look at this case. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat; but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, stablish thy brethren. So said his Master when the incarnate God permitted Simons trial. So He has always intimated that He stands within the shadow keeping watch above his own.

Alas! we live in the kingdom of the devil ab extra; therefore we cannot hear or see any good ab extra. But we live in the blessed kingdom of Christ ab intra. There we see, though as in a glass darkly, the exceeding, unutterable riches of the grace and glory of God. Therefore, in the name of the Lord let us break through, press forward, and fight our way through praise and blame, through evil report and good report, through hatred and love, until we come into the blessed kingdom of our dear Father, which Christ the Lord has prepared for us before the beginning of the world. There only shall we find joy. Amen.1 [Note: Luther, Letters, v. 684.]

It is a strange thing that so fine a spirit as Satan is let loose to do so much mischief, but he is only the prince of the power of the air, not of the power of the spirit. I believe there may be more devils than men. They are legion, and go in companies, so far as we can gather from the hints of Scripture. I think each temptation that assails a man may be from a separate devil. And they are not far off; probably our atmosphere was the place of their original banishment. And there they liveair-princes. But mark, they have no power over the innermost spirit; nay, they can have no knowledge of the secrets of the heart of man. No single heart-secret is known to any single devil. These are known only to the Searcher of the hearts, who is also their Maker. Some good Christians disquiet themselves by forgetting this. I would say that our adversary can look and hear, see and listen, and make inferences. He has only a phenomenal knowledge, and that not perfect. He is but a creature, and cannot know the secrets of the universe. It ought to comfort all men that only our Maker knows our constitution.2 [Note: John Duncan, Colloquia Peripatetica, 181.]

II

Defence

But I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not.

1. Our Lord anticipates the devil. His intercession precedes the tempters attack. He presents Himself as the Antagonist, the confident and victorious Antagonist, of whatsoever mysterious, malignant might may lie beyond the confines of sense, and He says, My prayer puts the hook in leviathans nose, and the malevolent desire to sift, in order that not the chaff but the wheat may disappear, comes all to nothing by the side of My prayer.

Intercession, it has been said, is the divinest gift of friendship. Somebody may be thinking of a child far away upon the frontiers of the Empire. Ah! severance is the penalty of Empire, and what a pain it iswhat a deep woundin a parents heart! You have not seen that absent child for many a year. You almost dread meeting him again, lest you should not recognize him or he you. He writes to you not quite so frequently or intimately as he used to write; absence and distances soon or late chill the warmest hearts, and you and he are moving slowly apart, like ships bound for different ports on the infinite deep. What can you do for him? One thing only,you can pray. Prayer is the wireless spiritual telegraphy transcending time and space. You are near him, if ever, in your prayers.

Or your child may be drifting into sin. He has gone like the prodigal into the far country. He has not yet like the prodigal come to himself. He has ceased to visit you, even to answer your letters. He is deadall but dead to youwhile he lives. Oh! it is only prayer that, if God will, may help you to help him. Some day perhaps he will arise and come to his father; and you will welcome him; and the past will be no more. It will be the answer to your prayer. I have made supplication for thee, said the Saviour, that thy faith fail not.1 [Note: J. E. C. Welldon, The School of Faith, 100.]

2. The prayer of our Lord was personal. It was a particular supplication for Peter. The precise terms in which Jesus prayed for Peter we do not know; for the prayer on behalf of the one disciple has not, like that for the whole eleven, been recorded. But the drift of these special intercessions is plain, from the account given of them by Jesus to Peter. The Master had prayed that His disciples faith might not fail. He had not prayed that he might be exempt from Satans sifting process, or even kept from falling; for He knew that a fall was necessary, to show the self-confident disciple his own weakness. He had prayed that Peters fall might not be ruinous; that his grievous sin might be followed by godly sorrow, not by hardening of heart, or, as in the case of the traitor, by the sorrow of the world, which worketh death: the remorse of a guilty conscience, which, like the furies, drives the sinner headlong to damnation.

In the first parish where I laboured lived a man who was not only agnostic in his attitude towards things religious, but even derided them, and was wont to chaff his wife on her devotion to her church. The wife, however, went on her quiet but earnest way, living out her religion in the home. One morning very early the husband awoke and discovered his wife beside his bed absorbed in whispered prayer. Her pale, upturned face was fixed with intensity upon the Invisible, and her warm hand was resting upon his own, she supposing him to be asleep. As the husbands eyes opened on the unexpected scene, the suggestion came like a flash to his soul, My wifes God is more real to her than her husband is. If she is so earnest for my welfare as to rise at such an hour and pray alone for me, it is time I had some care for my own soul; and he instantly arose from his bed, knelt beside her and added his own prayer to hers. He gave his heart to God on the spot, and that very morning came to the early meeting at the church and announced his change of heart; the next Sabbath he united with the church. The conviction of reality in the wifes intimacy with God was what roused and brought him; the wife had something to impart, which of itself wrought to open the husbands soul.1 [Note: H. C. Mabie, Method in Soul-Winning, 20.]

(1) Peter needed special prayer because of the pre-eminent position that he occupied. Those who play the hero on great occasions will at other times act very unworthily. Many men conceal and belie their convictions at the dinner-table, who would boldly proclaim their sentiments from the pulpit or the platform. Standing in the place where Christs servants are expected to speak the truth, they draw their swords bravely in defence of their Lord; but mixing in society on equal terms, they too often say in effect, I know not the man. Peters offence, therefore, if grave, is certainly not uncommon. It is committed virtually, if not formally, by multitudes who are utterly incapable of public deliberate treason against truth and God. The erring disciple was much more singular in his repentance than in his sin. Of all who in mere acts of weakness virtually deny Christ, how few, like him, go out and weep bitterly!

(2) There was something in the temperament of Peter that called for special intercession. Of all the disciples who were to be sifted, or brought under temptation, it was to Peter alone that Christs heart went out in urgent entreaty. But why for Peter rather than for the others? Why should the merciful feelings of His heart be concentrated on him? Was it because he was nearer and dearer, and more amiable than the others; more equable in disposition, more exemplary and mild? No, for he was the reverse of this. Peters eminence among the disciples at this time was not of this kind. He was hot-headed, rash, and egotistical, unstable and inconsistent. At one moment he was brave as a lion, heroic in all his impulses, and tense in all his purposes; the next he was timid, vacillating, and cowardly. You see him at one moment sword in hand, foremost to defend his Master; the next he stands by the fire in the court-yard stamping and swearing, denying with oaths that he knew any such man as Jesus. But why should Christ pray for such a man? one is naturally led to inquire. Why did His love go out so warmly and tenderly towards one capable of so much treachery and falsehood, one so selfish and unreliable? Why select him from the other disciples, and lavish upon him so much tender solicitude and prayer?

(3) Judas needed special intercession as well as Peter, but he put himself beyond the reach of grace. Judas sins and falls to his utter ruin: Peter falls and is restored. What accounts for this difference? Is it entirely because Christ prayed for the one disciple and never prayed for the other? None of us, surely, would say that it is. We are compelled to look at the matter in the light of their character. Judas is cool, crafty, calculating, selfish; Peter at heart loves that which is holy and just and true, and hates that which is wrong and vile. He may fall into sin by his rashness, but he hates it when once he sees it; and he knows how to repent and seek forgiveness and restoration. His heart is tender and true. His tears of penitence are genuine. He is such an one as may be prayed for. There is material in him to work upon. The life of the soul is not extinct. The Divine breath will fan it into a flame again.

He weeps, and bitter are his tears,

As bitter as his words were base,

As urgent as the sudden fears

Which even love refused to face.

O, love so false and yet so true,

O, love so eager yet so weak,

In these sad waters born anew

Thy tongue shall yet in triumph speak.

Thou livest, and the boaster dies,

Dies with the night that wrought his shame;

Thou livest, and these tears baptize

Simon, now Peter is thy name.

A rock, upon Himself the Rock

Christ places thee this awful day;

Him waves assault with direful shock,

And cover thee with maddening spray.

But safe art thou, for strong is He:

Eternal Love all love will keep:

The sweet shall as the bitter be;

Thou shalt rejoice as thou dost weep.1 [Note: T. T. Lynch, The Rivulet, 132.]

3. Our Lord did not ask for Peter that he might be exempted from temptation, but simply that his faith should not fail. Faith meant everything to Peter. It was the foundation on which all that was good and noble in his character was built up. And the trial went to strengthen his faith. Peters vanity was sifted out of him, his self-confidence was sifted out of him, his rash presumption was sifted out of him, his impulsive readiness to blurt out the first thought that came into his head was sifted out of him, and so his unreliableness and changeableness were largely sifted out of him, and he became what Christ said he had in him the makings of beingCephasa rock, or, as the Apostle Paul, who was never unwilling to praise the others, said, a man who looked like a pillar. He strengthened his brethren, and to many generations the story of the Apostle who denied the Lord he loved has ministered comfort.

4. In Peters case, good came out of evil. The sifting time formed a turning-point in his spiritual history: the sifting process had for its result a second conversion, more thorough than the firsta turning from sin, not merely in general, but in detail: from besetting sins, in better informed if not more fervant repentance, and with a purpose of new obedience, less self-reliant, but just on that account more reliable. A child hithertoa child of God indeed, yet only a childPeter became a man strong in grace, and fit to bear the burden of the week.

The bone that is broken is stronger, they tell us, at the point of junction, when it heals and grows again, than it ever was before. And it may well be that a faith that has made experience of falling and restoration has learned a depth of self-distrust, a firmness of confidence in Christ, a warmth of grateful love which it would never otherwise have experienced.1 [Note: A. Maclaren.]

III

Duty

Do thou, when once thou hast turned again, stablish thy brethern.

Our Lords meaning was that a new power of personal helpfulness was to come to Peter through his sad experience, which he should use in strengthening others to meet temptation. Then, when he had passed through that terrible night, when he had been lifted up again, when he had crept back to the feet of his risen Lord and had been forgiven and reinstated, he had double cause for gratitudethat he himself had been saved from hopeless wreck and restored, and, still more, that he was now a better man, prepared, in a higher sense than before, to be an apostle and a patient, helpful friend to others in similar trial.

1. Peter had now the qualifications for strengthening the brethren. He has known by experience the unforgetting, rescuing love of the Christthe grace of God. O, what a reality it comes to be when a man has lost the chaff of himself and feels that he himself is freer to be and to grow! Pentecost rings yet with the eloquence of that once broken heart of Peter. Hope in Christ? What a certainty did it have to him! His first latter is called the epistle of hope; God has always been making hopefulness in this way. Jacob the supplanter had been made IsraelPrince of God; and now Peter was sifted out of Simonsifted out with an experience which made him a ceaseless strengthener of men.

When Peter sank into the depths, his self-confidence was broken. At the moment of his lowest fall, while oaths were on his lips, the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. There was an expression in the Masters face which made that look the truning-point in Peters life. He did not speak. There are times when words are not wantedtimes, perhaps, when real feeling cannot speak. Christ simply looked at Petera look which told of real sorrow and real love, and had in it something of the reproach that a great love, when deeply wounded, must feel. It was enough. It brought to Peters mind all that had been so piteously forgotten; it brought back the real Peter; and he went out and wept bitterly. They were tears, I doubt not, terribly to witnessthe tears of a strong man in deep agony; of a man broken down by remorse, a man who must shun his fellows, and creep away anywhere out of everybodys sight, that no one may remind him of his shame. So he went for those three days, we know not whither, into solitude, till John found him and brought him to the tomb on Easter morning; but in those silent hours the work was done. His mind went back over the old story. He came to himself. The past lived again, as it does in such moments. How often he had been betrayed by his self-confident temper; how again and again it had led him into sin and shame; how ling before he had boldly cast himself into the lake, only to fail, at the critical moment, in showing any real faith. And so he would be brought to feel that which marks a real stage in a mans developmentwhen he pieces his life together, and sees that his weakness and error had early rootsthat he had not to mourn a single faithlessness out of harmony with his real self, but that his denial was but the crowning catastrophe of a long story of self-confidence which was always poisoning his good, and plunging him deeper into sin and shame.

2. Peter took up the task laid upon him and justified to the full his Masters confidence. He was a tower of strength to the Church, and warned all against the machinations of the Evil One, who, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Indeed, Peters fall, so far from damaging the cause of Christianity, was to be made an instrument for promoting its success. How strange! When a number of men are joined together in carrying on an enterprise of this sort, any weakness or wavering on the part of their leader is commonly fatal to the whole undertaking. Here the very contrary was to happen. Peters fall was to be the means of his brethrens recovery from their worse fall. Such is Gods way of working in things spiritual. A pious man who has been betrayed into a great fall cannot recover himself in such a manner as to place himself only in the same situation as before he fell. He will be more earnest, more zealous, more watchful over himself, more anxious for the honour of God, than ever before. He will feel a desire, especially if his offence has been public and notorious, to make amends, humanly speaking, for the scandal he has brought upon religion. And not only is he disposed to promote the glory of God by stablishing or strengthening his brethren; he is also more qualified to do so. He has learnt another lesson, in addition to his former experience, of the deceitfulness of mans heart and the deceits of mans ghostly enemy. So it was with Peter. He did not rest satisfied with strengthening and entrenching his own position; he made it the great object of his life and labours to warn, to admonish, to exhort, and to stablish his brethren. We can see the evidence of this in his speeches, as recorded in the Book of Acts; we can see it also in his two Epistles, which we may regard as his legacy to the Church, his testamentary reparation for the scandal of his fall.

It was remarked by an old minister whom William Peebles used to hear, that the devil is just the believers fencing-master; for by trials and temptations he teaches him how to fight himself.1 [Note: A. Philip, The Evangel in Gowrie, 265.]

From the time of which I speak the whole character, current and outlook of my life changed. The Scriptures lighted up, Christian joy displaced depression, passion for souls ensued, courage triumphed over fear in public religious exercises. Other people also recognized the realness of the change, and the whole providential course of life since has corroborated the divineness of the vision of that night. About that time the college was broken up through the occurrence of a case of smallpox among the students, and I went home. Calling on my pastor the next morning, and reporting the great change which had occurred in me, with quick sympathy he replied, The Lord has sent you home in this frame just at the time when we most need you. The state of religion is low among us: the young peoples meeting has died out: you are the means to revive it. Then taking a note-book and pencil he wrote down the names of about two hundred young people in the town, and putting it in my hands said, There, go and bring them in. Lead them to Christ. Thats your work. Encouraged by such a proposal, I set about it. The first visit I made was characterized by a soul-contest of hours resulting in the conversion of a young woman. That led to another and that to others until an entire Bible class of influential young persons surrendered to Christ. From that the work so spread that ere the summer was over nearly all the persons named in my note-book were converted and added to the several churches of the town.1 [Note: H. C. Mabie, Method in Soul-Winning, 16.]

3. One more turning there was to be in Peters life. He was in Romeso the story runsin the Neronian persecution. His faith failed. He fled from the city. But at the gate of the city he met the sacred form of his Master. He said to Him, Domine, quo vadis?Lord, whither goest thou? And the Lord made answer, I go to Rome, to be crucified. St. Peter understood the words. He, too, turned back. He entered the city again. He was martyred there. That was his last, his supreme conversion. And by it he strengthened his brethren.

O Jesu, gone so far apart

Only my heart can follow Thee,

That look which pierced St. Peters heart

Turn now on me.

Thou who dost search me thro and thro

And mark the crooked ways I went,

Look on me, Lord, and make me too

Thy penitent.2 [Note: Christina G. Rossetti.]

Sifted as Wheat

Literature

Arnold (T.), Sermons, iii. 114.

Benson (R. M.), The Final Passover, ii. (pt. i.) 207.

Broade (G. E.), The Sixfold Trial of our Lord, 53.

Bruce (A. B.), The Training of the Twelve, 476.

Burrows (H. W.), Parochial Sermons, 91.

Cuyler (T. L.), Stirring the Eagles Nest, 143.

Eyton (R.), The True Life, 281.

Farrar (F. W.), Ephphatha, 45.

Gunsaulus (F. W.), Paths to Power, 210.

Howatt (J. R.), Jesus the Poet, 253.

Hughes (H. P.), Ethical Christianity, 131.

Hyde (T. D.), Sermon Pictures, ii. 266.

Jerdan (C.), For the Lambs of the Flock, 74.

Keble (J.), Sermons for the Christian Year: Saints Days, 296.

Laird (J.), Memorials, 209.

Lilley (A. L.), Nature and Supernature, 167.

Mabie (H. C.), Method in Soul-Winning, 11.

Macgregor (G. H. C.), The All-sufficient Saviour, 32.

Maclaren (A.), Expositions: Luke 1324., 240.

Murray (W. H. H.), in The American Pulpit, iii. 305.

Nicholson (M.), Redeeming the Time, 268.

Parker (J.), The Cavendish Pulpit, 17.

Shepherd (Ambrose), The Gospel and Social Questions, 147.

Vaughan (C. J.), Counsels to Young Students, 65.

Welldon (J. E. C.), The School of Faith, 107.

Westcott (B. F.), Village Sermons, 92.

Christian World Pulpit, xxxviii. 172 (W. Hubbard); lxxviii. 317 (L. H. Burrows).

Church of England Pulpit, xxxi. 185 (W. McEndoo).

Churchmans Pulpit: Holy Week, vi. 438 (A. Brooks).

Contemporary Pulpit, v. 270 (H. M. Butler).

Good Words, 1871, p. 722 (J. S. Howson).

Homiletic Review, New Ser., xxxix. 341 (W. S. Jerome).

Fuente: The Great Texts of the Bible

Simon: Luk 10:41, Act 9:4

Satan: Job 1:8-11, Job 2:3-6, Zec 3:1, 1Pe 5:8, Rev 12:10

sift: Amo 9:9

Reciprocal: 1Ch 21:1 – Satan Job 1:12 – Behold Job 2:6 – save Psa 23:3 – restoreth Psa 31:24 – Be of Psa 37:24 – Though Psa 145:14 – upholdeth Ecc 4:10 – if Isa 28:28 – Bread Isa 30:28 – his breath Isa 42:3 – bruised Mat 4:3 – the tempter Mat 6:13 – lead Mat 14:28 – bid Mat 14:31 – and caught Mat 26:31 – All Mat 26:75 – And he Mar 5:12 – General Mar 14:27 – All Luk 8:13 – which Joh 10:28 – neither Joh 13:2 – the devil Joh 13:37 – why Joh 20:6 – General 1Co 10:13 – hath 2Co 2:11 – General Eph 2:2 – the spirit 2Ti 2:18 – overthrow 2Ti 2:26 – at 2Pe 1:1 – Peter Rev 3:2 – strengthen Rev 12:9 – and Satan

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

STRENGTHEN THY BRETHREN

Luk 22:31-32

After the strange struggle for the greatest position in that small party, the Lord gives them His warning, and lays down the condition of greatness in the new kingdom, that it is the chief among them who shall serve even as He had served. And then, having no doubt observed that St. Peter had been prominent before them all in claiming for himself the highest place, He turns to him and He says in the words of our text, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you all; for that is the meaning of the passageto have you all, that he may sift you all as wheat; but I have prayed for thee.

I. What do we think is the meaning of Satan desiring to sift the Apostles?Has it ever struck you that it is twice in the New Testament that this figure of sifting or winnowing is brought before us, and that, strange to say, the sifter or winnower in the one case is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and in the second case is the wicked Tempter? John the Baptist, you know, when speaking of the coming Messiah, says, Whose fan is in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, etc. And here we have that very Messiah speaking of the Devil sifting even His Apostles. By sifting is meant testing, shaking those to whom the process is applied in such a way that part will fall through and part will remain; either it is the good that will remain when Christ is the Sifter, or it is the good that will remain when the Devil is the sifter. And if we go on to ask how it is that the Tempter strives to sift even those who are the servants of Christ Himself, we shall, of course, find that it is done in very different ways. It is no doubt chiefly by laying snares for us, by taking us unawares, by tripping us up with our special besetting sins, whether it be of temper, or of want of truthfulness, or want of perfect honesty, or want of perfect purity, or by indulging in intemperance; even when we desire to shake off the chain of the old sin, that is the kind of way in which the Tempter again and again sifts those who are striving to be Christs servants.

II. But look on to those reassuring words of our common Master, in which, turning to the Apostle who was to be tempted even beyond all the others, He says to him, I make supplication for thee that thy faith shall not fail. In the hours of temptation, the bad spirit seems to go out of our hearts, and to give us something of a respite, and then before we are aware, before, so far as we can charge our conscience, we have done anything definite to invite his return, he does return and springs upon us, and the furnace of temptation becomes, before we are aware, seven times hotter than it was before; then are the moments, the critical moments of the human soul, and I know of no source of strength greater in those dark moments than to have possessed our souls with the belief that we are not alone, but that Jesus Christ is making His supplication for us, that we shall not fall, but be the stronger for this temptation.

III. But then, when we have in some degree won this victory, what is the lesson we have still to learn?When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren, or as the R.V. has it, Do thou, when once thou hast turned again, stablish thy brethren. The meaning of our Lord to St. Peter is not when thou hast undergone a conversion, for St. Peter was of course already a converted man, but when thou hast turned again from thy fall, when thou hast got out of the wrong road of denial and cowardice, and turned again into the right road of loyalty and fidelity, then what art thou to do? To live for thyself, to be thankful that thine own soul is safe, to be always thinking of the joys of heaven for thyself? No; that would not have been the kind of command that our Lord, of Whom it was said, He saved others, Himself He cannot save, would have cared to impress chiefly on His repentant Apostle. It was to be an unselfish lustre that was to rest upon St. Peter; he was to think Jess and less of himself, even of his weakness and cowardice, and to think more and more of his brethren who needed his support. And that is the lesson which, with Gods help, we would leave with you as the chief lesson of these sacred words on which we have been dwelling.

Rev. Dr. H. M. Butler.

Illustration

An officer in the army, who fought under Lord Wolseley at the battle of Tel-el-Kebir, has told a touching story of the campaign. He spoke of that strange, dark night-march which preceded that great battle; and how one young officer in particular was charged with the special duty of keeping them in the right direction, as they marched along in the dark, straight up to the earthworks of the enemy. They marched under the stars, they did not lose their way, they arrived opposite the guns of the enemy just as the light of morning began; and with one of the first discharges of the enemys artillery, this brave young officer, to whom they owed the precision of the march, was wounded to death. The general in command, Sir Garnet (afterwards Lord) Wolseley, saw him, spoke to him a few kindly words of thanks and sympathy. The young officer had just strength to say, Didnt I lead them straight? and with that he died. Now, that is a parable to those of us who wish to be Christs servants and to strengthen our brethren.

Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary

4

While the wording is a little different, the thoughts and subject matter of this paragraph are the same as Mat 26:31-35.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.

[Simon, Simon.] Let us change the name and person: “Thomas, Thomas”; or “Philip, Philip, Satan hath desired, etc.; but I have prayed,” etc. And who would from hence have picked out an argument for the primacy of Thomas or Philip over the rest of the apostles and the universal church? And yet this do the Romanists in the behalf of Peter. Who would not have taken it rather as a severe chiding? As if he should have said, “Thou, Thomas or Philip, art thou so hot in contending for the primacy, while Satan is so hot against all of you? And whilst you are at strife amongst yourselves, he is at strife against you all!” Under such a notion as this I doubt not our Saviour did speak to Peter, and that in these words he found a severe reprimand rather than any promotion to the primacy.

Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels

WE learn, from these verses, what a fearful enemy the devil is to believers. We read that “the Lord said, Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.” He was near Christ’s flock, though they saw him not. He was longing to accomplish their ruin, though they knew it not. The wolf does not crave the blood of the lamb more than the devil desires the destruction of souls.

The personality, activity, and power of the devil are not sufficiently thought of by Christians. This is he who brought sin into the world at the beginning, by tempting Eve. This is he who is described in the book of Job as “going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it.” This is he whom our Lord calls “the prince of this world,” a “murderer,” and a “liar.” This is he whom Peter compares to a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” This is he whom John speaks of as “the accuser of the brethren.” This is he who is ever working evil in the churches of Christ, catching away good seed from the hearts of hearers, sowing tares amidst the wheat, stirring up persecutions, suggesting false doctrines, and fomenting divisions. The world is a snare to the believer. The flesh is a burden and a clog. But there is no enemy so dangerous as that restless, invisible, experienced enemy, the devil.

If we believe the Bible, let us not be ashamed to believe that there is a devil. It is an awful proof of the hardness and blindness of unconverted men, that they can jest and speak lightly of Satan.

If we profess to have any real religion, let us be on our guard against the devil’s devices. The enemy who overthrew David and Peter, and assaulted Christ Himself, is not an enemy to be despised. He is very subtle. He has studied the heart of man for six thousand years. He can approach us under the garb of an “angel of light.” We have need to watch and pray, and put on the whole armor of God. It is a blessed promise, that if we resist him he will flee from us. It is a still more blessed thought, that when the Lord comes, He will bruise Satan under our feet, and bind him in chains. (Jam 4:7; Rom 16:20.)

We learn, secondly, in these verses, one great secret of a believer’s perseverance in the faith. We read that our Lord said to Peter, “I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.” It was owing to Christ’s intercession that Peter did not entirely fall away.

The continued existence of grace in a believer’s heart is a great standing miracle. His enemies are so mighty, and his strength is so small, the world is so full of snares, and his heart is so weak, that it seems at first sight impossible for him to reach heaven. The passage before us explains his safety. He has a mighty Friend at the right hand of God, who ever lives to make intercession for him. There is a watchful Advocate, who is daily pleading for him, seeing all his daily necessities, and obtaining daily supplies of mercy and grace for his soul. His grace never altogether dies, because Christ always lives to intercede. (Heb 7:25.)

If we are true Christians, we shall find it essential to our comfort in religion to have clear views of Christ’s priestly office and intercession. Christ lives, and therefore our faith shall not fail. Let us beware of regarding Jesus only as one who died for us. Let us never forget that He is alive for evermore. Paul bids us specially remember that He is risen again, and is at the right hand of God, and also maketh intercession for us. (Rom 8:34.) The work that He does for His people is not yet over. He is still appearing in the presence of God for them, and doing for their souls what He did for Peter. His present life for them is just as important as His death on the cross eighteen hundred years ago. Christ lives, and therefore true Christians “shall live also.”

We learn, thirdly, from these verses, the duty incumbent on all believers who receive special mercies from Christ. We read that our Lord said to Peter, “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”

It is one of God’s peculiar attributes, that He can bring good out of evil. He can cause the weaknesses and infirmities of some members of His Church to work together for the benefit of the whole body of His people. He can make the fall of a disciple the means of fitting him to be the strengthener and upholder of others.-Have we ever fallen, and by Christ’s mercy been raised to newness of life? Then surely we are just the men who ought to deal gently with our brethren. We should tell them from our own experience what an evil and bitter thing is sin. We should caution them against trifling with temptation. We should warn them against pride, and presumption, and neglect of prayer. We should tell them of Christ’s grace and compassion, if they have fallen. Above all, we should deal with them humbly and meekly, remembering what we ourselves have gone through

Well would it be for the Church of Christ, if Christians were more ready to good works of this kind! There are only too many believers who in conference add nothing to their brethren. They seem to have no Savior to tell of, and no story of grace to report. They chill the hearts of those they meet, rather than warm them. They weaken rather than strengthen. These things ought not so to be. The words of the apostle ought to sink down into our minds, “Having received mercy, we faint not. We believe, and therefore we speak.” (2Co 4:1, 2Co 4:13.)

We learn, lastly, from these verses, that the servant of Christ ought to use all reasonable means in doing his Master’s work. We read that our Lord said to His disciples, “He that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.”

It is safest to take these remarkable words in a proverbial sense. They apply to the whole period of time between our Lord’s first and second advents. Until our Lord comes again, believers are to make a diligent use of all the faculties which God has implanted in them. They are not to expect miracles to be worked, in order to save them trouble. They are not to expect bread to fall into their mouths, if they will not work for it. They are not to expect difficulties to be surmounted, and enemies to be overcome, if they will not wrestle, and struggle and take pains. They are to remember that it is “the hand of the diligent which maketh rich.” (Pro 10:4.)

We shall do well to lay to heart our Lord’s words in this place, and to act habitually on the principle which they contain. Let us labor, and toil, and give, and speak, and act, and write for Christ, as if all depended on our exertions. And yet let us never forget that success depends entirely on God’s blessing! To expect success by our own “purse” and “sword” is pride and self-righteousness. But to expect success without the “purse and sword” is presumption and fanaticism. Let us do as Jacob did when he met his brother Esau. He used all innocent means to conciliate and appease him. But when he had done all, he spent all night in prayer. (Gen 32:1-24.)

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Notes-

v31.-[Simon, Simon.] The repetition of Simon’s name implies solemnity and importance in the statement about to be made, and deep concern on behalf of Simon’s soul. It is like the address to Martha, when she was “careful about many things,” and to Saul, when he was persecuting disciples. (Luk 10:41; Act 9:4.)

Our Lord’s addressing Peter in’ this place, seems to make it probable that Peter was one of those who were most forward in contending for the pre-eminence in the verses preceding those we are now considering. Our Lord tells him that while he is seeking greatness, he is on the very point of making a grievous fall.

[Satan hath desired to have you.] There is something very awful in this expression. It shows us that the devil is often “desiring” to accomplish our ruin, and striving to accomplish it, while we know nothing of his doings, because he is invisible. On the other hand, there is some comfort in the expression. It teaches us that Satan can do nothing without God’s permission. However great his “desire” to do mischief, he works in chains.

The distinction should be marked between “you” in the verse before us and “thee” in the verse following. Satan desired to have all the apostles. Christ’s intercessory prayer was specially on behalf of Peter.

[Sift you as wheat.] This expression signifies that Satan desired to shake, toss to and fro, and harass the apostle, just as corn is shaken to and fro when it is dressed and winnowed, to separate the grain from the chaff. It aptly describes the effect of temptation on a believer. Whatever Satan’s intention may be, the result of temptation is to bring out the chaff, or infirmity of a believer, and generally in the long run to purify his soul. It was strikingly so with Peter and the other apostles in the present instance.

v32.-[I have prayed for thee.] We need not hesitate to regard this as an example of our Lord’s exercise of His office as an intercessor for His people. What He did for Peter, when Peter knew nothing of his danger, He is daily and hourly doing for all who believe on His name.

[That thy faith fail not.] The Greek word translated “fail” is the root of our English word “eclipse.” The object of our Lord’s intercession was that Peter’s faith might not altogether die, though for a time it might be very weak.

Let it be noted that “faith” is the root of the whole Christian character, and the part which Satan specially labors to overthrow. In the temptation of Eve, of Peter, and of our Lord Himself, the assault was in each case directed against the same point, and the object sought was to produce unbelief.

The Roman Catholic commentators, Cornelius Lapide, Maldonatus, and Stella, endeavor to prove from the words before us, that the Roman Catholic Church, of which, they say, Peter was the head, was never to depart from the faith, and that our Lord gave a prophetical intimation of its perpetuity and fidelity. It is because of the words before us, we are told, that the Church of Rome has never fallen, while the Churches of Alexandria, Constantinople, and Antioch, have gone to decay!

A more gratuitous and baseless application of Scripture it is difficult to conceive. For one thing, there is not the slightest proof that Peter was the founder or head of the Roman Church; or indeed that he was Bishop of Rome at all. For another thing, the words before us apply most clearly to Peter only as an individual, and have no reference whatever to any church. Above all, the words were not spoken as indicating any special honor put upon Peter. They were meant on the contrary to teach, that Peter was about to fall more shamefully than any of the apostles, and that nothing but Christ’s special intercession would save him from total ruin. The faith of all the apostles was about to prove very weak, but no one would be so near a complete eclipse of faith as Peter!

Lightfoot says, “Certainly it was Peter’s advantage, that Christ prayed for him; but it was not so much for Peter’s honor, that he, beyond all others, should stand in need of such a prayer.”

Wordsworth says, “The Roman divines say that the prayer and precept of our Lord extends to all the Bishops of Rome, as Peter’s successors, and that in speaking to Peter, our Lord spoke to them. Will they complete the parallel, and say that the Bishops of Rome specially need prayer, because they deny Christ? Let them not take a part and leave the rest.”

[When thou art converted.] This expression is somewhat remarkable, and has occasioned difference of opinion among commentators. For one thing, the word translated “art converted,” would be rendered more literally “hast converted.” For another thing, to speak of an apostle like Peter being “converted,” seems a strange saying to some. The following explanations of the expression have been given.

1. Some think that the word rendered “converted” was not intended to bear so strong a meaning. They regard it as a Hebrew form of speech, and a kind of expletive word. They compare it to such phrases as this in the New Testament, “Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven.” (Act 7:42.) They would then render it as Bengel does, like an adverb, “do thou in thy turn strengthen thy brethren.”

2. Some think, with Sir Norton Knatchbull, that the word translated “art converted,” should have been rendered in an active sense, and that it means, “When thou hast converted thy brethren, strengthen them.”

3. Some think that the conversion here spoken of, means simply “recovery from a fall,” and that it does not necessarily mean that first conversion to God which takes place when an unconverted person becomes a Christian. This is by far the most satisfactory interpretation of the expression. For the Greek word being rendered, “art converted,” though an active verb, there is authority in Act 3:19.

Burkitt remarks, “This conversion was not from a state of sin. Peter was so converted before: but it was from an act of sin into which he should lapse and relapse.”

[Strengthen thy brethren.] There seems a tacit reference here to the dispute about pre-eminence, which had just taken place among the apostles. “Instead of wasting time in wrangling about primacy, give thyself to the better work of raising up, confirming, and doing good to thy brethren. Warn the unruly. Comfort the feeble-minded. Teach all the beauty of humility. Show them by thine own sad experience the danger of pride and high thoughts.”

Most commentators think that the general tone of the Epistles of Peter shows special marks of the effect of this command. They are pre-eminently hortatory, direct, and instructive to believers.

Alford calls attention to the fact that the Greek word for “strengthen” in this place, is twice used by Peter in his two epistles, and the word “stedfastness,” which is also used, is directly derived from it. (1Pe 5:10; 2Pe 1:12; 2Pe 3:17.)

I would add to this the interesting fact that it is Peter who describes the devil under the vivid figure of a “roaring lion,” walking about, and seeking whom he may devour. (1Pe 5:8.)

[Thy brethren.] This expression probably contains a tacit reference to the dispute for pre-eminence. Peter is reminded that he must regard the other disciples, not as his inferiors, but as his “brethren.”

v33.-[I am ready to go, &c.] This profession was the language of a self-confident, inexperienced disciple who had not yet found out the weakness of his own faith, and the deceitfulness of his own heart. Men little know what they will do, till the time of temptation actually comes. “Is thy servant a dog,” said Hazael, “that he should do this great thing?” (2Ki 8:13.)

v34.-[Peter.] Burgon remarks that this is the only place in which our Lord addresses Peter by this name, the name which signified “stone.” It was surely meant to remind him how weak even the strongest disciples are.

[Thrice deny…knowest me.] This, be it remembered, was a very remarkable prediction, and a striking evidence of our Lord’s foreknowledge. That Peter should deny his Master at all, that he should actually deny Him that very night after receiving the Lord’s Supper,-that he should deny Him after plain warnings, and after strong protestations that he would rather die,-and that he should deny his Master three times,-were all most improbable events. Yet they all took place!

v35.-[When I sent you, &c.] This verse refers to the occasion when our Lord sent out the apostles two and two to preach the kingdom of God. It is evident from the expression before us, that in these first excursions our Lord exercised a miraculous superintendence over the disciples, and so ordered things that friends were raised up for them wherever they went, and they “lacked nothing.” This was doubtless done in condescension to their inexperience and infirmity, and to enable them to attend on their work without distraction.

v36.-[But now, &c.] The general drift of this verse is to teach that from the time of Christ’s ascension into heaven, the disciples must not expect such a constant miraculous interposition of God on their behalf, as would make them independent of the use of means. On the contrary they must diligently employ all lawful and reasonable means for their support and protection. They were to “work with their own hands,” as Paul did at tent making. They were to have regular gatherings of money for the support of those that wanted, as the Corinthians had. They were not to despise their rights as subjects and citizens, but to use them in their own defence, as Paul did before Lysias, and Festus, and at Philippi.

The general purport of the verse appears to be a caution against the indolent and fanatical notion that diligence in the use of means is “carnal,” and an unlawful dependence on an arm of flesh. To my own mind the whole verse supplies an unanswerable argument against the strange notions maintained- by some in the present day, who tell us that making provision for our families is wrong,-and insuring our lives is wrong,-and collecting money for religious societies is wrong,-and studying for the work of the ministry is wrong,-and taking part in civil government is wrong,-and supporting police, standing armies, and courts of law is wrong. I respect the conscientiousness of those who maintain these opinions. But I am utterly unable to reconcile them with our Lord’s language in this place.

[A purse…scrip…sword.] I regard all these three expressions as proverbial and symbolical. They contain a general lesson for the guidance of the Church of Christ, until the Lord comes again. We are not to neglect human instrumentality, in doing Christ’s work, or to expect Christ’s blessing if we do not diligently use all lawful means within our reach.

[He that hath no sword…buy one.] This expression is undoubtedly a difficult one.

1. Some think that our Lord meant literally that the disciples were to get a sword, in order that the scene in the garden when Peter struck Malchus, and the miraculous healing of Malchus’s ear, might take place. This explanation is eminently bald, tame, and unsatisfactory.

2. Some think, with Olshausen, that the sword which our Lord means is the “sword of the Spirit,” the word of God. This explanation seems far-fetched. Moreover we surely cannot suppose that the disciples had never used this “sword of the Spirit” before this time.

3. The most satisfactory interpretation is that which regards the whole verse as proverbial and symbolical. The words “purse, scrip, and sword,” are not to be pressed too closely. They are parabolic expressions, indicating that a time was drawing near when all human means, of which the “purse,” the “scrip,” and the “sword” are emblems, must be diligently used by the apostles. In Rom 13:4, Suicer shows that “the sword” is evidently an emblematic expression.

This view is ably stated by Theophylact in his commentary on the passage.

Stella calls attention to the remarkable parallel between the condition of the apostles before and after our Lord’s ascension, and the condition of Israel before and after they entered Canaan. Before the Jews entered Canaan, they were miraculously fed with manna daily, and miraculously guided by the pillar of cloud and fire. From the time they entered Canaan, they were thrown upon their own exertions. It was much the same with the apostles. They were not to expect constant miracles to be worked on their behalf, from the time that Christ left the world.

v37.-[This…written…accomplished, &c.] Let it be noted here, that when our Lord speaks of His approaching crucifixion, He does not speak of it as His “death” merely. He specially describes it as His being “reckoned among the transgressors.” The expression was evidently meant to remind us, that the chief end of His death was not to be an example of self-denial, but to be a substitute for us,-a sacrifice for us,-to become sin for us, and be made a curse for us.

[The things concerning me have an end.] This expression means “The work I came to do is well nigh finished. The great sacrifice is going to be olfered. I am going to leave the world, and go to my Father.” It is like the saying on the cross, “It is finished.”

v38.-[Here are two swords…It is enough.] The general opinion of all the best commentators on this verse appears to be correct, that the disciples did not understand aright our Lord’s meaning, and that our Lord seeing their dullness of understanding, dismissed the subject He had been speaking of, and said no more about it. The disciples took His words about the sword literally. He meant them to be taken figuratively. If they could not see His meaning now, they would hereafter. At present He had said “enough,” and for wise reasons would say no more. “Speak no more to me of this matter.” (Deu 3:26.)

The idea maintained by some, that our Lord used the word “it is enough,” ironically, is not satisfactory. It may be doubted whether our Lord ever used irony. Those who hold this view maintain that our Lord meant, “Truly two swords are enough! This is a sufficient defence indeed!”

The Roman Catholic writers, Maldonatus and Cornelius Lapide, interpret the two swords mentioned in this verse of the temporal and spiritual power which they claim for the Church of Rome. It is almost needless to say that the passage does not afford the least ground for the doctrine which they try to support from it. Even Stella, the Spanish Roman Catholic, is ashamed of such an interpretation, and denounces it as “wrested and discordant with the passage.”

Chrysostom thinks that the expression “here are two swords,” may refer to the two sacrificial knives or swords which the disciples had got because of the passover Lamb. The explanation seems needless. In the days when our Lord was upon earth it was common for men to carry weapons of offense and defense.

Fuente: Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels

Luk 22:31. Simon, Simon. Earnestness and affection are indicated by the repetition. The apostle is addressed by his old name, not the new and significant one. The sudden call (And the Lord said is to be omitted) may have been occasioned by his part in the strife. There is too a connection of thought with what precedes. The way to these thrones was His way, through temptations, trials, siftings of Satan.

Satan asked to have you, or obtained you by asking, as in the case of Job. You refers to all the Apostles: all must pass to the throne through trial, since the purpose of this asking and obtaining was in order that ha might sift you as wheat. As wheat is shaken in the sieve, so Satan would try their faithfulness. If you includes Judas (who had probably gone out before this), then the sifting process had begun and the chaff partially removed.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Here I shall give,

1. The general sense of the words.

2. The particular matters contained in them.

3. The special observation from them.

The sense of the words is this; as for you my disciples in general, and for thee Peter in particular, I must tell thee, that Satan has accused you all before God, and desires that he may have the sifting of you all by his winnowing winds of temptation and persecution, that he may shake your faith, and weaken your confidence; but I have prayed for you all, and particularly for thyself who art in greatest danger of falling, because so confident of thine own strength and standing, that thy faith, though severely shaken, may not utterly fail; and when by repentance thou art recovered from thy fall, be careful to confirm and strengthen others, that they may not fall in like manner.

The particular matter contained in these words, are these; a Christian’s danger, a Christian’s safety, and a Christian’s duty.

1. A Christian’s danger, Satan hath desired to sift you.

Where observe, 1. The person particularly warned of the danger, Simon, Simon: the doubling of the word, doubtless carries a special intimation with it: it denotes the greatness and nearness of Peter’s danger, his own security and insensibleness of that danger, and the great affection of Christ his monitor, to give him warning of his danger.

Observe, 2. The warning itself, and that is, of a devilish conspiracy against himself and all the apostles, Satan hath desired to have you; to have you for his own, if it might be; to have you as believers, rather than other men; to have you as eminent believers, rather than other Christians; and to have you as apostles and ministers, rather than other eminent believers. And as Satan has desired to have you, so to sift you too, to winnow you as wheat; not to fetch out the chaff, but to make the chaff.

Here note, that Satan has his winnowing winds of temptation, and his tempestous winds of persecution, for the sifting of God’s children.

Note farther, that it is the wheat, the good corn, that Satan winnows; not chaff, nor dross; sinners, that are all chaff, and nothing but dross, Satan will not be at the pains to sift and winnow them.

But what is the sifting? Answer, in sifting, two things are performed:

1. The agitation, shaking and tossing of the corn from side to side. The separation of the corn from the chaff and dust; Satan intends the former, God effects the latter: The corn is improved, not impaired, by winnowing. The saints of God shall be no losers in the end by Satan’s temptations, how many and how strong soever they may be in the way.

2. The Christian’s safety: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.

Where note, 1. The care that Christ had for Peter, and in him of all believers: I have prayed for thee; for thee, as a believing Christian, and for thee as a tempted Christian; and it is not said, I will pray for thee, but I have prayed for thee. Christ prayed for Peter, before Peter understood that he had need of Christ’s prayer; Christ prayed for Peter as soon as ever Satan desired to sift Peter.

Our intercessor is full as nimble and speedy in his suit for us, as Satan is in his accusations against us: he has desired, but I have prayed; he is a potent assailant, but thou has a powerful assistant.

Observe, 2. The subject matter prayed for, that thy faith fail not; not that thy faith be not assaulted, not that thy faith be not shaken, but that thy faith may not fail by an absolute and total deficiency.

The third particular is the Christian’s duty: When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. When converted, that is, when recovered form thy fall, when restored upon thy repentance to the divine favor. This conversion is not from a state of sin; Peter was converted before; but it was from an act of sin, into which he should lapse and relapse; Strengthen thy brethren; that is, establish others in the faith, from which tou art shamefully fallen thyself.

Now the lessons of instruction from the whole are these:

1. That temptations are like siftings: God sifts to purge away our dust and dross; Satan sifts, not to get out the chaff; but to bolt out the flour; his temptations are levelled against our faith.

2. That Satan has a continual desire to be sifting and winnowing God’s flour; Satan’s own children are all bran, all chaff, these he sifts not: God’s children have flour mixed with bran, good wheat mixed with chaff; these he desires to sift, winnow, and fan; not to separate the bran and dross, but to destroy the flour.

3. That the intercession of Christ gives security, satisfaction, and encouragement to all believers, that though their faith may, by temptations, be shaken and assaulted, yet, that it shall never be finally vanquished and overcome: I have prayed that thy faith fail not.

4. That lapsed Christians, when recovered and restored, ought to endeavor to restore and to recover, to strengthen and establish others: When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Luk 22:31-34. And the Lord said, &c. To make his disciples humble and watchful, and kindly affectionate one to another, Christ assured them, that Satan was seeking to destroy them all by his temptations. As if he had said, O Simon, Simon, behold Satan As in the case of Job; (Job 2:4-5;) hath desired to have you My apostles, , hath required you, or sought you out; or requested permission, as Dr. Campbell translates it; to sift you as wheat To assault you by furious and violent temptations, or to try you to the uttermost. I must assure thee, therefore, that an hour of terrible trial is just at hand, which will press harder than thou art aware, on thee and all thy companions here. But I Forseeing the danger to which thou, Peter, wilt be peculiarly exposed, I have graciously prevented thee with my watchful care; and have prayed for thee For thou wilt be in the greatest danger of all my disciples; in order that thy faith fail not Altogether. And when thou art converted Renewed to repentance, or hast returned to thy duty, as may be rendered; when thou art recovered from thy fall, and confirmed again in faith and holiness; strengthen thy brethren All that are weak in faith, or shaken in mind by the approaching trial, and ready to relinquish the service they have undertaken. When thou art recovered by the grace of God, do what thou canst to recover others; when thy own faith is strengthened, labour to confirm the faith of others, and to establish them; when thou hast found mercy, encourage others to hope that they also shall find it. And do thine utmost, all the remainder of thy days, by word and deed, to engage all, over whom thou hast any influence, to a steady adherence to my cause in the midst of the greatest difficulties, and especially by setting them an example of eminent faith and fortitude. And he said, Lord, I am ready to go with thee to prison and to death So Peter thought at this time: and such was his present intention and resolution; but he was not sufficiently acquainted with himself, nor aware of his own weakness. See on Mat 26:33-35. And he saith, I tell thee, Peter I most assuredly say unto thee; the cock shall not crow this day Or rather, it shall not be the time of cock-crowing to-day, see on Mar 14:39; before thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me And shalt solemnly disclaim all regard to me. So terrified shalt thou be at the faces of these enemies whom thou now defiest. In other words, notwithstanding thy pretended affection and fortitude, a few hours shall not pass till, in great consternation at the dangers with which I and my disciples shall be threatened, thou shalt basely deny, three several times, that thou art my disciple. Peter therefore had no reason to be elated, though on a former occasion he had confessed Jesus to be the Son of God. And his behaviour in this instance affords a very affecting example of human vanity, in the midst of the greatest weakness.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

2 d. Luk 22:31-38. Jesus announces to His disciples, first the moral danger which threatens them (Luk 22:31-34); then the end of the time of temporal well-being and security which they had enjoyed under His protection (Luk 22:35-38).

Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)

JESUS PREDICTS THE FALL OF PETER AND THE DISPERSION OF THE APOSTLES

Mat 26:31-35; Mar 14:27-31; Luk 22:31-38;Joh 13:36-38. N.B. They are all still at the supper-table except Judas, who, at nightfall, went away alone and not alone, for Satan went with him. Simon Peter says to Him, Lord, whither art Thou going? Jesus responded to him, Whither I go, thou art not able to follow Me now; but shall follow Me hereafter. Peter says to Him, Lord, wherefore am I not able to follow Thee now? I will lay down my life for Thee. Peter absolutely and sincerely meant all he said, and yet in a few hours denied Him, illustrating the horrific instability of unsanctified humanity. After Peter received the fiery baptism, he was more than a match for earth and hell, living a hero and dying a martyr. What an admonition is Peters case to all to get sanctified!

Mat 26:31. Then Jesus says to them, All you will be offended in Me this night. For it has been written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered. (Zec 13:7) The application of this is very plain and simple, as it was fulfilled in Gethsemane about three hours after this utterance. And after I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. Jesus had repeatedly predicted to them that He would meet them in Galilee, His native land and that of most of His apostles, whither they all went soon after His resurrection, and He met them on the bank of the Galilean Sea, after a night of toil in dragging their nets through the waters; but then, to their unutterable surprise, pursuant to His mandate, casting the net on the right side of the ship, they caught one hundred and fifty-three large fish. He also met them on one of the mountains of Galilee, not named.

Peter, responding, said to Him, If all shall be offended in Thee, I will never be offended. Peter was no hypocrite. He meant all he said; yet before the crowing of the cock that very night, he denied that he knew Him.

Luk 22:31. The Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan sought after you, to sift you like wheat. Here the pronoun you is humas, the plural number, including not only Peter, but all of the apostles. All the depravity in human nature belongs to Satan, because he put it there in the fall. All sin is the crop of Satans own sowing. So long as there is anything in you which Satan can sift out, you are not ready for heaven. Satan could not sift Jesus, because when he came to Him, he found nothing in Him belonging to him. After the apostles were all sanctified at Pentecost, Satans sifting was fruitless toil, as the celestial flame had consumed all the chaff, straw, cheat, cockle, and trash, leaving nothing but the pure wheat, ready for the Lords mill. But I prayed for you, that your faith may not fail. You is in the singular number, meaning Peter alone, as the especial subject of the Saviors prayer in this case, lest he might be gobbled up by Satan. Jesus here tells them, You will all be offended in Me this night. This word is from scandalon, a stumbling-block, showing that they all ran over a great stumbling-block, which jostled them exceedingly, and Peter, the most sanguine of all, became more seriously upset than any of his comrades. This word, however, does not convey the idea of a total apostasy, but a stumbling and temporary backsliding, the prayer of Jesus prevailing, so that the faith, though terribly tried, did not utterly let go. And you, having turned, then strengthen your brethren. When thou art converted, E. V., is too strong a rendering of epistrepsas, which simply means having turned, being in the active voice; i. e., Having turned from your backsliding, strengthen your brethren. Peter was the senior apostle, his house in Capernaum being headquarters of Jesus during the two and a half years of His ministry in Galilee. Therefore he wielded a very potent influence over his brethren, who, of course, being jostled by his backsliding, would need confirmation by his confession and testimony. And he said to Him, Lord, I am ready to go with Thee to prison, and to death. Mar 14:30 : And Jesus says to him, Truly I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crows twice, thou shall deny Me thrice. And he continued to say the more positively, If it may be necessary for me to die along with Thee, I will not deny Thee. And all the others said likewise. You see how sanguine Peter was, feeling perfectly sure; and yet when the emergency came he failed. A significant illustration of the bold utterances of unsanctified Christians, believing indubitably that they will do just what they say; but signally failing, because they have an indwelling enemy stronger than they.

Luk 22:35-38. And He said to them, When I sent you out without purse, valise, and sandals, did you lack anything? And they said, Nothing. Then He said to them, But now, let the one having purse take it, likewise also valise; and let every one not having a sword, sell his cloak and purchase one. For I say unto you, that it behooveth that which has been written yet to be fulfilled in Me, And He was numbered with the transgressors [Isa 53:12]; and those things concerning Me have an end. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And He said to them, It is sufficient. While our Savior was with them on the earth, He miraculously fed, clothed, and protected them when it was necessary. Consequently they could go without these provisions, incident to human life, indiscriminately. But now that He is going away to leave them, they must take heed and give the necessary attention to the temporalities essential to their physical support and protection. The Orientals wear two garments the cheiton, interior, and the himation, exterior. The outer garment they frequently carried while traveling and laid aside when at labor, keeping it for night and storms. Jesus here tells them, if necessary, to sell the himation and buy a sword. I never could understand why He told them to take a sword till I traveled in that country and saw the necessity of carrying weapons. I did not carry any, as I did not know how to use them; but a sanctified preacher in our company carried a revolver, our dragman also being armed with a revolver and a dagger. In some places we were compelled to hire an armed escort to keep the robbers off. Why were you compelled to do it? Our guide refused to go without the armed escort. Going round in Jerusalem, men, as a rule, had no visible weapons; but traveling through the country, all we met were armed with guns, swords, or huge clubs, almost as large as an American rifle, and convenient to kill a man with a single stroke. The guide-books advise all travelers to go armed, but not to use their weapons, their utility being that of intimidation, as robbers abound everywhere, who do not content themselves by simply taking your money, but take everything you possess, leaving you utterly destitute of clothing, baggage, etc. In that day there were no firearms, the sword being the most common weapon of defense; also regarded as a badge of itinerancy. You see, when they pointed out these two swords, He said they were sufficient. The presumption is that the sword was a prudential, peace, and safety provision, for the intimidation of robbers and for personal security in case of emergency, as persons openly avowing the absence of all protecting weapons in their peregrinations would soon fall a prey to the robbers. Along the road from Jerusalem down to Jericho, where the traveler (Luke 10) was attacked by the robbers, the Roman Government had a garrison of armed men to protect the travelers, as the robbers were so troublesome.

Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

Luk 22:31-34. Jesus Foretells Peters Denial (Mar 14:27-31*, Mat 26:31-35*).Contrast Luk 22:31 f. with Mk. and Mt. (All ye shall be offended, etc.).

Luk 22:31. Satan asked: the verb implies that the request (which was for all the disciples) was successful, (Satan has procured to bew given up to himField): the case is similar to that of Job. But on the other hand Jesus has prayed (synchronously with Satans request) that Peter at least should not utterly fail. He will fall, but he will rise again, and must then strengthen the others. The passage may be compared with Mat 16:17-19; both show how Simon becomes Peter.

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

Verse 31

Sifting, being performed by a rough and violent shaking, is a proper emblem of any malevolent injury.

Luke 22:35,36. The first mission of the disciples was a peaceful one, and pursued through a region where they every where found friends, on whose hospitality they could safely rely. Now, however, Jesus teaches them, by this strong, figurative language, that the were about to enter upon a service full of difficulty and danger, in which they would have to put in requisition all their resources and means of self-protection, referring, however, under a figure taken from military life, undoubtedly to moral, measures alone; though his disciples seem to have understood him literally.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

22:31 {10} And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may {l} sift [you] as wheat:

(10) We must always think about the ambush that Satan lays for us.

(l) To toss you and scatter you, and also to cast you out.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

5. Jesus’ announcement of Peter’s denial 22:31-34 (cf. Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; John 13:36-38)

Luke placed this event next probably because of its logical connection with Jesus’ preceding comment about the disciples remaining faithful to Him during His past trials. That would not continue. However, he did not record Jesus’ announcement that all the disciples would desert Him (Mat 26:31; Mar 14:27). Perhaps he did not do so because it presents a negative picture of disciples generally. They all proved unfaithful, but only temporarily. Luke wanted to encourage his disciple readers, not discourage them.

"Viewed in its primal elements (not in its development), Peter’s character was, among the disciples, the likest to that of Judas." [Note: Edersheim, 2:536.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

Jesus apparently put Peter’s testing, which Jesus knew was coming in view of His own arrest and trials, in a cosmic setting because Satan was ultimately responsible. [Note: See Page, pp. 456-57.] Jesus viewed what would happen to Peter similarly to what had happened to Job (Job 1:6-7). Sifting as wheat pictures Satan’s attempt to separate Peter’s faithfulness to Jesus from him (cf. Job 1-2). The Greek word translated "you" (hymas) is in the plural indicating that Simon was not the only disciple whom Satan desired to sift. Probably Jesus used the name "Simon," Peter’s given Jewish name, because it pictured Peter in his natural state, not as Peter the rock. He probably repeated it in pathos anticipating the sad consequence of Satan’s testing.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

ete_me Luk 18:1-14

Chapter 11

CONCERNING PRAYER.

WHEN the Greeks called man , or the “uplooking one,” they did but crystallize in a word what is a universal fact, the religious instinct of humanity. Everywhere, and through all times, man has felt, as by a sort of intuition, that earth was no Ultima Thule, with nothing beyond but oceans of vacancy and silence, but that it lay in the over-shadow of other worlds, between which and their own were subtle modes of correspondence. They felt themselves to be in the presence of Powers other and higher than human, who somehow influenced their destiny, whose favour they must win, and whose displeasure they must avert. And so Paganism reared her altars, almost numberless, dedicating them even to the “Unknown God,” lest some anonymous deity should be grieved at being omitted from the enumeration. The prevalence of false religions in the world, the garrulous babble of mythology, does but voice the religious instinct of man; it is but another Tower of Babel, by which men hope to find and to scale the heavens which must be somewhere overhead.

In the Old Testament, however, we find the clearer revelation. What to the unaided eye of reason and of nature seemed but a wave of golden mist athwart the sky “a meeting of gentile lights without a name” now becomes a wide-reaching and shining realm, peopled with intelligences of divers ranks and orders; while in the centre of all is the city and the throne of the Invisible King, Jehovah, Lord of Sabaoth. In the breath of the new morning the gossamer threads Polytheism had been spinning through the night were swept away, and on the pillars of the New Jerusalem, that celestial city of which their own Salem was a far-off and broken type, they read the inscription, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord.” But while the Old Testament revealed the unity of the Godhead, it emphasized especially His sovereignty, the glories of His holiness, and the thunders of His power. He is the great Creator, arranging His universe, commanding evolutions and revolutions, and giving to each molecule of matter its secret affinities and repulsions. And again He is the Lawgiver, the great Judge, speaking out of the cloudy pillar and the windy tempest, dividing the firmaments of Right and Wrong, whose holiness hates sin with an infinite hatred, and whose justice, with sword of flame, pursues the wrong-doer like an unforgetting Nemesis. It is only natural, therefore, that with such conceptions of God, the heavens should appear distant and somewhat cold. The quiet that was upon the world was the hush of awe, of fear, rather than of love; for while the goodness of God was a familiar and favourite theme, and while the mercy of God, which “endureth for ever,” was the refrain, oft repeated, of their loftiest songs, the love of God was a height the Old Dispensation had not explored, and the Fatherhood of God, that new world of perpetual summer, lay all undiscovered, or but dimly apprehended through the mist. The Divine love and the Divine Fatherhood were truths which seemed to be held in reserve for the New Dispensation; and as the light needs the subtle and sympathetic ether before it can reach our outlying world, so the love and the Fatherhood of God are borne in upon us by Him who was Himself the Divine Son and the incarnation of the Divine love.

It is just here where the teaching of Jesus concerning prayer begins. He does not seek to explain its philosophy; He does not give hints as to any observance of time or place; but leaving these questions to adjust themselves, He seeks to bring heaven into closer touch with earth. And how can He do this so well as by revealing the Fatherhood of God? When the electric wire linked the New with the Old World the distances were annihilated, the thousand leagues of sea were as if they were not; and when Jesus threw across, between earth and heaven, that word “Father,” the wide distances vanished, and even the silences became vocal. In the Psalms, those loftiest utterances of devotion, Religion only once ventured to call God “Father;” and then, as if frightened at her own temerity, she lapses into silence, and never speaks the familiar word again. But how different the language of the Gospels! It is a name that Jesus is never weary of repeating, striking its music upwards of seventy times, as if by the frequent iteration He would lodge the heavenly word deep within the world’s heart. This is His first lesson in the science of prayer: He drills them on the Divine Fatherhood, setting them on that word, as it were, to practise the scales; for as he who has practised well the scales has acquired the key to all harmonies, so he who has learned well the “Father” has learned the secret of heaven, the sesame that opens all its doors and unlocks all its treasures.

“When ye pray,” said Jesus, replying to a disciple who sought instruction in the heavenly language, “say, Father,” thus giving us what was His own pass-word to the courts of heaven. It is as if He said, “If you would pray acceptably put yourself in the right position. Seek to realize, and then to claim, your true relationship. Do not look upon God as a distant and cold abstraction, or as some blind force; do not regard Him as being hostile to you or as careless about you. Else your prayer will be some wail of bitterness, a cry coming out of the dark, and losing itself in the dark again. But look upon God as your Father, your living, loving, heavenly Father; and then step up with a holy boldness into the child-place, and all heaven opens before you there.”

And not only does Jesus thus “show us the Father,” but He takes pains to show us that it is a real, and not some fictitious Fatherhood. He tells us that the word means far more in its heavenly than in its earthly use; that the earthly meaning, in fact, is but a shadow of the heavenly. For “if ye then,” He says, “being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” He thus sets us a problem in Divine proportion. He gives us the human fatherhood, with all it implies, as our known quantities, and from these He leaves us to work out the unknown quantity, which is the Divine ability and willingness to give good gifts to men; for the Holy Spirit includes in Himself all spiritual gifts. It is a problem, however, which our earthly figures cannot solve. The nearest that we can approach to the answer is that the Divine Fatherhood is the human fatherhood multiplied by that “how much more” a factor which gives us an infinite series.

Again, Jesus teaches that character is an important condition of prayer, and that in this realm heart is more than any art. Words alone do not constitute prayer, for they may be only like the bubbles of the children’s play, iridescent but hollow, never climbing the sky, but returning to the earth whence they came. And so when the scribes and Pharisees make “long prayers,” striking devotional attitudes, and putting on airs of sanctity, Jesus could not endure them. They were a weariness and abomination to Him; for He read their secret heart, and found it vain and proud. In His parable {Luk 18:11} He puts the genuine and the counterfeit prayer side by side, drawing the sharp contrast between them. He gives us that of the Pharisee, wordy, inflated, full of the self-eulogizing “I.” It is the prayerless prayer, that had no need, and which was simply an incense burned before the clayey image of himself. Then He gives us the few brief words of the publican, the cry of a broken heart, “God be merciful to me, a sinner,” a prayer which reached directly the highest heaven, and which came back freighted with the peace of God. “If I regard iniquity in my heart,” the Psalmist said, “the Lord will not hear me.” And it is true. If there be the least unforgiven sin within the soul we spread forth our hands, we make many prayers, in vain; we do but utter “wild, delirious cries” that Heaven will not hear, or at any rate regard. The first cry of true prayer is the cry for mercy, pardon; and until this is spoken, until we step up by faith into the child-position, we do but offer vain oblations. Nay, even in the regenerate heart, if there be a temporary lapse, and unholy tempers brood within, the lips of prayer become paralyzed at once, or they only stammer in incoherent speech. We may with filled hands compass the altar of God, but neither gifts nor prayers can be accepted if there be bitterness and jealousy within, or if our “brother has aught against” us. The wrong must be righted with our brother, or we cannot be right with God. How can we ask for forgiveness if we ourselves cannot forgive? How can we ask for mercy if we are hard and merciless, gripping the throat of each offender, as we demand the uttermost farthing? He who can pray for them who despitefully use him is in the way of the Divine commandment; he has climbed to the dome of the temple, where the whispers of prayer, and even its inarticulate aspirations, are heard in heaven. And so the connection is most close and constant between praying and living, and they pray most and best who at the same time “make their life a prayer.”

Again, Jesus maps out for us the realm of prayer, showing the wide areas it should cover. St. Luke gives us an abbreviated form of the prayer recorded by St. Matthew, and which we call the “Lord’s Prayer.” It is a disputed point, though not a material one, whether the two prayers are but varied renderings of one and the same utterance, or whether Jesus gave, on a later occasion, an epitomized form of the prayer He had prescribed before, though from the circumstantial evidence of St. Luke we incline to the latter view. The two forms, however, are identical in sub stance. It is scarcely likely that Jesus intended it to be a rigid formula, to which we should be slavishly bound; for the varied renderings of the two Evangelists show plainly that Heaven does not lay stress upon the ipsissima verba.

We must take it rather as a Divine model, laying down the lines on which our prayers should move. It is, in fact, a sort of prayer microcosm, giving a miniature reflection of the whole world of prayer, as a drop of dew will give a reflection of the encircling sky. It gives us what we may call the species of prayer, whose genera branch off into infinite varieties; nor can we readily conceive of any petition, however particular or private, whose root-stem is not found in the few but comprehensive words of the Lord’s Prayer. It covers every want of man, just as it befits every place and time.

Running through the prayer are two marked divisions, the one general, the other particular and personal; and in the Divine order, contrary to our human wont, the general stands first, and the personal second. Our prayers often move in narrow circles, like the homing birds coming back to this “centered self” of ours, and sometimes we forget to give them the wider sweeps over a redeemed humanity. But Jesus says, “When ye pray, say, Father, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come.” It is a temporary erasure of self, as the soul of the worshipper is absorbed in God. In its nearness to the throne it forgets for awhile its own little needs; its low-flying thoughts are caught up into the higher currents of the Divine thought and purpose, moving outwards with them. And this is the first petition, that the name of God may be hallowed throughout the world; that is, that men’s conceptions of the Deity may become just and holy, until earth gives back in echo the Trisagion of the seraphim. The second petition is a continuation of the first; for just in proportion as men’s conceptions of God are corrected and hallowed will the kingdom of God be set up on earth. The first petition, like that of the Psalmist, is for the sending out of “Thy light and Thy truth;” the second is that humanity may be led to the “holy hill,” praising God upon the harp, and finding in God their “exceeding joy.” To find God as the Father-King is to step up within the kingdom.

The prayer now descends into the lower plane of personal wants, covering (1) our physical, and (2) our spiritual needs. The former are met with one petition, “Give us day by day our daily bread,” a sentence confessedly obscure, and which has given rise to much dispute. Some interpret it in a spiritual sense alone, since, as they say, any other interpretation would break in upon the uniformity of the prayer, whose other terms are all spiritual. But if, as we have suggested, the whole prayer must be regarded as an epitome of prayer in general, then it must include some where our physical needs, or a large and important domain of our life is left uncovered. As to the meaning of the singular adjective we need not say much. That it can scarcely mean “tomorrows” bread is evident from the warning Jesus gives against “taking thought” for the morrow, and we must not allow the prayer to traverse the command. The most natural and likely interpretation is that which the heart of mankind has always given it, as our “daily” bread, or bread sufficient for the day. Jesus thus selects, what is the most common of our physical wants, the bread which comes to us in such purely natural, matter-of-course ways, as the specimen need of our physical life. But when He thus lifts up this common, ever-recurring mercy into the region of prayer He puts a halo of Divineness about it, and by including this He teaches us that there is no want of even our physical life which is excluded from the realm of prayer. If we are invited to speak with God concerning our daily bread, then certainly we need not be silent as to aught else.

Our spiritual needs are included in the two petitions, “And forgive us our sins; for we ourselves also forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And bring us not into temptation.” The parenthesis does not imply that all debts should be remitted, for payment of these is enjoined as one of the duties of life. The indebtedness spoken of is rather the New Testament indebtedness, the failure of duty or courtesy, the omission of some “ought” of life or some injury or offence. It is that human forgiveness, the opposite of resentment, which grows up under the shadow of the Divine forgiveness. The former of these petitions, then, is for the forgiveness of all past sin, while the latter is for deliverance from present sinning; for when we pray , “Bring us not into temptation,” it is a prayer that we may not be tempted “above that we are able,” which, amplified, means that in all our temptations we may be victorious, “kept by the power of God.”

Such, then, is the wide realm of prayer, as indicated by Jesus. He assures us that there is no department of our being, no circumstance of our life, which does not lie within its range; that

“The whole round world is every way Bound with gold chains about the feet of God,”

and that on these golden chains, as on a harp, the touch of prayer may wake sweet music, far-off or near alike. And how much we miss through restraining prayer, reserving it for special occasions, or for the greater crises of life! But if we would only loop up with heaven each successive hour, if we would only run the thread of prayer through the common events and the common tasks, we should find the whole day and the whole life swinging on a higher, calmer level. The common task would cease to be common, and the earthly would be less earthly, if we only threw a bit of heaven upon it, or we opened it out to heaven. If in everything we could but make our requests known unto God that is, if prayer became the habitual act of life we should find that heaven was no longer the land “afar off,” but that it was close upon us, with all its proffered ministries.

Again, Jesus teaches the importance of earnestness and importunity in prayer. He sketches the picture for it is scarcely a parable of the man whose hospitality is claimed, late at night, by a passing friend, but who has no provision made for the emergency. He goes over to another friend, and rousing him up at midnight, he asks for the loan of three loaves. And with what result? Does the man answer from within, “Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee”? No, that would be an impossible answer; for “though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth” {Luk 11:8}. It is the unreasonableness, or at any rate the untimeliness of the request Jesus seems to emphasize. The man himself is thoughtless, improvident in his household management. He disturbs his neighbour, waking up his whole family at midnight for such a trivial matter as the loan of three loaves. But he gains his request, not, either, on the ground of friendship, but through sheer audacity, impudence; for such is the meaning of the word, rather than importunity. The lesson is easily learned, for the suppressed comparison would be, “If man, being evil, will put himself out of the way to serve a friend, even at this untimely hour, filling up by his thoughtfulness his friend’s lack of thought, how much more will the heavenly Father give to His child such things as are needful?”

We have the same lesson taught in the parable of the Unjust Judge {Luk 18:1}, that “men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Here, however, the characters are reversed. The suppliant is a poor and a wronged widow, while the person addressed is a hard, selfish, godless man, who boasts of his atheism. She asks, not for a favour, but for her rights that she may have due protection from some extortionate adversary, who somehow has got her in his power; for justice rather than vengeance is her demand. But “he would not for awhile,” and all her cries for pity and for help beat upon that callous heart only as the surf upon a rocky shore, to be thrown back upon itself. But after wards he said within himself, “Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest she wear me out by her continual coming.” And so he is moved to take her part against her adversary, not for any motive of compassion or sense of justice, but through mere selfishness, that he may escape the annoyance of her frequent visits lest her continual coming “worry” me, as the colloquial expression might be rendered. Here the comparison, or contrast rather, is expressed, at any rate in part. It is, “If an unjust and abandoned judge grants a just petition at last, out of base motives, when it is often urged, to a defenseless person for whom he cares nothing, how much more shall a just and merciful God hear the cry and avenge the cause of those whom He loves?”* (*Farrar.)

It is a resolute persistence in prayer the parable urges, the continued asking, and seeking, and knocking that Jesus both commended and commanded {Luk 11:9}, and which has the promise of such certain answers, and not the tantalizing mockeries of stones for bread, or scorpions for fish. Some blessings lie near at hand; we have only to ask, and we receive – receive even while we ask. But other blessings lie farther off, and they can only be ours by a continuance in prayer, by a persistent importunity. Not that our heavenly Father needs any wearying into mercy; but the blessing may not be ripe, or we ourselves may not be fully prepared to receive it. A blessing for which we are unprepared would only be an untimely blessing, and like a December swallow, it would soon die, without nest or brood. And sometimes the long delay is but a test of faith, whetting and sharpening the desire, until our very life seems to depend upon the granting of our prayer. So long as our prayers are among the “maybes” and “mights” there are fears and doubts alternating with our hope and faith. But when the desires are intensified, and our prayers rise into the “must-be’s,” then the answers are near at hand; for that “must be” is the soul’s Mahanaim, where the angels meet us, and God Himself says “I will.” Delays in our prayers are by no means denials; they are often but the lengthened summer for the ripening of our blessings, making them larger and more sweet.

And now we have only to consider, which we must do briefly, the practice of Jesus, the place of prayer in His own life; and we shall find that in every point it coincides exactly with His teaching. To us of the clouded vision heaven is sometimes a hope more than a reality. It is an unseen goal, luring us across the wilderness, and which one of these days we may possess; but it is not to us as the wide-reaching, encircling sky, throwing its sunshine into each day, and lighting up our nights with its thousand lamps. To Jesus, heaven was more and nearer than it is to us. He had left it behind; and yet He had not left it, for He speaks of Himself, the Son of man, as being now in heaven. And so He was. His feet were upon earth, at home amid its dust; but His heart, His truer life, were all above. And how constant His correspondence, or rather communion, with heaven! At first sight it appears strange to us that Jesus should need the sustenance of prayer, or that He could even adopt its language. But when He became the Son of man He voluntarily assumed the needs of humanity; He “emptied Himself,” as the Apostle expresses a great mystery, as if for the time divesting Himself of all Divine prerogatives, choosing to live as man amongst men. And so Jesus prayed. He was wont, even as we are, to refresh a wasted strength by draughts from the celestial springs; and as Antaeus, in his wresting, recovered himself as he touched the ground, so we find Jesus, in the great crises of His life, falling back upon Heaven.

St. Luke, in his narrative of the Baptism, inserts one fact the other Synoptists omit that Jesus was in the act of prayer when the heavens were opened, and the Holy Ghost descended, in the semblance of a dove, upon Him. It is as if the opened heavens, the descending dove, and the audible voice were but the answer to His prayer. And why not? Standing on the threshold of His mission, would He not naturally ask that a double portion of the Spirit might be His that Heaven might put its manifest seal upon that mission, if not for the confirmation of His own faith, yet for that of His fore runner? At any rate, the fact is plain that it was while He was in the act of prayer that He received that second and higher baptism, even the baptism of the Spirit.

A second epoch in that Divine life was when Jesus formally instituted the Apostleship, calling and initiating the Twelve into the closer brotherhood. It was, so to speak, the appointment of a regency, who should exercise authority and rule in the new kingdom, sitting, as Jesus figuratively expresses it {Luk 22:30}, “on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” It is easy to see what tremendous issues were involved in this appointment; for were these foundation-stones untrue, warped by jealousies and vain ambitions, the whole superstructure would have been weakened, thrown out of the square. And so before the selection is made, a selection demanding such insight and foresight, such a balancing of complementary gifts, Jesus devotes the whole night to prayer, seeking the solitude of the mountain-height, and in the early dawn coming down, with the dews of night upon His garment and with the dews of heaven upon His soul, which, like crystals or lenses of light, made the invisible visible and the distant near.

A third crisis in that Divine life was at the Transfiguration, when the summit was reached, the border line between earth and heaven, where, amid celestial greetings and overshadowing clouds of glory, that sinless life would have had its natural transition into heaven. And here again we find the same coincidence of prayer. Both St. Mark and St. Luke state that the “high mountain” was climbed for the express purpose of communion with Heaven; they “went up into the mountain to pray.” It is only St. Luke, however, who states that it was “as He was praying” the fashion of His countenance was altered, thus making the vision an answer, or at least a corollary, to the prayer. He is at a point where two ways meet: the one passes into heaven at once, from that high level to which by a sinless life He has attained; the other path sweeps suddenly downward to a valley of agony, a cross of shame, a tomb of death; and after this wide detour the heavenly heights are reached again. Which path will He choose? If He takes the one He passes solitary into heaven; if He takes the other He brings with Him a redeemed humanity. And does not this give us, in a sort of echo, the burden of His prayer? He finds the shadow of the cross thrown over this heaven-lighted summit for when Moses and Elias appear they would not introduce a subject altogether new; they would in their conversation strike in with the theme with which His mind is already preoccupied, that is the decease He should accomplish at Jerusalem and as the chill of that shadow settles upon Him, causing the flesh to shrink and quiver for a while, would He not seek for the strength He needs? Would He not ask, as later, in the garden, that the cup might pass from Him; or if that should not be possible, that His will might not conflict with the Father’s will, even for a passing moment? At any rate we may suppose that the vision was, in some way, Heaven’s answer to His prayer, giving Him the solace and strengthening that He sought, as the Father’s voice attested His Sonship, and celestials came forth to salute the Well-beloved, and to hearten Him on towards His dark goal.

Just so was it when Jesus kept His fourth watch in Gethsemane. What Gethsemane was, and what its fearful agony meant, we shall consider in a later chapter. It is enough for our present purpose to see how Jesus consecrated that deep valley, as before He had consecrated the Transfiguration height, to prayer. Leaving the three outside the veil of the darkness, He passes into Gethsemane, as into another Holy of holies, there to offer up for His own and for Himself the sacrifice of prayer; while as our High Priest He sprinkles with His own blood, that blood of the ever lasting covenant, the sacred ground. And what prayer was that! how intensely fervent! That if it were possible the dread cup might pass from Him, but that either way the Father’s will might be done! And that prayer was the prelude to victory; for as the first Adam fell by the assertion of self, the clashing of his will with God s, the second Adam conquers by the total surrender of His will to the will of the Father. The agony was lost in the acquiescence.

But it was not alone in the great crises of His life that Jesus fell back upon Heaven. Prayer with Him was habitual, the fragrant atmosphere in which He lived, and moved, and spoke. His words glide as by a natural transition into its language, as a bird whose feet have lightly touched the ground suddenly takes to its wings; and again and again we find Him pausing in the weaving of His speech, to throw across the earthward warp the heavenward woof of prayer. It was a necessity of His life; and if the intrusive crowds allowed Him no time for its exercise, He was wont to elude them, to find upon the mountain or in the desert His prayer-chamber beneath the stars. And how frequently we read of His “looking up to heaven” amid the pauses of His daily task! stopping before He breaks the bread, and on the mirror of His upturned glance leading the thoughts and thanks of the multitude to the All-Father, who giveth to all His creatures their meat in due season; or pausing as He works some impromptu miracle, before speaking the omnipotent “Ephphatha,” that on His upward look He may signal to the skies! And what a light is turned upon His life and His relation to His disciples by a simple incident that occurs on the night of the betrayal! Reading the sign of the times, in His forecast of the dark tomorrow, He sees the terrible strain that will be put upon Peter’s faith, and which He likens to a Satanic sifting. With prescient eye He sees the temporary collapse; how, in the fierce heat of the trial, the “rock” will be thrown into a state of flux; so weak and pliant, it will be all rippled by agitation and unrest, or driven back at the mere breath of a servant-girl. He says mournfully, “Simon, Simon, behold. Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not” {Luk 22:31}. So completely does Jesus identify Himself with His own, making their separate needs His care (for this doubtless was no solitary case); but just as the High Priest carried on his breastplate the twelve tribal names, thus bringing all Israel within the light of Urim and Thummim, so Jesus carries within His heart both the name and the need of each separate disciple, asking for them in prayer what, perhaps, they have failed to ask for themselves. Nor are the prayers of Jesus limited by any such narrow circle; they compassed the world, lighting up all horizons; and even upon the cross, amid the jeers and laughter of the crowd, He forgets His own agonies, as with parched lips He prays for His murderers, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

Thus, more than any son of man, did Jesus “pray without ceasing,” “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” making request unto God. Shall we not copy His bright example? shall we not, too, live, labour, and endure, as “seeing Him who is invisible”? He who lives a life of prayer will never question its reality. He who sees God in everything, and everything in God, will turn his life into a south land, with upper and nether springs of blessing in ceaseless flow; for the life that lies full heavenward lies in perpetual summer, in the eternal noon.

Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary