Simon Peter: The most unlikely of saints

Simon Peter, formerly known as Peter, was as impulsive, overzealous and as doubtful as any man could ever be. Throughout his discipleship, the former fisherman fails over and over again but he never gives up in his commitment to his master. Peter first meets Jesus through his brother Andrew, a fellow fisherman. If Peter had heard of another preacher whose life had ended tragically (John the Baptist) he was probably thinking, here is another one whose life will end in tears. But when Jesus asks to use Peter’s boat the latter agrees.

And afterwards probably to thank the fisherman for his largesse, Jesus instructs Peter to cast his nets. Remember, Peter  was a considerably experienced fisherman, he had spent the night on the lake with his crew and had come out with nothing, so, this carpenter turned itinerant preacher telling him to cast his nets again must have been galling at best; but in true Peter style he decides to give it a try. And low and behold! The gamble pays off and they come up with a catch of a lifetime. 

Inner  circle of Jesus
And on impulse, he chooses to abandon everything and follow the Nazarene and his band of misfits. I do not want to speculate but I am inclined to believe that Peter’s decision was motivated by the catch.  He probably thought that if they got similar catches more often, he would be able to retire and leave the sea life  sooner than he ever thought. He realises that what  Jesus knows has the potential to enrich his life but not the way his life turned out.  

However, when Jesus saw him, the Bible says He said, “Your name is Simon, son of John, but you will be called Peter (which means ‘rock’).” (John 1:35-42). Peter does not just follow Jesus but he also becomes one of His inner circle of disciples. 

As Jesus predicted, Simon Peter would not be able to stay who he was. He changed although it was not an easy journey.  From then on, Peter becomes the one to watch throughout Jesus’ ministry because where there was action, there he would be in the thick of it. His eagerness to try out things gets him out of the boat and onto the lake when the disciples spot Jesus walking on water, which ends disastrously and a prompts castigating from the master. 

Church rock
When Jesus asks his disciples who people think he is, Peter like a teacher’s pet who did his homework, answers, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). But Jesus knowing Peter through and through tells him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 

And indeed Jesus is right, because when He tells his disciples that soon he would suffer and die at the hands of the teachers of the law, Peter is quick to reprove him. To which Jesus replies, “Get behind me Satan.”  What a contradiction Peter was that he could both be used by the Holy Spirit and the devil at the same time. When the mother of John and James almost causes a mutiny among the disciples by asking for favours for her sons in Jesus’ kingdom, Peter joins the fray reminding Jesus of all the things he had sacrificed for him implying that he too, expects a sizable stake in the new kingdom.

His overzealousness continues until the last supper when he refuses Jesus from washing his feet and later drawing a sword and cutting off a centurion’s ear, trying to defend his master. Throughout all this, Jesus is patient with him and tries to constantly seize these teachable moments to put Peter on the right track. Peter’s faults reach a crescendo when as Jesus predicts he denies knowing Him. How could such an inconsistent person become a “rock” in the foundation of Jesus’ early church? 

Impact on history
Shortly after Jesus’ crucifixion we find Peter at the sea where he spent the night on the sea and caught nothing again. What this shows is an eager student who never lives up to his potential. But , the master never loses faith in Him and He commissions the most volatile of his disciples with the greatest responsibility of tending his flock.

It is much later after the day of Pentecost that we begin to see the man Jesus knew was within Peter all along emerge. On that day in Jerusalem, thousands became believers through his message. Simon Peter’s impact on the history of Christianity is unfathomable; not only in the early church, but within our own lives as well through his example and the letters he wrote that became part of our scriptures. From weak and impulsive he becomes a leader with a clear understanding of his mission determined to fulfill it. And so Peter more than any other disciple demonstrates Jesus’ love for the church. 

We may not understand God’s plans and how He intends to accomplish His work within us but if we are willing to avail ourselves as Peter did He will never abandon us.  He is willing to overlook our human weaknesses and use us the way we are until we are perfect for the kingdom. Peter shows us that trials and temptations will come into every Christian’s life regardless of how close we might be to Jesus. Even when doubts assail us, Jesus still deems us worthy of His time and love. So let the weak say I am strong, because God’s work in us is not accomplished by our own power but by His spirit and He seeks not those who are righteous but even those at their weakest point in love.

Quick notes 

Peter encourages other Christians, to not be fazed by their challenges but to believe in the transformative power of God.  In 2 Peter 1:3-8 he wrote, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”