Dealing With Our Weakness

Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?” To which they responded, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

But then Jesus asked them this pointed question: “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon took this moment to respond, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus affirmed this statement and added that Simon did not know this on his own, but it was revealed to him by the Father. Then Jesus did another peculiar act. He gave Simon a new name. He called him Peter, the Rock. 

This name  gives a picture of strength. On it Jesus said He would build His church. What an honor to receive such a name from Jesus!

There is something interesting happening here, that really happens for all of us. When we recognize who HE is, we begin to see who WE are. We aren’t looking at our weaknesses, we are seeing that because of Jesus we are a brand new creation.

Later in the story, however, we see Peter trying to project his newfound “strength” in the flesh by cutting the ear off one of the guards who came to take Jesus. Yet, Jesus did not condone this action. (You don’t know what spirit you are of…)  Instead, Jesus healed the ear of the so-called “enemy”. We see that later that very evening, Peter cowered in fear, denying that he even knew Jesus. This was the old Simon, the fisherman, the weak and foolish one. He had completely forgotten his new identity. (And Jesus knew he would.)

But did that disqualify him? 

Absolutely not.

He was still as Jesus called him: Peter, the rock on which He would build His church. Peter had forgotten, as we sometimes can do, who we really are in Christ.

But remember, when we see our weaknesses peek out, this is not the time for us to go to work and try to “fix” our flesh. Our flesh is not really “fixable.” No, instead, this is the time to let humility do its work. To remember who Jesus says we are. To trust the Holy Spirit to do His job: to remind us of who we really are, to guide us, to counsel us, to encourage us, to help us.

In our flesh, we are weak and foolish vessels and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. We were made that way. We weren’t made to have perfect flesh. But remember our strength is Christ in us. It’s His voice reminding, teaching, counseling, guiding us. His still gentle voice is forever weaving His ways into us.

We are not despicable, hopeless creatures. We are loved children of God. We are growing and sometimes in our growth, like Peter, we return to our familiar flesh responses. That is not the time to become discouraged. Rather it is the time to get quiet and listen for His gentle, kind voice, encouraging us to get back up and practice being our true selves.