GodReflection: A Brand-New Life And Have Everything To Live For.
What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! (1 Peter 1:3-4)
That’s quite a claim from a guy who was a Galilean fisherman. Peter gets top billing as the world’s greatest fisherman. Although he never goes after whales, I suspect he is up to the task.
My Grandpa was a fisherman. He was always ready to head to a river or a lake and to take me and my brother with him. I like everyone who likes to fish. I like Simon Peter.
We can easily identify with young Simon before Jesus gave him the nickname rock that stuck with him for the greater part of his life.
We get to watch Peter grow. The Gospels and Acts tell us more about Peter than any other Apostle. We see mistakes upon mistakes as he grows in trust, humility, and wisdom.
We relate to Simon in the times we speak or act before we think or before we have the facts. We like Peter because he is so much like us. I suspect that is the very reason we are told so much about him.
Like Simon we do not change overnight. Our conduct doesn’t become perfect on the first day we meet Jesus. Maturity that grows into trust and humility takes time. Simon made progress over his three years as Jesus’s apprentice. After the Lord’s resurrection Simon continues to mature.
His job description as Peter the rock begins when Luke records his famous first sermon during Pentecost when the Holy Spirit spreads among Jews and converts three thousand Jews to follow The Way of Jesus.
For Peter has joined with those who have A Brand-New Life And Have Everything To Live For.
But even Peter the rock still had some growth to do after that famous sermon. I think of the time in Acts 10 when prior to a meal he is hungry and sees a huge blanket descend from heaven three times. It was full of unclean animals and reptiles. Each time he hears a commanding voice to take them and begin his lunch.
As he continues to refuse, God tells him its time to grow. He is about to learn on a trip to the outsider Cornelius’s house that he must accept as brothers and sisters, non-Jewish Believers.
Sometime later Paul, another Jewish Apostle, will help Peter the rock, grow even more. Paul in his letter to the Galatian church describes this occasion.
Later, when Peter came to Antioch, I had a face-to-face confrontation with him because he was clearly out of line. Here’s the situation. Earlier, before certain persons had come from James, Peter regularly ate with the non-Jews.
But when that conservative group came from Jerusalem, he cautiously pulled back and put as much distance as he could manage between himself and his non-Jewish friends. That’s how fearful he was of the conservative Jewish clique that’s been pushing the old system of circumcision.
Unfortunately, the rest of the Jews in the Antioch church joined in that hypocrisy so that even Barnabas was swept along in the charade. But when I saw that they were not maintaining a steady, straight course according to the Message, I spoke up to Peter in front of them all:
“If you, a Jew, live like a non-Jew when you’re not being observed by the watchdogs from Jerusalem, what right do you have to require non-Jews to conform to Jewish customs just to make a favorable impression on your old Jerusalem buddies?” Galatians 2:11-14.
It’s been a long process. However, finally we see the aged Simon who in fact is Jesus’s firm and solid rock. Indeed, he has grown in trust, humility, and wisdom.
He is now Peter the Rock. With Jesus’s brother James, and John, his life-long friend from Bethsaida, the two apostles, side by side, with their master’s now believing brother, teach and lead the Jerusalem church.
He matures into the man who can pen the verses that open this post. For Peter, as a now older and learned disciple of Jesus can affirm to us more than ever that Jesus has given us the gift of A Brand-New Life And We Have Everything To Live For.
The pages of history tell the story of Peter’s death. After three decades of growth and leadership among the Apostles and the Church, the old apostle is martyred by the Roman Emperor Nero.
From Church tradition we learn of his request to be crucified upside-down out of humility, being unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus.
He has walked a long road since first called by Jesus, but as he followed The Way of Jesus, Growth took root in his life and Simon Peter Shows Trust, Humility, And Wisdom.
I pray that both you and I will grow more like Jesus as we too follow The Way.
Stay tuned.
Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection: Simon Peter Shows Trust, Humility, And Wisdom.
God Reflection 