November 13

There are certain people in each of our lives that, for whatever reason, we find it difficult to question or confront. Perhaps, it’s because of the position they possess at work, or the important role they play on our athletic team, or the office they hold in government, etc. Or, maybe it’s their age and we respect the obvious wisdom they have gained through the years. Maybe it’s a combination of both of these reasons and more.
When one thinks of the apostle Peter, our minds picture a spiritual giant. Hadn’t Jesus placed the initial leadership for the church in Peter (Matthew 16:16-19)? Wasn’t Peter one of three privileged to be in the Master’s Inner Circle (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 5:37-43; Mark 14:32-42)? It was Peter who was often the spokesman for the rest of Jesus’ disciples (Mark 14:27-31; John 6:66-69) before Jesus died. And it was Peter who was often the spokesman for the rest of Jesus’ disciples after Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 2:14-40; 3:4-26; 4:8-12). Only Peter had the guts to walk on water (Matthew 14:25-29). Only Peter acted to defend Jesus when the soldiers came to arrest him (John 18:10&11). And when the resurrected Jesus appeared on the beach while his disciples were out in a boat fishing, it was Peter who jumped into the water and swam to see his Lord (John 21:7&8).
But, sin has a way of deceiving even the most mature and respected of Jesus’ followers. Peter was the first to understand that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was God’s gift to ALL people, including the Gentiles (Acts 10). It was Peter who said, “It’s God own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from - - if you want God and are ready to do as He says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel - - that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again - - well, he’s doing it everywhere, among everyone” (Acts 10:34-36; The Message).
And yet, even the great Peter could be influenced by what other people thought of him. When he was in a room with Gentiles, he was great friends with them, but when Jews entered the room, Peter kept his distance from his Gentile friends (Galatians 2:11-13). Are there times when maybe we have also been like Peter? Times when we skip praying for our meal in public when we are with unbelievers? Times when we run into church friends and fail to acknowledge these church friends to our secular friends (John 12:42&43)? We all need a Paul in our lives, someone bold enough to keep us accountable and remind us what things are really important (Galatians 2:14-16). At other times, we may need to be a Paul to our Christian friends who still have maturing to do in their lives.