Simon Peter and Why We Love Him

Simon Peter, how can we not love him? Delightful in his spontaneity. Lovable in his gregariousness. Transparent and enthusiastic. Quick to act, and react. So sure of himself, yet at times timid and even cowardly. There is something genuine and endearing about Peter and his ways. 

Simon Peter, with his transparent humanity, is the disciple with whom many of us most identify. Full of contradictions, he was willing to serve, yet often presumptuous. He was so quick to defend and jump to the rescue. And to get himself into trouble.

Peter was a man of many contradictions. Yet there was something genuine and endearing about him and his ways.

Beyond the Gospel stories, little is known about him, other than that he was a humble, typical fisherman. He is generally described as a tall, stout man with a weathered complexion and thick dark curly hair and beard. He was born in Bethsaida, which means ‘the house of fish.’ His father Jonah was also a fisherman, as was his brother Andrew. Together with their partners, Zebedee and his sons James and John, they fished the Sea of Galilee.

Simon answers the call

When we read in Matthew 4 about Simon, Andrew, James, and John leaving everything to follow Christ, it may seem as if they followed him almost sight unseen. However, upon closer inspection, we discover that they had already spent time with Christ, walking alongside him and learning from him. In John 2, they had even attended the wedding at Cana together.

Although the cost of following was high, it was a calculated one. They knew what they were doing, and more importantly, who they were following.

They already saw Christ as their rabbi and teacher, and as such, he had influence in their lives. This is evidenced by the fact that he changed Simon’s name to Peter.

Simon the reed became Peter the rock

And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

John 1:42

Some scholars and commentators use the metaphor of a wavering reed to describe Peter’s character before Jesus changed him. He was often changeable and easily swayed. He seemed anything but rock-solid.

However, Jesus decided to call him Peter, meaning ‘rock’, as this was part of Christ’s plan for his life. A plan to transform him from a wavering reed of a man into Peter, a strong disciple with a rock-solid faith.

In many ways, Simon truly was like a reed. He stood straight and tall, ready to fight for his beliefs or defend his loved ones. Yet he was also vacillating and unsteady, and quick to change, like a reed swaying in the wind.

Great faith, but highly impulsive

Peter had great faith, but he often acted impulsively.

• He impetuously stepped out of the boat to walk on the water, but quickly succumbed to doubt (Matthew 14).
• Jesus praised Peter for acknowledging that He was the Messiah, but then rebuked him for denying that the Messiah would have to suffer and die (Matthew 16).
• Peter bravely swore that he would rather die than deny Christ, and he even cut off a man’s ear to defend Him. However, he fled in fear during Christ’s arrest and then denied Him three times (John 18; Matthew 26).

Sensitive and deeply passionate

However, Peter was also sensitive and passionate. He was as quick to repent as he was to act impulsively or presumptuously.

• During the Last Supper, Peter proudly refused to let Jesus wash his feet. However, he then fervently implored Jesus to wash his hands and head as well (John 13).
• In weakness, he betrayed Christ, but then went out and wept in bitter sorrow (Luke 22).

Overall, he was a man of strange contradictions. He was self-sacrificing and devoted to Christ, and left everything to follow Him (Mark 1). Yet he also tended to be self-seeking, wanting to know what reward he would receive for his sacrifice (Matthew 19).

However, it wasn’t until after his baptism at Pentecost that he became the rock that Christ intended him to be.

Then, armed with newfound wisdom, maturity, and the fruit of the Spirit, he wisely took the lead in finding a replacement for Judas. By Acts 2 he had become a strong and mighty preacher with a powerful message. And in Acts 4, he refused to stop preaching the Good News, even when threatened.

From a wavering reed to a solid rock

The lowly fisherman had become a rock-solid and influential apostle, a wavering reed no more. He had become a solid pillar of the church and a leader of the apostles. He was strong and steadfast declaring, “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard,” and “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:28-29).

Historians tell us that by the time of Peter’s death almost all of the apostles had already been martyred. They also state that the prophecy of Christ in John 21:18 concerning Peter was fulfilled; Peter was indeed dressed in prison garb with his hands stretched out, and taken where he did not want to go. According to some accounts, Peter requested to be crucified upside down at the time of his death because he felt unworthy to die in the same way as his Lord.

The wavering tremulous reed had become a rock-solid apostle. He rejoiced at being considered worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. And he never stopped teaching and preaching that name until the day he died.

The lowly fisherman had become a great ‘fisher of men’. If Christ could change Peter so much, He can certainly help us to grow strong in Him! Ask Him to transform your life, too!

Sources:

• From Disciple Simon to Apostle Peter
• Apostle Peter Biography
• St. Peter the Apostle

Images of Peter all by http://www.LumoProject.org from FreeBibleImages.org.