Life is nuts… am I right? My goodness.
I mean… big picture, the world is nuts and then in my little world, it has felt like the storms have been relentless. People I love are hurting, they’re sick, they’re dealing with their stuff, and I feel pretty darn helpless. So… I find myself going back to my homeboy Peter. I know, I know… who’s Peter. Well, I’m talking about none other than the Apostle (capital “A”) Peter. Of all of Jesus’s followers he just has always resonated with me. He was passionate, and didn’t always think before he spoke, and he was a bit impetuous. But, because of his flaws which are revealed in the books of Matthew, Luke, Mark and John. I see the amazingly undeniable transformative work of the Sprit in his life.
Peter, cut off a person’s ear, he denied even knowing Jesus 3 times, he was always strapped, and he couldn’t even stay awake when Jesus asked him to. Right? But God… the work of the Spirit would later cause Peter to write:
“Do not repay evil for evil…” “… even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed” and “…be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly since love covers a multitude of sins.”
All of these are from 1 Peter… if you haven’t checked that out in a minute, I invite you to. Any whoo…
The scene in Matthew 14:22-33 has been one of the most impactful stories I’ve ever encountered in the Bible because it has been (metaphorically) me on so many occasions. I’ll explain. We find our weary disciples getting into a boat and heading off while Jesus stays back and prays. By the time Jesus is done praying the boat is pretty far away and getting beat up by the stormy waters, so Jesus does what any deity would do, and starts walking on water. When He gets close enough to the boat the disciples all freak out because they think He’s a ghost and Jesus is all like, chill guys, it’s me. Then, my guy Peter… our eager beaver… says, hey, if you tell me to go out there with you, I will. So Jesus is like, ok, dale (Miami for, come on then). And there goes Peter. An invitation from his Savior prompts him to immediately get out of the boat (to respond) and join Jesus on the surface of the stormy waters. But then… Peter does what we all tend to do (or at least I do) in times of a storm, he took his eyes off of Jesus. And not only does this guy start to sink he thinks he’s going to drown.
I feel like that. I have felt like that. I see this crazy storm, and this immense required step of faith that I need to take, and when I’ve immediately taken that step there have been instances where only because I took my eyes off of Christ, I then felt as if I had made a horrible mistake.
Have you ever been a Peter?
Have you ever been the version of Peter from Mark 14: 27-31? That’s when Jesus tells Peter what’s up about him going to betray Him and Peter is all like… no way, my allegiance is till the death. Do you think when Peter was adamant about his loyalty, that he even thought for a split second that Jesus was right? Heck no! Didn’t he at that moment think Jesus to be wrong? To be fallible?
Have you ever been the version of Peter from John 18: 10? That’s when he feels so compelled to fight for the Savior of the world that he cuts some guy ear off. {It sometimes takes effort for me to cut a steak… how pissed was Peter that he was able to so quickly do that? Or … he used a katana.. maybe.} Didn’t he, at that moment display, that he thought of Jesus to be so weak of a Savior that He couldn’t even defend Himself had He chosen to?
Peter’s life as told through scripture and then his words in 1st and 2nd Peter are pretty cool when seen through the spectacles of sanctification.
I’ve been the Peter who looses their temper, who doesn’t take Christ at His word, who has lost sight of Jesus and felt like I was drowning in the issues of this world… I’ve been all of that. Walking with Christ and still struggling to see HIM. Have you?
Read 1 Peter again… because that perspective is the potential we all have when we allow the Spirit to lead. When we finally just put ourselves on a shelf, and allow the Holy Spirit to manifest love, and joy, and peace, and patience, and kindness, and goodness, and faithfulness, and gentleness, and self-control.
Jesus invites us all to get out of the boat and face the storms… but the Holy Spirit is what keeps our eyes on Him.
Go out and, 1st Peter the crap out of people!