0827. Peter

Peter

"So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs" (Joh_21:15).

We find in the Gospels that Peter passed through the same experiences which marked the lives of the others. There was a time when he was self-centered and proud. There was a time when he relied upon the arm of his own strength. There came a time when Peter was laid low in the dust. He went down into the depths until his soul broke within him, Then the Lord restored Peter and made him the mighty Apostle of Pentecost. Let us briefly follow his story.

1. Peter's pride. It appears that from the very beginning Peter was possessed with a spirit of self-reliance, and accordingly moved about with a certain pride of accomplishment. To be sure he was nothing but a fisherman, but he was a fisherman to whom the Lord had spoken, a fisherman exalted to a position of honor and of trust, a fisherman who was a comrade of the Lord.

There is much about Peter's self-daring, his dogmatic thrusts and his impetuosity that men naturally admire. The Lord knew, however, that Peter must needs be sifted as wheat. He needed to reach the plain of humility, that God might better trust him with the gift of power.

Peter's pride is climaxed in the upper room. The Lord had said, "All ye shall be offended because of Me this night." Then the Lord quoted an Old Testament passage, "I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered."

These words were more than Peter could bear, and he promptly said, "Though all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended." Christ looked at Peter and said, "Verily, I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice."

Peter could not bear such words, and he spoke more vehemently, "Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee."

It seems to us that Peter exalted himself above the other disciples. He seemed to say: "Lord, I do not know so much about Thomas or Bartholomew or Thaddaeus or Simon Zelotes or John or James or the rest of them, but Lord, You can depend upon me. The others may offend Thee, I will not."

2. Peter's humiliation. It was not long until Peter, along with James and John, fell asleep in the Garden. How pathetically did Christ say unto Peter, "Simon, sleepest thou? Couldest not thou watch one hour?" Of course, Simon Peter's flesh was weak, but he should have remembered this when he so proudly boasted his fidelity.

A little later, being rebuked for cutting off an ear from the servant of the high priest, Peter followed afar off, and it was not long until he was denying his Lord before a maid. Then he cursed and swore and said, with an oath, "I know not the man." During three days Peter dwelt in the valley of despair. First, he saw the look from the Master's face, and he went out and wept bitterly. Next, he stole near to the foot of the Cross and watched his Master die. There the Lord gave sweet assurance to John, and a word of comfort to Mary. There the Lord assured the thief of entrance into Paradise; He spake in behalf of the multitude who crucified Him. However, in all the sayings at the Cross, there was not a word for Peter. His shame and his remorse greatly humbled him.

3. Peter's exaltation. It was not long after the resurrection that Christ said, "Go, tell My disciples and Peter." Then came the scene upon the shore of Galilee where Christ said to Peter, "Lovest thou Me more than these?" All of Peter's pride was gone, and he said, "Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee." Peter, however, did not say that he loved Him more than the others. Then Christ lifted Peter to a higher plane than that from which he had fallen. Peter became mighty in his preaching, as the Book of Acts proclaims, and, at last, Peter greatly glorified the Lord in the manner of his death. How true it is that those who exalt themselves shall be abased, and those who humble themselves shall be exalted.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR