For more than a year now there has been a clear message coming through in my life of Grace. It's been our Church slogan for as long as I have been there. “I once was lost but now am found - Amazing Grace”. We have been talking quite a lot about it in Church and in our men’s group as well and I think that’s great. We have a lot of very interesting discussions on a Friday morning at McDonalds. I wonder what the eavesdroppers think. If you had to pick a character from the Bible who you thought the Lord showed the most Grace too, who would that be? For me it is Peter. The Bible tells us quite a lot about Peter;
- From Bethsaida, Galilee (John 1). Spoke with local accent (Matthew 26)
- Commercial fisherman along with brother Andrew (Mark 1)
- Married, wife travelled with him (1 Corinthians 9). Son called Mark (1 Peter 5). Mother-in-law healed by Jesus (Mark 1)
- Known as one of the 3 closest disciples along with James and John who saw Moses, Elijah and transfiguration of Jesus on the Mountain (Mark 9)
- Witness to the crucifixion (1 Peter 5) and the resurrection (John 21)
- Had great faith and did miracles like Jesus including walking on water (Matthew 14), healing a lame man (Acts 3), raising a dead girl (Acts 9)
- Quite often rebuked by Jesus (e.g. Mark 8) and denied Jesus 3 times (Mark 14)
- Preached first sermon and 3000 converted! (Acts 2)
- Freed from prison by an angel (Acts 12)
- Had vision that led him to understand that the Gospel is for ALL not just Jews (Acts 10)
- Went to Rome (1 Peter 5) and died in Rome by being crucified upside down
You get the impression that when Peter first met Jesus he was a pretty tough sort of guy. Fishing for a living on Lake Galilee was a rewarding but very risky business. Big storms would often come up threatening the boat to sink. Tax collectors for the Roman invaders would come seeking a cut of the bounty. Saying no to them was a brave option. You had to be tough in a tough world. Peter wasn’t one to suffer fools or forgive easily. I’m sure you would hear a few curse words daily from his lips about the Romans.
One day Jesus came and called Peter to leave his nets and come follow him. I don’t know what was going through Peter’s mind. It’s not easy to give up the security of a successful job for the unknown. Was he tired of the hard working life he was living? The thought of doing something different must have been appealing to Peter.
After being with Jesus for a while, hearing the sermons and parables, seeing the miracles, living an adventurous life on the road, Peter began to soften a little. Watching Jesus began to have an effect on how he thought about things. Peter had heard the Sermon on the Mount and the part about forgiving others before God could forgive you. Peter thought about some of the wrong things he had done and he remembered one of his shifty relatives who still hadn’t paid him for a large quantity of fish that had been taken to market, more than once in fact.
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”. 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.”
Matthew 18:21-22
“Seventy times seven? Forget it!” We can all identify with Peter.
“Seventy times seven”. To the one receiving is Grace, to the one giving is Suffering. Grace and Suffering go hand in hand.
In the story of the Prodigal Son, the father showed a lot of Grace to the son throughout the story from the beginning to the end. If your son came and asked you for half his inheritance so he could go travel the world and gain a great life education, what would you say to him? Does the son think his father is a fool and doesn’t know what he’ll be spending the money on? In showing his son such Grace, the father had to endure a lot of Suffering;
- Having a foolish and ungrateful son
- Knowing his hard earned money would be spent foolishly by his son
- Never hearing from the son while he was away
- Knowing the risks his son would take, that he might never see him again
- Spending every day missing his son, gazing hopefully out the window for his return
It seems to me that suffering is greater if it is because of someone you love that you are suffering.
Peter was one of Jesus three closest friends along with James and John. Jesus had given all three the greatest of experiences of standing on the mountain when Moses and Elijah appeared and seeing Jesus transfigured into his heavenly form. That was like something from out of a science fiction movie, an out of this world experience. Of all the things that Peter witnessed as a disciple, I’d say that was the greatest because it was the most personal, the most amazing of privileges. Like standing in the Heavenly Palace with all the light, glory and wonder and you are there because you are invited.
After such an experience as that, and many other great experiences, how did Peter come to fail Jesus so badly? That was the sorrow that ripped at Peter’s heart when he ran away crying from the courtyard where he had denied he even knew his friend. Peter saw the sadness and pain in his Jesus’ face as he walked by on his way to judgement alone.
Peter thought he was a tough guy, the one guy who Jesus could count on but he failed the Lord big time when it mattered. Have you ever had a close friend or relative who let you down when you were counting on them? Probably all of us can think of someone. Possibly we can also recall when we have let down someone we love.
Peter is the disciple to whom I think Jesus showed the most Grace but had to endure the most Suffering.
After Jesus had been resurrected we can read how he met the disciples cooking them breakfast on the shores of Galilee. John 21 should be read in the light of Peter and the disciple’s failure. If your friends had deserted you when you needed them most, hurt you, would you go looking for friends like that, let alone cooking and serving them a meal? It took a lot for Jesus to forgive Peter, but you wouldn’t really know it from the pleasant scene described, if you didn’t know the history.
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others?” That sounds to me like Jesus is unsure that Peter loves him because he’s back to calling him “Simon”, like they’ve only just met. That’s what happens when a relationship breaks down. It’s awkward.
“Yes” Peter replied, “You know I’m your friend”
“Then feed my lambs” Jesus told him. Show me you care. Jesus repeated the question; “Simon, son of John, do you really love me?” I’m not convinced. You really let me down bro’.
“Yes, Lord”, Peter said, “You know I am your friend”. It’s great that you’re here now. Can’t we just forget what's happened and go back to how it was?
“Then take care of my sheep”, Jesus said insistently. Once more he asked him “Simon, son of John, are you even my friend?” You see I’m not really sure you are my friend anymore. There’s Jesus expressing his doubts over exactly how much of a friend Peter is.
That one hurt Lord. I know I’m a weak and rotten sinner but you know I really love you “Lord, you know my heart, you know I am” he said.
Jesus said “Then feed my little sheep. When you were young, you were able to do as you liked and go wherever you wanted to; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and others will direct you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know what kind of death he would die to glorify God. Then Jesus told him “Follow me”. Peter, let’s be friends again but I won’t pretend it’s going to be easy for you. Because following me means you’re going to suffer like I have. You’re also going to learn that Grace and Suffering go together.
About thirty years later Peter is now an old man writing a letter from Rome to the Jewish Christians scattered throughout the world. He is a changed man who has had an amazing life, so different from the life he had been living as a small town commercial fisherman. His influence is across the world in a day when travel was difficult and dangerous and there was no media to help instantly spread the message. He has obeyed Jesus and gone into the world and preached the Gospel even in Rome, the most dangerous place to live. The Emperor Nero is killing Christians, burning them, throwing them to the lions. Peter writes to tell believers everywhere to obey the Government, honour the Emperor! Peter is full of Grace towards even the Romans he had once hated, a fisher of men just as Christ had foretold.
Last week I spoke to the Community Dinner Gathering about what it takes to transform an acorn into a great oak tree and I think that Peter is an example of that type of transformation. Born Again! From a small, insignificant acorn to a remarkable great oak tree – a strong shelter for the birds and animals that might live in it.
In every one of the five chapters of 1 Peter, Suffering is mentioned as part of the way things are for Christians in this world. There is no doubt that there is a lot of suffering in the world and that everyone suffers in some way whether they are a Christian or not. I don’t want to attempt to explain the reason why there is general suffering for mankind because I know I couldn’t give you a satisfactory answer. I also don’t want to try and answer the question of why random bad things happen to good people. I think about the tragedy of the Elim students and teacher killed at Mangatepopo Gorge and I don’t think I can offer the right words.
Peter is talking about Suffering like Christ, Suffering for doing right and sometimes in our human failings Suffering for doing wrong. So let’s limit it to those types because God has made some great promises to Christians who suffer for those reasons, yes even to those who suffer for doing wrong!
Probably the least popular promise Jesus made, the one we don’t hear too often these days is in Matthew 5:11-12 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
So let’s look at what Peter says about suffering in his first letter. I picked out only the statements around Suffering, each contains a promise;
1. Chapter 1 talks about the reward for Suffering v 6-7. Earlier in the chapter Peter mentions how trials come to test our faith, but the promise is that these fiery trials refine us and bring us praise and honour on the day of Christ’s return. The trials Peter is talking about are ones that come because of our Christian faith described by Jesus in Matthew 5 because the world and the devil are against Christ.
2. Chapter 2 talks about Christ’s example v 21-23. It takes unusual strength to remain silent under fire. Be strong! The promise is that the Father will judge justly. Earlier in the chapter Peter describes how the One rejected was made the Cornerstone of the Church. We also are living building stones for God’s use in building his house. The Suffering makes us strong like stones, like Christ. What an honour!
3. Chapter 3 distinguishes between suffering for doing right and wrong v 13-18. Here Peter encourages us to quietly trust ourselves to Christ because the promise is God knows our innocence and will reward us (v14). Later in the Chapter, Peter reminds us that Christ is now given the highest honour in Heaven next to the Father and all the angels and powers of Heaven bow down and obeys him. The implication from other scripture is that the one who overcomes will also reign with Christ.
4. Chapter 4 can help us if we’re suffering for doing wrong. It’s funny, Peter says in v 15 “Don’t let me hear of your suffering for murdering or stealing or making trouble or being a busybody and prying into other people’s affairs” What kind of a rogue Church was Peter in charge of? I’ll tell you. A Church that consisted of people who had accepted God’s Grace in their lives. After the way Peter failed the Lord, I’m sure he had learned Grace to all kinds of people despite their failings. Verse 1 tells us 1 “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.” The promise is that when we suffer, sin loses its power. Remember Peter is talking about the believer who sins. The Christian who suffers because they have sinned will realise they need to change and will seek God through their suffering. The non-believer might pray but in their heart they are only praying that their suffering will end!
5. Chapter 5 tells us who is behind our Suffering in this world v8-10. The promise is that the devil cannot keep attacking you for very long. The devils time is short and in due course we are restored and strengthened. So don’t think that your troubles will never end. Only the devil wants you to think that!
Every person needs hope ahead of them to keep going through personal failure or hard times. Peter had that amazing experience of standing on the mountain with Jesus, Moses and Elijah. I like to look at that picture of Mt. Cook, it reminds me of the Mountain of God to which I’m travelling to. It’s not an easy journey to the top of a mountain but it’ll be worth it once I get there.
That’s the message Peter was trying to pass on. Grace and Suffering are close friends.
- Whether you are suffering for doing right or for doing wrong, Keep going.
- If you have to forgive your brother or sister seventy times seven. Keep going.
- Your eternal life is waiting for you up ahead. Keep going!
Now may the Grace of the Lord Christ Jesus and the love of the Father above and the presence and power of the Spirit of God be with us forevermore!
