July 3-9

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Peter was chosen by the Savior very deliberately. Do we appreciate what it means that the Lord chose a fisherman? Do we recognize the significance of that and what it means for us? Not only are we blessed with the knowledge of who Peter was before he was a prophet, we are blessed with the records that show Peter growing into his role as prophet. 

Peter before

I want to talk about who Peter was before he became the prophet. It is quite the summary, but take note of the lessons Peter needed to learn in order to be prepared as prophet. I will not include every reference to Peter in the gospels, but I will include many.

Peter was as normal as they come when Jesus found him. Fishermen were plentiful in the time of Jesus around the Sea of Galilee. There was nothing special about Peter being a fisherman. One of the very first accounts that we have of Peter is when he is set apart by Christ. Though there was still going to be a lot of growth and mistakes along the way, the first thing that happened with Peter was that he was called and set apart. The world would have us learn everything before we take on responsibilities, but the Lord likes to throw us in and have us learn by trying.

After he was chosen, we watched him grow. We next receive word of him on the sea of Galilee where he asks the Savior to have him come out on the water and meet him. The Savior agrees, and Peter climbs out of the boat and begins to walk on water. He then starts to sink before calling to the Lord who saves him. 

Matthew 16 is interesting to me. Christ teaches of His future death, and Peter is like, “No way! You’re not going to die!” Christ calls Peter Satan and tells Peter that his heart is set upon the things of men. Though short, I believe this story was a key moment for Peter. There is a pattern for how Christ reacts to sinners. He is often merciful and kind. However, I have also noticed that He has a much stronger hand for people whose actions do not match their hearts. I’m not sure exactly where Peter’s heart was at this moment. Maybe he was competitive and trying to prove his loyalty above the others, and maybe this was why Christ strongly responded. Christ needed Peter to be better. If Peter was going to run the church when He ascended to heaven, Peter needed to learn some lessons quickly. We’re not sure exactly where Peter’s heart was, but we do know this: it was likely a hard lesson to swallow for Peter. He was loudly rebuked in front of the other apostles; and yet, we still find Peter standing alongside the Savior after this. He follows the Savior and loves Him sincerely.

There is a story where the apostles couldn’t cast out a devil. It doesn’t explicitly state that Peter was a part of it, but if he wasn’t involved, I’m sure he heard enough about it that he learned from it. Shortly after, Peter also asks Christ how often he has to forgive others. 

During the Passover, Peter declares that he will never deny Christ, and he doesn’t want Christ to wash his feet. He falls asleep during the events in Gethsemane, attempts to stop the Savior from being taken, and then he denies Christ three times. He rejoices when he sees his resurrected Lord, but after Christ ascends Peter goes back to fishing because he doesn’t know what else to do. Christ comes back and tells Peter that he is to continue the work even though Christ will not physically be with them. This is when we truly get to see Peter take on the mantle Christ meant for him to have.

Peter and us

Peter, along with the other apostles, had three years with Christ to go from new convert to apostle, and that was quite the learning curve. He had a long way to go which meant a lot of difficult instruction, and we get to read about those hard lessons. I don’t point out the flaws and hard lessons of Peter to judge him. Rather, I pull them from the text so that we can relate to him. 

In Acts 2, Peter gives a beautiful sermon on Christ. He opens up the scriptures and explains what is actually occurring on the day of Pentecost. It’s the most we’ve heard from Peter at once, and it shows quite a different Peter than the impulsive and eager one we’re familiar with. Here is one of the principles he teaches:

Acts 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

Peter was speaking about the converts around him who were speaking in tongues and testifying of Christ. However, as I was reading this verse and thinking about Peter, I came to that believe he was also speaking of us. Remember that the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Christ, and so anyone can develop the “spirit of prophecy.” We are the servants and handmaidens, or at least we can be. Perhaps we will never hold the mantle of the prophet, but why should that stop us from becoming every bit the instrument in the Lord’s hands as Peter was? We can learn the same lessons and hold the same power from the Lord that Peter did. You don’t need the keys to the kingdom to make a difference. Peter wasn’t powerful because he held keys or was called a prophet; Peter was powerful because he let the Lord work through him. The scriptures are full of stories from prophets, but they’re also full of stories about normal people who did extraordinary things because they believed in Christ.

The lessons to learn

We are fishermen, normal people doing normal things. There may be nothing to distinguish us from the next person. We have also been called and set apart. The same rigorous path of learning that Peter took can happen to us even though the Savior isn’t standing in front of us. In fact, the Lord would love to take you on the same path that He took Peter. Perhaps Peter’s path looked easier; I mean, Christ stood right in front of him. But was it really that much easier? Look at how Peter had to learn how to receive revelation even as Christ was standing right in front of him. There are plenty of instances where Christ tried teaching something, and it flew straight over Peter’s head. Though we can’t see Him, He would be just as present in leading us along if we chose to step up to the plate. If we knelt down and told Him that we wanted to fulfill what we promised to do before we came here, He would lead us along.

There would be hard lessons as He prepared us to take on the mantle that was meant for us. There may be times when we jump right into the water; a miracle starts taking place but we become overwhelmed at start to sink before crying out to the Savior who is patient as we figure it out. 

I think of the times Peter tried to do things his own way. He wanted to save the Savior from death more than once, not realizing that he would be thwarting the entire Plan of Salvation if he succeeded. Peter could never have actually destroyed the Plan of Salvation, and that’s a comforting lesson. If we can keep our hearts in the right place as we try to follow Christ’s individual plans for us, then we don’t have to truly worry about destroying anything that the Savior can’t fix. That doesn’t mean there won’t be hard lessons and regret to drive us toward repentance, but we can always find hope in the Savior. 

Peter denied Christ, and he wept bitterly. I can assure you there is plenty of that, but it doesn’t have to mean it’s all over.

One of the stories of Peter I want to really drive home is when he fell asleep during the atonement. Once again, this is not a pronouncement of judgment upon Peter. I think of how tired I was on my mission, and I have no doubt that Peter needed a nap. But there is a lesson here. Was there ever a moment in Peter’s life when he realized what he had slept through? Was he given a vision of Christ’s suffering and saw himself sleeping in the background? Did he see the Savior compassionately allow them to drift off and experience a range of emotions?

Are we sleeping when we could be witnessing the atonement in real time? Perhaps we’re not going to be watching His suffering, but the atonement didn’t end in Gethsemane or the cross. The atonement is occurring around us all the time. What are we missing out on? And I don’t ask that question so you feel like you have to be on the edge of your seat all the time, stressed that you can’t rest or you’ll miss something. Rather, I ask that question so we can turn to the Lord and have Him guide our lives. He can lead us to know when to rest and when it’s time to fight through a bit of fatigue so that we can witness a miracle. 

The Savior does have a role for you. He will not likely ask you to leave your work, but He will ask you to take the same journey as Peter because He wants you to experience what Peter experienced. He will likely use every day experiences to teach you what He taught Peter. It will require you to learn how to hear Him properly, and there will be tough lessons when Christ pushes you to be more. It is a daunting task when you look forward, but He will lead you along just a step at a time. 

Why the Savior chose Peter

There are likely a great many reasons that Christ chose Peter. I may never fully know in this life why Christ chose Peter, but I can tell you reasons He didn’t use when He chose Peter.

He didn’t choose a scribe or Pharisee, even one with a good heart (they did exist alongside the bad eggs). He didn’t choose a man with riches, plentiful connections, or vast credentials. He didn’t choose Peter because Peter was particularly eloquent, wise, or reserved. In fact, there may be a lot of people who would have looked down on a young Peter who didn’t seem to quite fit the mold of “apostle.” Christ didn’t choose a man who had perfect faith. He didn’t choose Peter because Peter was exceptionally forgiving or non-competitive.

So really we have no excuse. We may not be professional enough. We may not be experts. We may not even be righteous enough yet. 

What did Peter have that Christ saw? I believe He simply saw someone who was willing to try. How many of us aren’t even willing to try? Christ saw a man who loved him, even if he was a bit clumsy in his attempts to follow after Christ. We can all offer that much. 

I’m grateful for a Savior who only asks for what all of us are capable of giving. I’m grateful that none of the mistakes I make along the way will be able to inflict any permanent damage. I’m grateful that the Savior wants that much for me because He loves me.