The apostle Peter was an interesting man. In one sense, his fervency for Christ was legendary but, in another sense, as most of us can easily relate, he failed in very big ways. Peter was a dichotomy. While he possessed an incredible sense of purpose and conviction, he often lacked the faith necessary to deliver him in a manner consistent with his fervency.
Even the best of us, who may be well-intentioned, still fail miserably. May we find a certain kind of encouragement in knowing that our lack of faith isn’t unique.
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”
Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
– Matthew 26:30-35
Peter swore he’d never betray Jesus! Have you ever done the same? How’d that turn out for you? Was it like Peter’s experience shortly thereafter?
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed.
And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
– Matthew 26:69-75
Few things are more frustrating than that very moment after we’ve surrendered to sin and then must confess it to the One Person whom we wish to please the most. While repeat offenses are a hard pill to swallow, we must look to one another for encouragement, knowing that we’re all in this struggle together. The apostle Paul describes this dichotomous inner relationship that plagues us all.
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate… For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing… but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members…Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?…
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
– Romans 7:15, 19, 23-25
My friend, we ought to look to the apostles, who we may rightly argue are among the greatest of all of us in the faith. In one sense, Jesus chose each of them, personally, as pillars of the early Church, His very own Bride. He even called Peter His “little rock” (a chip off the old block) in Mattthew 16:18. In another sense, He often addressed them as, “O you of little faith” (e.g., Matthew 8:26).
We all fail. Even those who spent time with Jesus Christ in the flesh failed him miserably, and often. Let us not become so discouraged that we despair and give up. Never give up just because you have failed. Get up, dust yourself off, and press on. There’s always tomorrow.
If Jesus never gives up on us, then we shouldn’t either.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
– 2 Corinthians 4:7-11
Let us be inspired by the simple fact that the Lord, despite our known frailties, has given us the Gospel to spread. Failure is part of the game, my friend. Get used to it. While we ought never make excuses for it, we ought never throw in the towel, either!
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
– Hebrews 12:11-13
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins