Devotionals

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Matthew 16:17-19
17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
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We now know him as Peter, but that was not always his name. He began life as Simon, a fisherman, a son of Jonah. "Simon" comes from the old Hebrew name "Simeon" or "Shimon," which themselves derive from a word that means "to hear" or "to listen attentively." Our Lord often said, "He who has ears to hear, let him listen!" And I suppose that Simon and his fellow disciples must have been listening, for Jesus also said to them:

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Matthew 13:16-17
16 "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;
17 "for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
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Simon saw and heard and learned. Early in his days as a disciple, Simon marveled at the things Jesus did, but as he grew in his faith and learned from his Lord, he gradually understood who this Man was and what He brought to the world. To be sure, Simon still had some way to go, but when he recognized Jesus as the Christ (Matthew 16:16), then he demonstrated a faith and an openness of heart that could come only from God. And that was when Simon the listener became "Petros" the rock.

Jesus said, "and on this rock I will build my church." (v.18) Jesus was going to build a church upon a man who was going to deny Him three times? Jesus was going to build His church on a man who would draw a sword and cut off a man's ear when Jesus was arrested? Jesus would build His church on a man too cowardly to stay near his Master at the Crucifixion? Jesus would build His church on a man who went back to fishing after the Crucifixion, behaving as if nothing had happened over those three years of ministry? The answer, of course, is Yes. But why? Because Simon Peter has ears to hear.

Jesus saw in Simon Peter a quality He desires in all His disciples: a willingness to listen, to learn, and to act in faith. Despite his many trips and stumbles, despite his denial of Jesus, Simon-bar-Jonah really was Peter the rock, a solid man of faith. He demonstrated a willingness to be influenced by God's Holy Spirit, an ability to see with eyes of faith, an openness to the truth of God.

Simon Peter is as utterly human as any of us, and in that we can take comfort, knowing that we are like he was AND that we can become what he became. Oh, we will never be a new "Petros," but we can be what Jesus saw that day: men and women of faith. You see, Jesus cannot build a church on laws or religion, He cannot build a church on the Word of God alone, and He cannot build His church from cedar beams and gilded marble. The church of Jesus Christ is built on faithful people who see Him for who He is, who know Him as the Anointed One of God, who accept Him as Savior and Lord, and who adore and revere Him as the Son of God. That faith is the rock upon which Jesus could and DID build His church.

Simon Peter still had to experience a lot of trouble in his life before he became simply Peter, before he truly became the foundation of this church, this "ekklesia," this gathering of believers. Jesus knew that Simon Peter would slip up a few more times, and yet Jesus also knew that Simon Peter had a faith that was quite single-minded and focused solely on Christ. Such a faith may fade to embers in the face of adversity, but it will never burn out. Jesus saw that simple faith in Simon the fisherman and knew He could build on that.

How much are we like this Simon, who became known as Peter? How much is our faith like his? Are we the kind of "rocks" upon which Jesus can continue to build His church? We must remember that to those who have such faith, Jesus has given the power that comes with the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Is our faith ready for that power, are we stony enough to bear the weight of such glory?

Today, let us reflect upon the simplicity and integrity of our faith. Let us look at whether or not we are open to having things revealed to us by God the Father. Let us reflect on our own lives and see if we have demonstrated a Petrine faith, a rock-solid faith that is the foundation of our everyday lives. If we have such faith, then not even the gates of Hades can prevail against us. All we need is the simple and growing faith of Peter, the rock upon which Jesus built His church.

Holy Father God, I thank You for choosing men like Simon Peter upon which to build Your church. They are so much like me that it gives me hope, and I know that hope comes from You. Forgive me when I stumble, Lord God, and continue to build my faith. Let me become another rock in this strong tower of Your kingdom. Cut away from my faith anything that is too soft or not focused upon You, Father, so that I may become more complete in You. Amen.

© 2010 Glenn A. Pettit-Noel

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