Jesus looked at a
promising young man and said, "You are blessed,
Simon son of John… Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock, I
will build my church, and all the power of hell will not conquer it…"
(Read Matthew 16:16-19, NLT). Simon meant "Reed" (as in a plant that
sways when any force pushes it) while Peter meant "stone" or
"rock" (Jesus is "the Rock", Peter is a small rock, stone).
Surely Jesus must have seen something special in Peter because his record shows
that he was rather a reckless guy – hardly the kind of person you would declare
to be a leader or pioneer of everything you were doing.
Peter was presumptuous
when he trying to keep Jesus from going to Jerusalem because he was afraid,
denying even knowing Jesus when He was captured by the Romans soldiers (this
was his ultimate failure), and cutting off the Romans guard's ear with a sword
after Jesus had preached love and forgiveness to him for about 3 years!
I think Jesus had to
believe in His disciples and He was committed to change them. Their backgrounds
were not glorious and they did not grasp what He was saying most of the time.
They were constantly arguing over who is the greatest among them and they
(once) dozed off and forgot Him when He needed them the most. Yet, these were
the people He chose to be His apostles not just disciples and He believes the
best in each of them – even when there was evidence to the contrary! He
continues to give them great-Kingdom responsibilities and ultimately they were
able to do it by His power and grace (except, Judas Iscariot).
It was because of His
inner knowledge that allowed Jesus to give
His disciples authority. He freely shared with them His longings, His
Divine purpose, and even His humanity. If He did not believe in them, He would
not have called them brothers [and sisters]. He would not have taken them
whenever He goes and tells them about the things of God and the Kingdom of
Heaven. You see, people tend to rise to
the occasion when they have someone who truly believes in them. Perhaps we just
need someone to show us who we really are inside. Perhaps that is what we are
all so desperately searching for – someone who believes in us and to
acknowledge the potential that we each sense about ourselves but are hesitant
to show.
Peter went on to preach
the Good News of Jesus Christ to the formerly shunned Gentiles (see Acts
11:1-18). No other preacher or prophet (although Jonah preached to the
Gentiles, he didn't bring Good News) had been called to go to the "unclean" Gentiles before with such
Good News. According to church history, Peter eventually was crucified for his
good work of preaching Christ and the Cross. In deference to Jesus, his Lord,
it is said that he asked to be crucified upside down. This request came from a
man whom everyone but Jesus called "Reed." Peter no more easily sway
in his faith like a reed, his faith was firm and immovable like a rock!
To have someone we admire
believe in us can help set our God-given greatness free. It certainly worked
for Peter. Jesus believed in him and all of His disciples.
How can you show those who work with you that you
believe in them?
THINK BIG.
START SMALL. GO DEEP.
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