Simon Peter, Fisherman, and Apostle.

Sifted as Wheat.
THE contrast in Simon’s history between Luke 22 and Matthew 17 is exceedingly striking. Our last look at our apostle was in Matthew 17 on the mount of transfiguration, where he was in the presence of all the brightness of the glory of the Son of Man, and where his heart, always impulsive, was really desirous of doing his Master honor, for, in spite of what we read in Luke 22, Peter loved his Master dearly.
Here we have something very different, but it is a scene that is of the deepest moment for us, perhaps of deeper moment than that which took place in Matthew 17, for we shall never, in our earthly pathway, behold the Lord, as Peter beheld Him that day on the mount, but we shall all have the temptation, some day or other, to do as Peter did in Luke 22, that is, to deny the Lord.
There are many things very interesting in the history of Peter between Matthew 17 and Luke 22 which we may study with much profit, but we pass on now to the moment in this man’s history, when, forgetful of the Lord, full of himself, and tripped up of Satan, he drops into a course which every upright mind must reprehend.
Scripture gives us these sorrowful details for our profit, and here lies the difference between Scripture and every other book. As a rule biographers tell us only the good, the sweet, the attractive side of a character. They think they should draw the veil of charity over the defects, and shortcomings of the one whose memoir they are writing, and this often has a very depressing effect on a young person, who, reading the life of a godly man, gets up from it and says, “I must give it all up, for I can never be like him.” But Scripture invariably gives us the dark side, as well as the bright; and what does this bring out? Only the grace of the Lord, who can take a saint out of the slough into which he has fallen, and make him a more useful vessel than ever before; for this fall breaks the neck of Peter’s self-confidence, and he learns not only what he is, and what he can do, but he also learns, as never before, what his Master is.
If there could have been an occasion when the Lord needed the loyalty of those who loved Him, this was the moment. The Passover day had come, and the Lord knew He was going to die. Judas, six days before, had sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver, the price of the meanest slave. Judas, alas! loved money, and lost his soul forever, and many a man today does the same, puts money before Christ. Do not you, I beseech you, my dear friend, follow Judas’ example, and share his fate forever.
It is an intensely solemn fact that every man or woman, who is not in the company of Christ, is in the clutch of the god of this world, and sooner or later, must learn the power of the evil one. In this scripture the Lord would teach us that even a saint, away from Christ, is in the power of Satan. Up till this moment the Lord had flung His sheltering wing over His disciples, but now He says to them, as it were, You must shift for yourselves, I am going away; and to those who come to take Him in the garden He says, “This is your hour and the power of darkness.”
Judas, doubtless, before the Passover had his feet washed, when the others had theirs (John 13), and at the supper he received the sop from the Lord, and then he passed out to consummate his wretched work of betrayal. Thereon the Lord turns to Peter and addresses these words to the disciple whom He knew would deny Him, but whom He loved; and further, knew that in spite of everything, that disciple loved Him devotedly.
“Simon, Simon,” the, Lord says, “behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted (restored), strengthen thy brethren.” Simon got his warning here; if he had only taken heed to it, what a different sequel would have been recorded! If he had only been chaff, and not really “wheat,” Satan would not have wanted to sift him: it was because he was the real wheat that Satan desired to get him in his power. Satan does not tempt an unconverted person, he tempts a child of God, but he governs and controls entirely the unconverted― drives them before him at his will. Man talks about being a free agent, but there is no such thing as being a free agent. Man does not see that he is in the power of Satan while still unconverted. Man is blind, and does not see his danger. A blind man sees nothing of his circumstances, he may be on the edge of a precipice and be quite unmoved, because he does not know his danger. Such is the condition of the unawakened, and unsaved reader.
The episode in Peter’s history now before us, is that of a child of God, and of what depths he can fall into through self-confidence.
First observe that the Lord warns him. Then note two other most touching things, the Lord’s prayer for him before he fell, and the Lord’s look at him after. “Satan hath desired to have you,” is divinely met, in grace, by “but I have prayed for thee.” The Lord made use of Satan to break the self-confidence which was the cause of Peter’s fall, but the Lord’s controlling hand was upon the enemy, even so, and he was allowed to go so far and no further; and I believe that when the day of Pentecost came, and Peter, restored, and happy in his Master’s love was the means of three thousand souls coming to Christ, and being saved, the devil was heartily sorry that he had not left him alone in the high priest’s hall. But for that bitter experience he would never, have been enough broken down, repentant, humbled, and self-emptied, for the Lord to use him in that marvelous manner.
See what follows the Lord’s warning. Peter answers, “Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison and to death.” Think of that! No sooner has the Lord said, “Satan hath desired to have you,” than Peter says, “I am ready.” You get the secret of Peter’s fall in these words. Had Peter been right, instead of saying, “I am ready,” he would have prayed, “Lord, do Thou keep me; Lord, do Thou help me; Lord, do not let me fall under Satan’s power,” but he was self-confident, and self-confidence is, I believe, the cause of all our failure, whereas self-distrust is the secret of our getting on with the Lord.
If Peter had learned not to trust himself, but to cling to his Master, and keep near his Master, what we are looking at here could never have happened.
After this solemn warning we have the lovely teaching, from the Lord’s lips, which we find recorded in the 14th to the 16th of John. Then the wonderful prayer of the 17th of John fell on Peter’s ears. The Lord thereafter went over the brook Cedron, with His disciples, and then, taking with Him the favored three, Peter, James, and John, who had been with Him when He raised Jairus’ daughter, and were with Him in the holy mount, and had then seen His glory, He went apart to pray.
When in the garden, we read, He “began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy, and saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground and prayed.” When He comes to the disciples He finds them sleeping. Think of it! The Master praying, and the servants sleeping. The Master is agonizing before God, showing the perfection of human dependence, in that moment of unparalleled sorrow, while the servant is sleeping. Such is human nature. Peter slept in the presence of the glory of the Lord, on the Mount of Transfiguration, and he is sleeping now in the presence of His sorrow. Well can we understand His rebukeful query, “Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation” (Mark 14:37, 3837And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? 38Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. (Mark 14:37‑38)).
Then He adds, “The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” That is exquisite grace. He sees these three disciples sound asleep, at the very moment when He might have expected them to be watchful with Him in His sorrow, though they could not share it. He longed to have those He loved with Him. But His plaint on the cross was, “Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness” (Psa. 88:1818Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness. (Psalm 88:18)). Sadly therefore does He say to Peter, “Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?”
And then so tenderly adds, “The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” The day of the Holy Ghost had not yet arrived when they would be strengthened to suffer for Him under every circumstance.
The Lord having gone away and prayed for the third time, Judas, the betrayer, comes again on the scene, and with him a band of officers and men with swords and staves. Peter now takes up a sword, and cuts of the ear of Malchus, the high priest’s servant. Then they surround the Lord and take Him, while His last act, ere they bind His blessed hands, is to touch the wounded ear of the servant and heal it. Then they bound Him, and led Him away, and “all the disciples forsook him and fled,” though all had said they would never deny Him, and Peter had vowed, but a little before, “I am ready to go with thee both into prison and to death.” Ah, how little Peter knew of himself! When the Lord, in perfect human dependence, was with God in prayer, His poor disciple was sleeping, when he should have been watching and praying; then afterward he was fighting, when he should have been quiet; and now he is running away when, if ever there was a moment that he should have stuck to his Master, this was the moment, but “they all forsook him and fled.” Afterward we see Peter following “afar off,” and then again we see him in the high priest’s hall, where there was a fire, and he warms himself by it.
Peter and John both follow Jesus, but John, known to the high priest, went in with Jesus. Then he sees Peter at the door, and speaks to the maid that kept the door, and thus gets Peter in, and I cannot but believe that when John and Peter were again inside, John made straight for his Master, to get as near Him as possible, and may the Lord keep us near Him too! To be near Him is the only place of safety for the soul that knows Him. I believe, had Peter been near Him that day, he would never have fallen.
First we read that Peter “followed afar off,” and then when he got inside the high priest’s hall, where the servants and officers, who had taken Jesus, had kindled “a fire of coals,” Peter sat down among them, as though one of themselves, and warmed himself with the servants.
What steps we see in Peter’s downward course, leading to his denial of the Lord he loved! First declaring he was ready to die for Him, although the Lord had just told him that Satan was desiring to have him, and that He was praying for him; next sleeping when he should have been watching; then fighting when he should have been quiet; then following afar off when he should have been near; and now sitting down, side by side, with the enemies of Christ, and warming himself. With such a prelude one can only expect what followed.
I believe the little maid to whom Peter first denied the Lord, questioned him at the door, as he came in, and then followed him up to the fire, and questioned him again, and that then Peter went and sat down at the fire among them all, as though he were not interested in what was going on. There he was, among the enemies of the Lord, far away from Jesus. No wonder Satan was too strong for him, and if we, who are the Lord’s now, will go among worldlings and seek to warm ourselves at the world’s fire, we can only expect to be tripped up by Satan too. A fearful position, indeed, was it for Peter to be sitting at the fire among those who had just taken his Master prisoner, and, having bound Him, were plotting for His death. Well did the old Scotchwoman say, “He had no business there among the lackeys.” No, he had no business among the servants of those who were going to murder his Master.
No doubt much banter went on, as they asked him, again, and again, if he were not one of His disciples, and at last Peter denied with oaths and cursings that he had ever known the Lord. Poor Peter! Old habits are easily revived. Fishermen and sailors, notoriously, are great swearers, and what had probably been Simon’s style of language by the Sea of Galilee, before the Lord called him, comes out again now.
When, for the third time, Peter has denied his Master, whom at bottom he really loved, the cock crows again. The cock had already crowed once, and Peter might have remembered the word that Jesus had said to him, and been warned by it. I ask you, my Christian reader, Is the cock crowing for you today, that is, is the word of the Lord speaking home to you today about something? Oh, if so, give heed to it, get nearer to Jesus; may God draw you nearer to His blessed Son, that you may not go on, as Peter did, to still greater lengths. Peter heeded not the first crowing of the cock, but went on to deny Him again, with oaths and cursings; and then I think I see that man, as the cock crowed a second time, and he pulled himself up to remember that he had done the very thing his Master had said he would do.
Peter loved his Master in spite of everything, and now, as the cock crew, and he called to mind what Jesus had said, he turned toward Him, and Jesus turned and looked at Peter. What did that look say? Was it a look of anger, or withering scorn? Did it say, as it were, Contemptible miscreant, can you deny Me at such a moment? No, no, I believe it was a look of unutterable, albeit wounded, love. That look said, Peter, do you not know Me? I know you, Peter, and I love you, notwithstanding your denial of Me. It was a look, I believe, of tender changeless love; and more, I believe Peter lived on that look for the next three days, till he met his Master again in resurrection, and communion was restored.
Peter went out then, and “wept bitterly.” Repentance did its proper work in his soul, as he saw his folly and sin in the light of his Lord’s love. Here is the difference between repentance and remorse. Repentance is the judgment of my sin that I have in the light of love, and grace known. Remorse is produced by viewing the sin in the light only of its probable results. Repentance begets hope, remorse leads only to despair. Repentance leads the soul back to God, remorse drives it to deeper sin, and further into Satan’s hands. This is all illustrated in the consequent pathway of Peter and Judas. Judas, who did not know what grace was, went out and, in remorse over his consummate wickedness, hanged himself; Peter, who did know what grace was, and who knew better than ever then how deeply the Lord loved him, went out and wept bitterly. The last thing Peter had done was to deny his Master, and the next thing his Master did was to die for Peter; and if He had not died for Peter, he never could have been restored nor saved.
Are you saying, my reader, But I do not know if He died for me? Listen, He died for sinners! Are you a sinner? Then you may look back and see how, when betrayed by a false friend, and denied by a true one, and forsaken by all, ―yea, at last, forsaken by God also, ―He died for sinners; and if you know that you are a sinner, and you want Him, you may know also that He died for you.
Peter must have been very wretched as he wept that day, and learned later on that those that stood by smote Jesus, and derided Him, and sent Him bound from one high priest to another, and then on to Pilate. Before Him they clamor for His blood, and Pilate, reluctantly enough, but afraid of Omar, finally sends Him forth to die.
The Lord of glory is crucified between two thieves, and dies, praying for His murderers, atoning for their sins; and then His body is taken down by hands that love Him, and they bury Him in a new tomb. The whole Sabbath day He lies in the grave; but the resurrection morning comes, and Peter and John, told by Mary Magdalene that the Lord bad been taken out of the sepulcher, run both together to the sepulcher, and Peter is outrun by John. I know some tell us that Peter was an older man than John, but I do not believe that was the reason that John came first to the sepulcher. I believe the remembrance of his denial of his Lord was what made Peter’s footsteps slack now, for a bad conscience, and an unhappy heart ever tell on the Christian’s, pace.
Reaching the sepulcher the two disciples find it empty, for an angel had come down and rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulcher. To let the Lord out? Far be the thought! Not so, but to let you and me look in, and see an empty tomb, and know that we have a risen, a victorious, a triumphant Saviour, who has taken the sting from death, and robbed the grave of its victory.
John did not go into the sepulcher, he only looked in; but Peter went right into the sepulcher―as a Jew defiling himself―in his desire to know the full truth. He found everything in perfect order. There had been no haste. The napkin that had been about the Lord’s head was wrapped together in a place by itself. Furthermore, “he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass” (Luke 24:1212Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. (Luke 24:12)).
If still any doubts lingered in his mind as to the fact of the Lord being risen, they were shortly after fully dissipated by the touching message which “a young man” gave the Galilean women to carry to him. The Lord Himself, one feels assured, knowing His servant’s sorrow, inspired the heavenly communication: “Go your way, tell his disciples, and Peter, that he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him, as he said unto you” (Mark 16:77But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. (Mark 16:7)).
In Luke 24 we read that two were going to Emmaus that same day, and “Jesus himself drew near and went with them,” as they talked about Him. Arrived at home, for I take it they were man and wife, they constrained Him to come into their house, and He then made Himself known to them “in the breaking of bread.” Although shortly before it was “toward even, and the day far spent,” so that they judged it too late for their wondrous companion and teacher to go farther that night, it was not now too late for them to return at once all the way they had come, right back to Jerusalem — some eight miles―to tell the disciples the wonderful news they had to impart. Like bees that have done a good day’s gathering, they return to the hive to share the spoil. They “found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,” and had their joy confirmed, as they were met by the news, “The Lord is arisen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.” What passed that day between Simon and the Lord I know not. God has flung a veil over this interview in resurrection, between an erring servant, and a Master incomparable in grace. This I know, that confidence between Peter and the Lord was perfectly restored as the result of this meeting.
Do you ask me, How do you know? Because, in John 21, to which we will now turn, when the seven disciples had gone fishing, instead of simply waiting for Jesus, and, after a night of fruitless toil, saw Him in the morning standing on the shore, as soon as Peter knew it was the Lord he was in a very great hurry to get to Him. He could not even wait till the boat got to the shore, but cast himself into the sea, the quicker to get to Him; and he would not have been in such a hurry to get near the Lord again, if he had not been fully restored to Him in his conscience, with the full sense of perfect forgiveness. Luke 24:3434Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. (Luke 24:34) records what I should call his private restoration. Afterward comes his public restoration, but I would not give much for the public restoration of any one to privilege, either in service, or at the Lord’s table, if there had not been full private restoration to the Lord Himself first. Communion and intimacy with the Lord are of the greatest importance for the saint. Nothing can make up for their lack.
The advocacy of Christ had been all-prevailing in Peter’s case. “I have prayed for thee” found its answer in deep contrition after his failure, and then, at the first opportunity afforded, confession was followed by full forgiveness and restoration. We should ever remember that contrition and confession, real and genuine, must be the prelude to forgiveness and restoration. But “I have prayed for thee” was the procuring cause of Peter’s restoration, even as the Lord’s “look” was the means of producing the right moral state that led up to it.
Now in John 21 Comes the public restoration. Peter is down in the old scenes of youthful fisher-life again, and anew trying his hand at the now long since abandoned business, but he has caught nothing, and the Lord comes and says, “Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.” As soon as Peter finds out it is the Lord, he makes for the shore where Jesus is, and what does he find? “A fire of coal, and fish laid thereon, and bread.” How Peter must have thought of that moment when he stood by “a fire of coals” and denied his Master! And now, as he sees not only the fire of coals, but the fish and bread, would he not be feeling― “See how the Lord loves and cares for me.”
“Come, and dine,” says the Lord, but not a word about his failure is at that moment addressed to Peter. I daresay his brethren may have looked askance at him. There is a proverb among men― “Never trust a horse that has once fallen;” but it is just the reverse in Divine things, and it is just when a man has been thoroughly broken down that the Lord can trust him. This we shall now see beautifully illustrated in Peter’s history.
When they had dined, the Lord says to Peter, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” referring, I suppose, to the other disciples, for Peter had said, “Though all should deny thee, yet will not I.” The word the Lord uses for “love” implies love in a general sense. Peter replies, “Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.” Here Peter’s word for love implies special attachment to a person. The Lord thereupon gives him a charge, saying, “Feed my lambs,” but follows it by a second query not so comprehensive as the first. This time it is merely “Lovest thou me?” and no comparison with others is suggested. Again Peter answers, “Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee,” still sticking to his word implying special affection. The Lord thereon says unto him, “Shepherd my sheep.” Then the Lord again changes the form of His question, and saying the third time, “Lovest thou me?” uses Peter’s own word for “love,”― “Hast thou indeed this special affection for Me?” is its meaning.
Three times Peter had publicly denied Him; three times the Lord ask him if he loves Him. And now Peter is broken down entirely, and replies, “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.” He, as it were, says, “Lord, Thou canst look into my very heart; Thou knowest whether I love Thee or not; though all else might doubt my love, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I do love Thee.” It was enough, the springs of self-confidence and self-esteem, so ruinous to us all, had been touched; and now the Lord fully restores him, and, as publicly as He had been denied by him, puts him in a place of confidence and approval, as He sweetly says, “Feed my sheep.” He says to him, as it were, “I can trust you now, Peter; I am going away, but I put into your care those I love best, my sheep and my lambs, to shepherd them and to feed them.”
How well Peter fulfilled that trust his after-life proved. No greater proof of confidence could a friend show me, than to commit to my care, in his absence at the antipodes, those his heart loved best.
This then was Peter’s public restoration; and not merely was it his restoration, but the Lord giving him a special charge, thus showing His full confidence in this now humbled, self-emptied, and restored man. What could be a fuller proof of the confidence the Lord had in him? Let us not forget that He is ever the same, so we may well sing: ―
“Astonished at Thy feet we fall,
Thy love exceeds our highest thought,
Henceforth be thou our all in all,
Thou who our souls with blood halt bought;
May we henceforth more faithful prove,
And ne’er forget Thy ceaseless love.”
W. T. P. W.
(To be continued if the Lord will.)