Scripture Passage
“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.” (Luke 22:31-32 NLT)
Observation
I’m thinking a thought first suggested to me by Jonathan Gainsbrugh several months ago. The scene is the Last Supper…Judas has just acknowledged his role in Jesus’ betrayal…and it’s interesting what Jesus says here. His words indicate that He was fully aware of an impending failure on Peter’s part—an outright and persistent denial of his relationship with Jesus—but Jesus’ words do not express rejection or rebuke of Peter, only the Shepherd’s care for Peter.
Peter was (as I am sometimes) a big talker—always ready to announce in advance what he was going to do for God. Here, Jesus plainly told Peter that “before the rooster crowed twice”, he (Peter) would deny Christ Jesus three times. But Peter insisted that such was not the case. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you." (Mark 14:31 NLT). (I should acknowledge that “all the others vowed the same.”)
The point is, Jesus was quite aware of Peter’s shortcomings…quite aware that Peter wasn’t (and never would be) perfect. Yet He prayed for Peter all the same—and prayed not so much that Peter would “please grow up and quit being such a loser”…not that that Peter would never fail…but “that [Peter’s] faith should not fail.” (Luke 22:32 NLT)
Jesus seems to have a much greater concern with faith than with perfection—a much greater concern for a heart that knows and trusts God’s love than for some legalistic standard of “Christian behavior.” I’m quite confident Christ is concerned with our behavior—otherwise why would He even address Peter’s looming denial? But Jesus’ focus was on Peter’s faith.
Perhaps mine should be, too. Perhaps a heart rich in faith can ultimately produce fruit that a heart set on perfectionist behavior never can.
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