True faith that will not fall
Contents Today's text is one of the Gospels that tell us that Jesus foretold that Peter, who was considered the chief of his disciples, would deny that he did not know Him three times. The story begins with the disciples' argument. In verse 24, the first verse of the text, “And there was a quarrel among them as to who was the greatest among them.” do. Among the disciples, “Who is the greatest?” that the quarrel arose again. If we go back to Luke 9:46, there was also a debate about who was the greatest among the disciples. In Korean, it's just "Who's taller?" It was called a quarrel, but perhaps among the twelve disciples, “Who is the greatest?” It seems to indicate that a dispute has arisen between them, starting with the problem of And it is thought that this controversy over rank stemmed from concern over who would ascend to which throne in the Lord's kingdom, which they expected to be accomplished soon.
Before, the disciples asked, “Who is the greatest?” Jesus did not pass by when he argued about the question. He took a little child and set him beside him, and he said to his disciples, “Whoever welcomes such a little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. He who is the least of all of you is the greatest.” He did it (Luke 9:47-48). The disciples once again quarreled over the problem, but this time, Jesus did not just ignore it. So, what you said is the word between verses 25-32 of the text. The content of the verse can be divided into three parts.
The first is that among the disciples of the Lord, and furthermore, the great man in the kingdom of God is different from the great man in the world. Look again at verses 25-27: “Jesus said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles rule over them, and their rulers are called benefactors, but ye should not. . Is the one who sits and eats taller? Are the servants great? Are you not the one who sits and eats? But I am among you as a servant.” In the world, those who rule over people and sit down to receive food are considered great people, but in the world of the Lord's disciples and in the kingdom of God, the greatest people are those who sit in low places and serve others. These are words that criticized the common thoughts of the disciples who were arguing over who is greater, hoping to rise to a higher position than others.
The second verse speaks of the greater responsibility that will be given to the disciples as they overcome the Lord's suffering together. Verses 28-30: “For you have always been with me in all my trials, as my Father has entrusted me with the kingdom, so I also entrust you to be in my kingdom, eating and drinking at my table, or sitting on thrones to the twelve Israelis. to rule over the tribes.” “You have always been with me in all my trials.” What he said was that the disciples were with Jesus in the course of three years of ministry, under the pressure, rejection, and opposition that Jesus had been subjected to. At this time, Judas Iscariot had already separated from Jesus. It tells the difference between the other eleven disciples and Judas Iscariot. Also, since most of the disciples suffered together with the Lord, they would all bear great responsibilities in the Lord's kingdom. So, where is the need to quarrel in order to grow and exalt each other?
The third is a personal warning and exhortation that Peter would deny the Lord. Look at verses 31-32: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. After you are converted, strengthen your brothers.” “Scrubbing” refers to the act of sorting out wheat and chaff by sieving. “Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat” means that Satan is asking God to allow the disciples of Jesus to test them to see if their faith is true or not. As if Satan had asked God to allow him to test Job. These words foreshadowed that all of the disciples would fall into Satan's temptations to the disciples who were arguing with each other for a higher position. And Peter, who must have been recognized as the undisputed supreme position in the midst of the disciples arguing for rank and position, was the first to know that he would stumble and stumble by Satan's temptation more severely than anyone else. By doing so, the disciples questioned whether they were in a position to argue with each other who was greater.
Peter responded to these words of Jesus. He answered with determination, not knowing what he was going to do that night, with a determined attitude: “Lord, I am ready to go with you both in prison and to death” (verse 33). “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny that you know me three times” (verse 34).
Second, what we need to discover through today's story is our own stumble even though we say we believe. The figure of the disciples who denied or forsook the Lord, including Peter, and scattered is our own image. No one can be sure that he will never betray and deny the Lord. Peter showed it well. We are always exposed to Satan's attacks, and we must not relax, humbly acknowledging that it is also our faith that, like Peter, who hastily denied the Lord in response to a single question thrown by a slave girl, it is also our faith that can be absurdly collapsed at any moment. will do
Third, we have a Lord who prays for us. Jesus knew how to deny Peter, so he prayed that his faith would not fail, and that he would be converted. Likewise, it is impossible for the Lord to know our weakness and not to sit at the right hand of God the Father and pray for us without ceasing. If we are God's children, God will not leave us defenseless against Satan's attacks. Here we must believe in our ultimate victory in Jesus Christ. We need to know that we are not completely separated from the Lord because of the Lord's prayers, even though we stumble every day. We must confess every day that it is only the grace of the Lord that we are living as children of God and disciples of the Lord.
Fourth, we must not be lazy or disloyal, believing in our ultimate victory by grace in Jesus Christ. You must see Peter (Luke 22:61-62) who realized his absurd betrayal at the sound of a cock crow and wept bitterly. And the Lord said to Peter, “After you are converted, strengthen your brother.” You must remember what you said. We must not forget that we have to look back first and then have a mission to take on. The disciple's denial of the Lord three times will weaken and shake the hearts of the other disciples, but after he is converted, it will be used not only to strengthen their hearts, but also to help the saints grow in their faith in Jesus Christ. That's what you said. We must know that repentance, humility, and loyalty are true faith.