Monday, April 15, 2019

Simon Peter's Ordination

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s witness and followed Jesus.  The first thing he did after finding where Jesus lived was find his own brother, Simon, telling him, “We’ve found the Messiah” (that is, “Christ”).  He immediately led him to Jesus. Jesus took one look up and said, “You’re John’s son, Simon?  From now on your name is Cephas” (or Peter, which means “Rock”).  John 1:40-42(MSG)

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.  But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail.  So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”  Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”  But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”  Luke 22:31-34

If ever there was a portrait of a conflicted man it is Simon Peter.  The fact that we know this man by two names owes to Jesus renaming the Apostle.  But the struggle was Peter’s, not the name.  From the Gospel accounts, and even the epistles we find Peter’s epic war with his own nature.  He had an intense desire to follow and serve Jesus, but, like all of us, he had his baser instincts that caused him to shrink-back from the very Lord he loved. 
Peter could boast one evening that, if need be, he’d die for and with Jesus; before the rooster crowed in the morning, we hear him cursing that he doesn’t even know the carpenter.  Peter would embrace serving one day and fall to cowardice the next day.  He was impetuous and often wrong.  But when he was right, people just had to step out of the way, because the power of God worked in his life like the crashing of waters over the Niagara Falls.
His parents named him Simon…a good Jewish name.  Jesus nicknamed him Cephas, or Rocky, in connection with how Simon would answer Jesus’ direct question to the disciples; Jesus asked them who do YOU say I am?  Simon Peter is the one who got an A+ on this test; he said:  You’re Messiah, the son of the living God.  You’re the One we’ve all been waiting for.
Here we have a man who could be so spiritually-connected and holy, living in the same body with a fearful, survival-minded weasel shamefully avoiding the possibility of being known as a disciple of Jesus…will the real Peter…or Simon please stand up?  The fact is BOTH are Simon Peter, the conflicted, but consecrated servant of God.  And when Peter stands up, we stand with him…because we ARE him.  Each of us has Peter inside…a human nature, willing to rebel and deny Christ…and a spiritual image of the Living God, stamped on our souls, calling us to look and live higher.  We ARE Simon-Peter!
In Luke’s Gospel text for this morning there are just six sentences.  In that is the germ of Peter’s ordination, his call and sending into the ministry.  At first Jesus calls him by the human name his parents gave him, Simon.  Jesus tells him his human nature will be under assault by the evil one, Satan.  Then Jesus gives him assurance that he’s being prayed for in heaven, and Simon’s call is to repent of his own sins, and then strengthen all the other conflicted servants.  He is called to be the leader of the band. 
But then, by the sixth sentence Jesus reminds him that even Peter – the rock – will be subject to abject failure.  Peter is not going to be the infallible “pope” – he’s going to continue the struggle with that old man inside who is fearful sometimes, and wonderfully-powerful at other times.  He will be Simon-Peter.
For You Today
All who have called upon the glorious name of Jesus Christ in humble faith have a new nature birthed in them by the presence of God’s Holy Spirit living within; they’re just like, and no-different from, Simon Peter.  It never means the old nature has been taken away; it does mean we’ve been given the tools to fight the good fight and win over that old nature. 
Today’s simple question is…are you still fighting the good fight?
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[ii] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The New Living Translation©

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