messy heart.

Many of us have heard the story of when Peter denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed on the morning nearing Christ’s crucifixion. However, as I was reading this morning in Luke, I read something about that event that I’d never seen before. 

Jesus forewarns Peter (also called Simon) that he was going to deny Jesus, and Peter says, ‘oh no, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.’ But… Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32.

In here we have a direct reference by Jesus to an element of theology that many Christians ignore, or have never been taught about. Spiritual Warfare. In the notes written by the publishers of the Bible that I have, it states that there are at least 2 places in Scripture that say that Satan has to approach the throne of God to try to ‘win’ the right to torment people. The most famous case is the life of Job. Satan made a bet with God that he could get Job to renounce God. God said that no matter what Satan did to Job, Job wouldn’t renounce his faith. The result is that Satan tried his hardest to destroy Job and it didn’t work. Job ended up getting to have a real encounter with God in his weakest moments, and his faith came out worlds stronger on the other side of his misery. Not to mention, he has been an example of faith for hundreds of generations. 

Now, back to the original text about Peter. Here Satan wants to attack and undermine the ministry of Jesus on earth, so, having already won Judas, he sets his sights on Peter, who later becomes the leader of the first Church. We see very important details in these two brief verses. 1) Satan has to beg. My Bible notes put it in encouraging words. “Satan can only go to the end of his leash.” While we can’t overpower him by ourselves, God is INFINITELY more powerful than Satan. And God always will be. Because He is God. 2) Jesus specifically says, “but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” Here we have Jesus interceding for us to the Father, specifically bringing Peter’s faith to God and 3) recognizing that Peter is indeed going to mess up. He says, “WHEN you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” He immediately sets up a reality check for Peter, who, a few verses earlier, was engaged in an argument with the other disciples about who was the greatest. He says “WHEN you have turned again” then use your mistakes to strengthen those who will struggle and fall after you. Which leads me to 4) God’s amazing tendency of taking something bad and making it good. Peter’s pride in his ability to follow Jesus was becoming an idol, and in completely disgracing himself and his King by denying him in a moment of great importance, Peter’s world comes crashing down and he realizes just who and what he is. A sinful man in need of a Savior. In need of change. However, Jesus acknowledges not only that Peter will sin, but also that there will be forgiveness afterwards. Again, “when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” When you have received forgiveness, Peter, help your friends. Help my followers. Help them avoid the entanglements of sin, but also to point them to my healing if they do sin, because you know the balm of my Love. The turning point of Peter’s faith could arguably be the realizations that occurred to him with the forgiveness of this denial. Before this incident, he was getting used to the fame of walking around with Jesus. Peter was prideful and cowardly and while he spent all of his time with Jesus, he didn’t look much like him. However, after Christ’s death and resurrection, Peter became “the rock” that Jesus built His church upon. Peter was on a mission. He had seen the Truth and He would never be the same. While it is never the right choice to sin, Jesus will ALWAYS use what Satan thinks is a victory for evil as a victory for Good.

Here in these two little verses is a microscopic portrayal of the Gospel. Jesus is sovereign, Satan will stop at nothing to destroy us, Jesus intercedes for us, Jesus knows we need Him, and he offers forgiveness and an escape from ourselves and urges us to spread the knowledge of Him everywhere. How cool is it that Jesus can do that with two sentences.

A verse to leave you with, because it’s one of my favorites, is 2 Corinthians 2:14. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.”