Confession of St. Peter
He had a way of giving his cronnies nick names. You knew that he liked you if he had his own pet name for you, if he took some piece of your personality and enhanced it with a name. Just so the first time Jesus saw Simon Bar Jonah he said, in Greek "Cephas" the Rock, Rocky. It fit, Simon was like that, a little dense but sturdy. Not easily changed or moved but dependable. And when he got something, when it finally sunk in , well then there was cause for celebration.
The answer had not come easily--there had been a lot of preparation before Rocky wa in condition to embrace his destiny.
Jesus said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the son of the living God."
Peter the Rock took a long time to get to the point where he could say "You are the messiah, the son of the living God. We are all too familiar with the times when he sincerely believed, sincerely committed himself and then lost it in a pinch. There were times when his faith faltered...
"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." Jesus said, "Come". So Peter got out of the boat, started walking toward jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out "Lord, save me!"
There were times when he couldn't grasp the size the extent the intensity of what jesus was trying to get through to him...
"Lord if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but I tell you, seventy seven times."
There were times when his rage got the best of him...
So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons...Again Jesus asked them, "Who are you looking for?" and they said Jesus of Nazareth" Jesus answered I am he. Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priests slave and cut off his ear.
There were times when self preservation was more important to him than the love and commitment he had for his lord and savior.
Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, "You are not also one of the disciples, are you?" He denied it and said "I am not." One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?" Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.
We don't know much about that do we, about faltering faith, misunderstanding, anger and self-preservation.? Not much. Maybe that's why we can relate so well to this rough and tumble Rocky because we've all been there and darned if we won't be there again.
The thing is, while we might write this guy off as an utter loser that's not what Jesus does.
From the first moment he sees Peter Jesus has a word for him
Follow me and I will make you fish for people.
And after his momentous confession of faith, jesus says,
"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
And even after Peter's devastating denial Jesus in a ressurection appearance by the sea of Galilee prevails upon this seemingly weak disciple
Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? He said to him, "Yes Lord you know that I love you, "Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs."
Just so in his inscrutable wisdom Jesus calls and commissions us. Imperfect, recalcitrant, weak, worrisome people. Sometimes, like Peter we're dense, intractable, stuck but Jesus tells us, follow me, feed my lambs and assures us that the gates of Hades will not prevail against us.
Maybe we're happy to leave Peter's story with Jesus' commission to him but that would be like ending our stories of ministry with a new red stole around our neck and the weight of all those hands on our head. For Peter this was just a beginning. There would be times of triumph like that stirring sermon on Pentecost
"So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added."
Peter would face the challenges of a po;itical and religious systew intent on quieting his message.
While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Saducess came to them much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day....
Peter would be hurt and disappointed by betrayals within, from thse he trusted.
But a man named Annanias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; with his wifes knowledge he kept back some of the proceeds and brought only a part and laid it at he apostles feet. Annanis, peter asked, why has Satan filled your heart.
There were triumphs
Meeting a man lame from birth at the Beautiful Gate "He took him by the right hand and raised him up and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up he began to walk..
There would be leadership changes, escapes, imprisonments, floggings
Peter's ministry was a mixed bag--as are all our ministries. Joys, hopes, sorrows regrets. Times of enthuisiasm when we feel like we've made a difference and times when we feel woefully inadequate. Peter is a good role model. Like our Rocky in the film he keeps working at it. He hangs in there. And ultimately he can say
Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God, whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the Glory and the power forever and ever.
Amen.