Living Oracles
Find us on Facebook
  • Meditations
  • About
  • Audio
  • Contact

Peter: The Graduate by Grace

3/24/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Peter is typical of us all.  He was a slow learner in the understanding of the divine mind.  This impediment ran counter to the confidence that was seemingly his by nature.  There was a boldness and brashness about Peter.  He was not slow in coming forward either by speech or action.  Hesitancy was not his way.  He was a born leader decisive and opinionated with strong reliance upon his instant judgment.  These qualities brought him success in his career as a competent fisherman well able to seek out a profitable catch from the waters he could skillfully read, and negotiate an acceptable price for his effort.  Galilean fish would reach the best tables in the Roman Empire. 
 
Peter possessed an all-round expertise; a man of action with acuity in doing business.  It was no wonder that he demonstrated a strong sense of self-reliance.  He rated his views highly and yet we see that in his association with Jesus he became spiritually schooled in the virtue of humility.  It is the tendency of humanity to over-rate its mental ability.  Even in the exercise of great mental power it cannot discern the thought and intent of the divine mind.  It misreads the things of God.  The natural man is a non-starter in matters of the Lord’s way and his unsearchable purposes.  From many of his instinctive conclusions Peter had to back down and learn from his vulnerability to error.  We trace through the details of the New Testament Peter’s descent from hubris to humbleness.  It is a moving pilgrimage through stages of grace for the lovable apostle. 
 
Three incidents stand out from several that illustrate Peter’s education in dependence upon the Lord for understanding of the deep things of God.  A person must be born of the Spirit and taught by the Spirit in order to grasp spiritual realities.  When Jesus posed the question, “Who do you say I am?” to his disciples, Peter answered, “You are the Christ” (Mark 9:29).  Here in Mark’s Gospel we detect something of the developing modesty of Peter, for he is the informant behind Mark’s account of the ministry of Messiah.  Peter does not embellish the narrative, but Matthew adds detail to the story, both Peter’s confession and Jesus’ reply:  “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but my Father in heaven” (Matt 16:17ff).  Peter eliminates any tendency to pride in his standing before God.  It is alien to him suggest any tendency to boasting in divine enablement received.  Yet, when he is at fault a short while later, and rebuked by Jesus for issuing rebuke at him, Peter is willing to confess his presumptuous sinfulness, “Get behind me Satan!  You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (cf Matt 16:23).  
 
Such an address from the Lord Jesus would be witheringly radical and hurtful but Peter does not shy away from his shame.  He lapsed so quickly into contradicting Jesus’ exposition of his saving assignment.  He had no insight into his redemptive suffering, death, and rising again.  He thought as a mere mortal and had no comprehension of the divine method of human salvation.  Peter, accordingly, learned of the spiritual blindness of natural man even when he hears the very word of God (Matt 16:21-22).  Without grace our minds are helpless.  We are totally blind to the truth of the Gospel. 
 
But how Peter progressed in his understanding of the divine purpose of God realized in the Lord Jesus Christ.  At Pentecost there was full assent to the way of salvation:  “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.  But God raised him from the dead… ” (Acts 2:22-24).  Peter learned cautiousness with words but boldness in the Gospel.  
 
RJS 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

      Join the mailing list.

    Subscribe

    Picture
    ...more articles.

    Archives

    January 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010

    Categories

    All
    Adolescence
    Ambitions And Acquisitions
    Anglicanism
    Antinomianism
    Ascension
    Augustinianism
    Calvinism
    Celebrity
    Cheap Grace
    Christian Toy Store
    Companionship
    Confidence
    Conviction
    Death Of The Grown-up
    Desire
    Discrimination
    Electing Love
    Faith
    False Prophets
    Fellowship
    Grace
    Helplessness
    Ignorance And Inadequacy
    James Ussher
    Legalism
    Liturgy
    Longing
    Love
    Means Of Grace
    Mercy
    Moral Destitution
    Moralism
    Moses
    Pop-culture
    Prayer
    Predestination
    Pride
    Reliance
    Ritual
    Sacramentalism
    Samaritan
    Self Righteousness
    Sin And Temptation
    Social Justice
    Speech
    Thirty-Nine Articles
    Works

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.