31 “Simon, Simon, look! Satan has asserted the right to sift you all like wheat. 32 However, I have prayed for you that your faith won’t fail. When you have returned, strengthen your brothers and sisters.”
33 Peter responded, “Lord, I’m ready to go with you, both to prison and to death!”
34 Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster won’t crow today before you have denied three times that you know me.”
Reflection
Peter boasted in Luke 22:31-34 that he would follow Jesus, both to prison and to death. He eventually was correct, but before Luke 22 was finished Peter had denied Jesus three times.
So, my question is, “When is failure failure?” Or maybe it’s better said, “When is failure final?
I originally understood that Jesus was talking only to Peter, but a footnote in the NIV shows that Jesus was saying that Satan wanted to sift all the Apostles, not just Peter, when Jesus said, “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.”
The footnote shows “you” was plural.
I’ve always thought this was only about Peter. After all, Jesus prefaced His remarks saying, “Simon, Simon.” But let’s get back to Peter’s failure in denying Jesus.
Peter told Jesus, Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
I believe Peter absolutely meant it. He was the one who yielded a sword when Judas came to the garden and kissed Jesus as a signal.
But Peter’s aim wasn’t very good, and he cut off the servant’s ear. Who knows what he was aiming at?
But the point was, Peter was ready to defend Jesus. It must have hurt him when Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
Once again, it was only Peter and John who followed Jesus when he was taken to the high priest’s house.
But, when questioned by the servant girl Peter did deny Jesus, and two more times after that.
As he was denying Jesus the third time, the rooster crowed. And Jesus turned and looked straight into Peter’s eyes.
The Bible tells us that Peter went outside and wept bitterly.
I also believe Peter felt that Jesus couldn’t or wouldn’t forgive him for denying Jesus. In the 21st chapter of John, Peter decided it was time to go fishing again. I don’t think he expected Jesus to use him.
But in the 15th verse Jesus reinstates Peter, asking Peter if he loved Jesus more than “these.”
I’m not certain but maybe Jesus was talking about the fishing nets.
Three times Jesus asked Peter a variation of that question.
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” Peter said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
And for a third time Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep, after telling him to first feed His sheep and to take care of His sheep.
And then in verse 19 Jesus told Peter “Follow Me!”
Those two words told Peter that Jesus wasn’t finished with him.
That his failure wasn’t failure.
That his failure wasn’t final.
The only way Peter could have failed is if he did what Judas did. Judas hung himself. I wonder what would have happened if Judas asked Jesus to forgive him.
When is failure failure? When is failure final?
When we don’t wait upon Jesus.
But Peter did wait. He relied upon the Lord, and his grace and he went on to preach the first Gospel sermon in Acts 2.
His failure wasn’t final. And our failure doesn’t have to be final for us.
Trust in the Lord. And upon his grace.
by Rick Reed
For Pondering and Prayer
When you fail, what do you do? Do you just give up and say something like, “I knew I’d fail. Why do I even try?” But, as with Peter our failure doesn’t need to be final. We need to look to Jesus and trust in him, and his grace.
Prayer: Dear Lord, Once more I ask you to remember the graciousness of Jesus and his grace. Why do I constantly forget this? Jesus is full of grace, for me and for you. I hope one day I will remember this. Amen.