Tuesday: A Flawed Fisherman’s Calling
In the New Testament, Peter stands out as one of the most influential of all the disciples. In fact, he ended up being one of the most influential people in all of human history. Talk about changing the ordinary
into the extraordinary!
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
Read the following texts. How do they help us to understand how Peter had been so radically changed, despite tremendous faults?
Luke 5:1-11. What did Peter say here which showed that He was open to His need of Jesus? Why is this trait so crucial to cultivate in our own lives?
Matthew 16:13-17. What do these verses tell us about Peter and openness to the Holy Spirit?
Matthew 26:75. What do we see here also that gives us insight into Peter and how God was able to use him?
Jesus, no doubt, spent a great deal of time with Peter, and Peter had many powerful experiences with Him. Though only an ordinary fisherman with plenty of faults, through his time with Jesus, Peter was radically converted-even after making some grievous errors, including denying Jesus three times, just as Jesus told him he would.
Though many points emerge from the story of Peter, the moment he first caught a glimpse of who Jesus was, he was aware of his own faults and admitted them. Hence, through patience and forbearance, Jesus was able to turn Peter’s flawed character into someone who helped to change history.
Why must we be so careful about making judgments about those whom we might not deem savable
? Why is that so easy to do?
(26)
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Recognition of ones state of sin helps us to come close to our savior... readly and knowingly that we need him and this is what peter did,He knew that in his state he was unworthy of the LORD's presence.BUT PRAISE The LORD FOR HE is full of mercy despite that he still called him.and He is the one to cleanse us of all unrighteousness
we can se peter knew his fault and in other hand saw the mighty power and holyness jesus had.he degrade himself but and was quit to repent.at last he learned more about christ,let,s not gurdge others according to their deeds.
why did Jesus chose a flawed man? was that fair?
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Jesus while on earth is divinely human and divinely God, he can read one's heart he can see the beauty the ugliness and the propensities a person possessed. Every one whether flawed or upright has value in his sight. Perhaps Jesus saw that Peter though flawed can be zealot and can be a hard worker to spread the gospel of salvation that heaven is offering to the world just like how God see the heart of Paul. We all can be a vessel but to be a good vessel it would depend upon how much we can endure under pressure, apparently as Peter allowed Jesus to work on him, he became the goodly vessel transformed from being flawed to somewhat like a porcelain. That transformation often takes some amount of time.
He chose a flawed man because it gives me hope that I too can be called. Many are called but few are chosen. It is the christian experience and our walk with Him here that will help us to continue walking with Him in heaven. Thanks to God for his infinite Grace that he calls us; though how ordinary we may be, he calls us to an extraordinary existence for his Glory!
Judgement without love leads to condemnation. The physical appearance is a representative of what the heart knows. Trusting in God for vegance is medicine to forgive and ask for forgiveness. Power is not in money, true power is the unity and faith of the church of Christ. Therefore we ought to discipline others according to scripture.
As I review Peter’s life one thing seems to stand out and that is that Peter’s “conversion” was a matter of direction rather than from gruff fisherman to darling little saint. After he accepted Jesus and became a disciple he still had a lot of serious problems.
It wasn’t just his denial during the trial of Jesus (Jn 18:25-27) either but also at Antioch many years later where essentially the same thing happened (Gal 2:11-12). We also find him outspoken in spite of his weaknesses years after the ascension (Acts 15:7) in spite of the fact that his faults were indelibly fixed in his mind (Jn 21:15-17). He even became violent in the garden of Gethsemane (Jn 18:10) when he should have known better, something for which Jesus voiced a strong rebuke. Matter of fact we can look at any of the saints in Bible and find the same thing happening. Paul was very impatient and unkind concerning John Mark (Acts 15:37-40) long after his “conversion” for which I think he had regrets later on when he saw the value of that young man (2 Tim 4:11).
Even Elijah had problems after years of service as arguably one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament when he ran from the threats of one woman (1 Kings 19:2-3). It is because of events like this that James makes a valuable point concerning him, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours” (James 5:17 NKJV). Because of all of this I think we make a terrible mistake in our understanding what “conversion” entails. Quite often some time after baptism we tend to coldly condemn the mistakes we make ourselves or those of others when we feel things should be much better. We are all on a journey and it is not an easy one – I know that fact from my own life. We will stumble and fall many times and will realize in the end that we still have a very long way to go (Phil 3:12).
Sir, how do we define conversion? Can we consider the disciples converted when they followed Jesus though the change in their lives came only after He left? Or change should always accompany conversion?
Merwin, you raise a very good question. How do we define conversion? We routinely speak of Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus but was that the point of his real conversion? Some would say no for what they think are good reasons.
According to Friberg Analytical Greek Lexicon conversion means, "literally turning toward, turning about; figuratively in the NT change of one's beliefs (possibly ); change in one's way of life (possibly )" (on the Greek word epistrophe, 11072 ἐπιστροφή, ῆς, ἡ). The question of course is at what point that actually happens. I would like to suggest the point at which the Gospel becomes real to a person. That point could be before or after baptism. What I mean by that is that not everyone in the church is a real Christian although they were baptized and may appear to be one outwardly. Also there is a question on this issue concerning how some church members choose to be saved.
I asked that question Sir because I was looking for this group of "poor" multitudes who kept following Jesus wherever He goes but nowhere to be found when He was about to be crucified. Where were they? Why was the shout heard was "Crucify Him!"? Maybe this group was just fans of Jesus.
We say that poor people are easier to reach or probably easier to convert. I agree with that because that is our experience. BUT as ones who belong to the poor, can we stand before "BIG" people to defend Jesus when the time comes?
Thank you, Tyler for reminding us, that life is a journey and that sanctification is a journey of a life time. We become so impatient with the process failing to understand that Jesus is the "finisher and author of our faith.... ".
I am learning to be careful... for I am indeed a flawed fisherman, for twenty years I withdrew from church fellowship and a personal relationship with Jesus. I am thankful the during that time there were those who did not give up praying for my salvation. I praise God for his long suffering and that His mercies are new every morning. Lam 3:21-24 Peter's life is testimony to what God can perform in our own life, if we allow one teachable moment go expand into many others. Praise God!
To think about it in Christ era many are waiting for the promised Messiah. The Messiah has been heralded by the non Israelite (the Magi) and the lowly Shepherds, 30 years before Christ started His Ministry. Then John the Baptist cried in the wilderness proclaiming that the promised Messiah has come, so some people are conscious that anytime soon the Messiah will appear and they (Israel or Jewish nation) had been expecting Him.
So when Jesus came to Simon James and John and they saw the miracle that Jesus can do, being able to draw many fish at any given time, they recognized that Jesus has power and that this could be the Messiah they are waiting for. Still in the disciples mind, they are expecting someone who has power to establish a kingdom that the Jews has been waiting for. The one who will establish a kingdom that Malachi foretold at chapter 3 in the book of Malachi. So even if they left and forsake everything they possessed they are looking forward into something.
Being disciple of a Messiah is an honor for them yet they did not fully understood in the beginning the type of kingdom Jesus is trying to establish. They don't know yet the nature of his ministry, but their faith and being available when called propel them into greatness. Christ qualify them, God have seen their ability, flaws, their hearts and propensities and worked with their weaknesses.
St Peters, St Pauls, St Marys, St Johns, St James, St Stephens, St Matthews, St Marks, St Lukes: what images flashed through your mind as you worked though that list. Most likely the grand churches and cathedrals of this world. And where did we get these names from? Fishermen, murderer, a maiden, tax collector, physician. And these names are still in vogue for our children. How many parents call their son Nero? Not too many. God says ”I will make a woman/ man more precious than gold. And He does. St. Bernards? Well, that is still works in progress.
Is it then safe to say that the disciples followed Christ because they had their eyes on the great prize, i.e the promised kingdom, more than the interest of spreading God's word? Did they follow Christ out of awe and admiration rather than love? Or was it that kind of love that seeks to benefit? If so, how does this apply to modern Christians? Is such christianity sincere?