Come Follow Me: The book of Peter

One can only imagine that Peter's life must have been terrible. First, he's known primarily for denying Christ. Then, he becomes prophet and leader of a church that is temporarily growing, but terribly persecuted. He knows that the converts he brings in, and that all other converts, will be persecuted, many to death. One can only imagine what kind of persecutions those may be, but it's not just words like it is now. Back then, the most evil and despicable physical punishments were fair game. And the government not only allowed it, but participated in it.

He was persecuted that way as well. He knew because Christ had told him that one day he would be carried away against his will and killed brutally. He knew that everything he was trying to build would fail, and that the cause he was dedicating his life for would be taken away by evil men, and used by those same men to cause evil. He could easily have given up, knowing that no matter how hard he worked, no much how much abuse he suffered for the cause, it would all be erased, eliminated, and taken over by the power of the adversary.

I can't imagine how life could be harder.

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He would die, his followers would die. The Savior of the world, the Creator of the world, whose words he was responsible for spreading, who he had known so personally, must have come to his mind in every moment. How would He see Peter in the afterlife, knowing that the word had died on Peter's watch? And Peter denied him too? Was there any hope?

But Peter knew there was hope. His life wasn't one of despair. Instead, he knew Peace. In Peter 3:14 "..If ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are he: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled".

I can see his followers thinking that it's easy to say that when it's not your children who are taken from you and butchered in front of your eyes. The thing is, Peter shared in the terror. We don't know what kind of terror until he was butchered, but certainly he was intensely acquainted with the terror around him.

James 2:20 "For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, who shall take it patiently? But if when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God."

Dang. So we're supposed to expect, as followers of Jesus Christ, to not only not be protected from the results of our faults, but not protected by Christ when we didn't do anything wrong? What is the point if Christ won't help you?

The point is that Christ may or may not cause or allow physical issues to occur. He may allow trials of whatever sort, but the physical is not his first priority. I believe it's about our spirits, our souls, our real meaning. I believe that if he can cause or allow us to go through something that may enhance our wisdom, our knowledge, our empathy, or our inner strength, then that's a win. That's His work and His glory.

Peter knew that. He wasn't filled with despair at all. He had all the reason in the world to feel despair, but he chose something else.

1 Peter 5:6 "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; 7 Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you...10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen...14 Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus".

Here is a man who knows the peace of Christ. He had learned that what happens outside of you cannot affect your inner peace, unless you let that turmoil in. This is something I'm working on: I understand it but am working hard to make it real for me: Inner peace is personally owned and personally kept. Outside factors are just that: they are outside, and must not be let inside.

May we all gather the peace of Christ that Peter knew. May we let our circumstances make us greater. May we know the Prince of Peace as he did.