“Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat,  but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” And he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:31-34)

This discussion takes place during the final hours of Jesus’ earthly ministry. After 3 ½ years of public ministry, things rapidly fall apart for Jesus and his disciples. Within hours after this exchange, Jesus will be betrayed, arrested, condemned, and crucified. Jesus’ awareness of his immanent suffering does not prohibit him from showing great concern for his disciples. From a heart overflowing with love, he warns them of what is to come.

The Rage of Satan

He warns them of how the powers of evil will seek to use his impending crisis to undermine – and even destroy – their faith. “Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat.”

Whether it is Flip Wilson’s, “The devil made me do it,” or Dana Carvey’s Church Lady (“Could it be… Satan?”), we are well aware that a mere mention of the devil seems primitive in our contemporary culture – a throwback to the dark ages. Certainly, to give the devil too much attention is misguided, but at the same time, to completely ignore the reality of personal evil opposed to God’s purpose is also mistaken.

Jesus speaks of a personal agent of evil – Satan[1] – who intentionally thwarts God’s will and seeks to destroy human lives. This destructive bent is evidenced in Jesus’ warning that he seeks to “sift” the disciples “like wheat.” After harvest, farmers separated edible wheat from useless chaff by violently shaking the wheat in a sieve. By grasping the sieve with both hands and shaking it vigorously from side to side, the chaff (which surrounds the wheat germ) would rise to the surface and then be blown away.

The metaphor of wheat-sifting reveals the violence of the evil one’s attack. Jesus warns the disciples that they will be subjected to a severe trial that will shake them to the core. The ultimate purpose of the evil one’s attack is simple: the destruction of the disciple’s faith.

The Loving Concern of Jesus

Jesus’ concern stands in stark contrast to the rage of the evil one. In spite of his own worries, Jesus demonstrates tremendous love toward his disciples. This is evidenced most clearly in his concern for Peter. Jesus’ repetition of his name, “Simon, Simon,” reveals both the importance of the statement he is about to make and his deep concern on behalf of Peter’s welfare.[2]

Jesus loves Peter in spite of the fact that Peter is not an easy man to love. In truth, Peter is a walking contradiction. He is both stubborn and sinful, and yet, zealous and sincere. His pig-headedness is demonstrated in his self-confident boast immediately following Jesus’ warning, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!” Though his stubborn nature blinds him to Jesus’ warning, Peter does not speak from insincerity or hypocrisy. He does not lack zeal, but he does lack maturity. Paradoxically, it is his greatest strength – his passionate sincerity – that keeps him from heeding Christ’s warning.[3]

Jesus’ care is demonstrated in that he intercedes for his own. He says to Peter (and thus, to all the disciples), “I have prayed for you…”

With this in mind, it is enlightening to consider the following question: What exactly did Jesus pray for? Perhaps it would be good to highlight what Jesus did not pray for. Jesus did not pray…

• for God to take away Peter’s trial altogether.
• that God would keep Peter from being violently sifted.
• that Peter would handle his trial perfectly – without any flaw, imperfection, or mistake.
• that Peter would not fail.

Jesus did not pray for any of these things. Indeed, his pray request seems to indicate that he knew that Peter would fail!

What then did Jesus pray for? Jesus prayed that Peter would not lose his faith in spite of his failure! Satan’s purpose in the violent sifting is that Peter’s failure would be final – that it would lead to faithfulness. His evil intent is that Peter would fall – and not get back up! Jesus’ desire (evidenced by his prayer) is that Peter would hold onto his faith even in the face of his failure.

Like everything that Jesus does, this reveals God’s heart to us. God treats us in accordance with our weaknesses. His normal way of “growing us up” is not by increasing our guilt – making impossible demands with impossible expectations that we are guaranteed to always fall short of – but by constantly reminding us that he is for us, even in our sin and weakness.

Jesus knew that Peter was going to fail (evidenced by his statement, “but when you have turned back”) but his care and concern for Peter remained unchanged. He knows our weaknesses. He knows that we are but dust. And yet, his love remains unchanging! Amazing love!

The Failure of Peter

Tragically, Peter completely disregarded Christ’s warning. He listened, but did not hear: He listened to Jesus say the words, but he did not actually hear what Jesus was saying. Within a few hours, before dawn, Peter would publicly disown Jesus in order to save his hide. Peter’s sins of blasphemy, denial, betrayal, cowardice, and lying are forever recorded for us. He failed miserably and completely.

Why did he fall so hard and so fast? His greatest strength became his greatest weakness. His sincere zeal led to overconfidence, resulting in failure.

Peter is a loser – a complete failure, an absolute disgrace.

Thank God that Jesus is for losers!

Jesus knew that Peter would fail. With his warning, Jesus also provided an encouragement to Peter. Christ had a plan for Peter after his failure: “And you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

In the same way, God has a plan to use your failures for his glory. The evil one desires that our failures would result in the complete loss of faith. God desires that our failures would result in greater humility and renewed commitment to loving service toward others.

Spiritual pride is the greatest sin. Sometimes, failure is the only remedy against this insidious vice. It humbles us, puts us back in our place, and makes us more gracious to others. We cannot serve from a pedestal. Having been graced by God we are in a better position to show grace to others.

It is amazing to consider that Jesus is for losers. God is for failures and he uses them to spread grace and truth in the world. This is more astounding when we realize that God could use holy angels to spread his message, but instead, he is delighted to use sinful men and women to accomplish his holy purposes.

A Warning and a Prayer

The warning Jesus gave to Peter remains relevant for us. Indeed, Peter himself put the warning in his own words for the benefit of the church: “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Peter knew this from first-hand experience. He must have been reminded of Jesus’ words as he penned these. He calls us to be “be on the alert” – in a constant state of watchful attentiveness to the evil one’s attacks. If the disciples’ experience is any indication of the devil’s strategies, he uses crisis events as convenient opportunities to destroy our faith. Perhaps, it would be good for us to occasionally hear Jesus personally say to us, “Rich, Rich (or fill in your own name here), Satan has desired to sift you like wheat…”

Ultimately, however, our focus is not on Satan but on Christ. And we can take heart: just as Christ interceded for Peter, he also intercedes for us. Indeed, this is a major aspect of his continuing ministry toward us.

• Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)
• Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)
• Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? (Romans 8:33-35a)

People are often comforted when others are praying for them. How much more can we rest in peace when we know that Christ takes such a personal interest in us that he is constantly praying for our faith to prevail. Take heart: Christ prays for you!

Conclusion

God has a plan for our failures. What Satan meant to destroy was used by God to refine – not without failure, but through it.

This is the good news: grace is always greater than sin. Always!

Just think of what Peter – the miserable and complete failure – accomplished just a few short weeks after his betrayal. At Pentecost, he was used by God to convert three thousand people to Christianity. The lesson: God does not give up on people as easily as we do! The reason: Jesus is for losers!

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

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© Richard J. Vincent, 2006