When I get it wrong …

Luke 22:31-38

³¹ “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

³³ But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”

³⁴ Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

³⁵ Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”

“Nothing,” they answered.

³⁶ He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. ³⁷ It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

³⁸ The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That’s enough!” he replied.

This story shows how we often misunderstand what is going on, but I love that Jesus has a plan to bring out the gold. Firstly, Jesus makes it clear that each of the disciples would be tempted and would have a difficult time. Then he discusses how much he is pulling for Peter. As a result, Peter will be OK.

The gold that comes out of this story in the end is twofold.

The first aspect is that Jesus knows that Peter will repent – for whatever he does. Jesus has no doubt that Peter will come back. He is also very clear that he will be forgiven – not he might be or if he does the repenting correctly, he will be – just very straightforward – “when you have repented, and you are restored”. We can be confident that the same is true for us. We can be confident we will be forgiven. We do need to repent – but there is no special set of words or way to do that which we can get wrong. We just need to reach out to Jesus and ask for his help.

The second beautiful aspect of this story is shown most clearly in the words in The Passion Translation. The last part of this sentence about Peter says, “make it your life mission to strengthen the faith of your brothers”. Jesus gives Peter a job – “once you have felt my forgiveness help those around to feel it too”. He tells Peter to make it his life mission. What a great idea. Helping all those around us to know God’s love and feel His forgiveness on a daily basis.

Dear Lord, thank you that you are confident that we can repent and that we will be forgiven – even if we deny we ever knew you. Help us to really have confidence that this is true even in the worst moments of our lives. And fill us with your love and forgiveness so that we can share it with all those around us. Help us to recognise your love and your forgiveness. Help us to listen to your leading so we know who to share with and what to say so that they will really hear from you. Amen.

Written by Therese Manning