Its easy to do the right thing when other believers are watching. Peter was told by Jesus that he would betray him, not once, but three times. Of course, Peter’s love for Jesus and dedication to him were so strong in his mind, he could assert he would sooner die with Jesus than disown him. In his mind, Peter knew what he wanted to do. But then the trouble came.
Peter saw Jesus being seized in the garden, arrested, and led away. In an instant, he saw everything that he believed and followed being taken away.
Peter tried to fight for Jesus by drawing his sword and cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant, but it was the wrong thing to do and Jesus rebuked him for it. His attempts to change what was already ordained to happen ended up failing. Peter, a man of strong faith, had his faith tried and he came up lacking. When he went away from his master and was on his own, Peter failed the test.
Do we pass the test?
It’s easy for us to have strong faith when we’re in the presence of our Master. When we’re at meeting or we’re praying, it’s not that hard to say the right things and have a strong faith.
What about when we aren’t at meeting or praying? What about the times when saying that we know Jesus would bring us shame in the eyes of others or disgrace before our peers? Would our convictions be as strong if our opposition had swords and staves? How many of us at one time or another, just like Peter, have not acknowledged the one person who has cleansed us from our sins and reconciled us to the Creator of the universe?
Peter knew that his accusers probably weren’t looking to be converted when they asked about Jesus. He also knew admitting that he was associated with Jesus would cause his accusers to think less of him. Peter was in the same situation many of us face each day.
Peter failed this test; he denied his Lord. Once he realized what he had done, he wept bitterly about it.
Putting faith into action
We all have our moments of trial and temptation when we feel we are no longer in the presence of the Lord. This is when we are at our weakest. In these circumstances we realize we are given this example out of Peter’s life to help us in our trials.
Peter was with Jesus throughout his entire ministry, three and a half years. He told Jesus that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God. He said that he would not leave Jesus because without him, he would have nowhere to go. Peter knew all of this in his head. Yet when it came down to putting his faith into action, he couldn’t do it. Not yet.
Spiritually, he was too weak and too worried about what other people would do to him or say about him. He didn’t realize what Jesus realized; the only reason people have power is because the Father has given it to them.
Jesus is always with us
So, in our moments of trial and temptation, what do we have to worry about? Are we worried what other people may say about us? Or are we worried about doing the right thing for the One who is always with us and will never leave us or forsake us, even when we deny him three times? Peter wept bitterly after he realized what he had done. Do we feel the same emotional letdown after we have denied our Savior?
There came a point in Peter’s life, after he had gone through many more trials, when he would not deny Christ, and it led to his death. Peter was crucified for his belief in the risen Christ Jesus, who was made immortal and ascended to the right hand of God, and is waiting to come back to earth in like manner in which he left. Are we willing to confess that we belong to Christ, even if it leads to our persecution or even our death? Or are we still spiritually immature, knowing all the answers in our head but not knowing how to put them into action?
Peter got it right because, no matter how many mistakes he made, he still stuck with God and let God work in his life. Peter humbled himself and, because of this, God was able to work with him.
We need to realize what Peter did that night when he let down his Master. Jesus knows that we’ll fail him somewhere down the line. It’s a sobering thought. But he knows. And he still wants us. He wants us to keep trying. We have to try our hardest and things will get better. We’ll get better at following Jesus. Jesus will work with us and help us. He’ll carry our yoke with us if we help to carry his yoke. Yet the only way that he can do that is if we walk with him, side by side.
He’ll be there to lift us up. We are the ones who need to humble ourselves for the walk.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One