Sift

Luke 22:24-38

In the thirty-odd years that I've been involved in ministry, I've had the opportunity to talk candidly with people from many different backgrounds. One of the things that seems to be a common thread among a lot of the people I've talked with is that, at some point in their lives, they crossed a moral line they thought they would never cross. They never thought that they would steal from their parents, cheat on their spouse, turn to prostitution or face addictions. I could easily make a longer list of moral failings, especially since once a person crosses one "non-negotiable" line, it becomes that much easier to cross the next. Their stories are often heartbreaking; when you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, none of them say drug addicts, prostitutes, or thieves. I think there are a lot of us out there carrying the burden of lines we crossed; I know I have mine.

This week's scripture takes place during The Last Supper, and shortly after they've taken the wine and bread, Jesus makes a startling revelation. He tells Peter that Satan has demanded the opportunity to "sift" them like wheat. He then tells Peter that he has specifically prayed for him so that his faith would not fail. Jesus goes on to tell him that after he repents, it will be up to him to strengthen and encourage the other disciples. Peter, self-confident as always, assures Jesus that his faith is so strong that he will never desert him even if he's threatened with imprisonment or death! Jesus shares the heartbreaking revelation to Peter that even before the sun clears the horizon the next morning, he will have denied three times that he even knows who Jesus is.

Peter loved Jesus deeply, and he believed to his very core that Jesus was the Messiah. He would never betray one who was his best friend and his Lord! For Peter, that was a non-negotiable line that he would never cross. Until he did. For Peter, it was easy to swear undying loyalty because he'd never had his faith really tested; in other words, he had never been "sifted." Sifting involves breaking something apart to remove impurities or to make a substance usable. Jesus knew that Peter's faith was based on his own self-reliance when what he really needed was to be Christ-reliant. The truth is that any of us, under the right circumstances, can cross lines that we would never have thought possible if we rely on our own strength. However, Jesus does something amazing: he prays for Peter's faith to stay strong. This helps Peter to seek repentance in the face of his failure, which then allows him to be used by God to encourage other believers! Through Christ, our greatest failures can be redeemed and used to glorify God and grow the Kingdom. Praise be to God.

Praying for you in the sifting,

Mike