Peter: Growing in Commitment

I remember our two-year-old son standing in my size-13 shoes. Sometimes kids want to grow up fast, overnight. But that’s not how most things work in real life. Plants take a while to grow, in stages. The same is physically true of animals and people. Jesus Christ worked lovingly and patiently with Peter to help him grow in commitment over time.

Taking Time to Grow

Mark 4:26-28:
…if a man should cast seed into the ground;
And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

Psalms 37:25:
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

God takes care of the righteous at all physical stages of life. People grow mentally as well, gaining knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. That also takes time.

Proverbs 2:6:
For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 9:10:
The fear of [respect for] the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Luke 2:52:
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Respecting the Lord is the start of getting true wisdom, the how of properly applying knowledge. As we  apply what we know from God’s Word over time, we gain understanding. The key is to have a spiritual relationship with God.

Isaiah 11:2:
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him [the Messiah, Jesus Christ], the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Colossians 1:9:
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you [those born again with “Christ in you”], and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

Peter’s Growth: First Meeting Jesus

Peter was a fisherman from Capernaum, a city on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. He first met Jesus with the help of his brother.

John 1:35-42:
Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

Jesus called Simon by a new name, Cephas or Peter, meaning “stone.”  The next day, Jesus met Peter’s neighbor, Philip, and called him to follow. Philip believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, and told his friend Nathanael about Jesus. When Jesus spoke to Nathanael, he too believed that Jesus was the Son of God (John 1:43-51).

After this, Jesus had a busy schedule. He:

• Attended a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee with his family and disciples, and performed a miracle there (John 2:1-11)
• Spent a few days in Capernaum with his family and disciples (John 2:12)
• Attended the Passover Feast in Jerusalem, his disciples also there (John 2:13—3:21)
• Ministered in Judea with his disciples (John 3:22-36)
• Returned to Galilee with his disciples by going through Samaria, where he met a woman at Jacob’s well (John 4:1-42)
• Performed a second miracle at Cana of Galilee (John 4:43-54)
• Attended a feast at Jerusalem, possibly the Feast of Weeks [Pentecost] (John 5:1-47)

Peter is not specifically named in any of these events. However, he could have been one of Jesus’ disciples who was with him. Jesus did minister in Peter’s hometown of Capernaum and in Galilee. Peter would have been required by Old Testament law to attend the Passover and the Feast of Weeks.

Peter’s Growth: Fishers of Men

The Gospel of Mark shows Jesus’ next named encounter with Peter.

Mark 1:16-20:
Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

Remember that Jesus had first met Simon Peter some time before. Since then, Jesus had ministered in Galilee, Samaria, Judea, and Jerusalem. Peter may have been with him for all or some of these events. But he certainly would have heard of all that Jesus had done. Jesus saw great potential in Peter, and his heavenly Father worked in Jesus’ heart to call this man to greater commitment and service. It was time to leave the fishing business and to fish for men!

Peter continued to grow in his commitment to his Master, God’s only-begotten Son who taught Peter about the Father. Jesus and Peter developed a closer relationship following this call to fish for men. Peter, Andrew, James, and John went with Jesus to their local synagogue on the Sabbath where Jesus cast an unclean spirit out of a man (Mark 1:21-28). Then Jesus went to Peter and Andrew’s home along with James and John. There he ministered healing to Peter’s mother-in-law who was sick with a fever (Mark 1:29-31). That evening, they saw Jesus heal many and cast out devils (Mark 1:32-34). Then Peter joined Jesus on a preaching itinerary throughout all Galilee (Mark 1:35-39).

Jesus had taken Peter under his wing and allowed Peter to grow and learn about God’s mighty power to heal and deliver those who were oppressed by the Devil (Acts 10:38).

Peter’s Growth: Forsaking All

After these events, Jesus challenged Peter and encouraged him to take on even greater committed service to God and His people.

Luke 5:1-5:
And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

Peter had seen Jesus perform mighty miracles, including healing his own mother-in-law. Here Jesus is at the Sea of Galilee not far from Peter’s hometown of Capernaum. Jesus allowed Peter to help move God’s Word by using his boat to teach from.

Afterward, Jesus gave Peter some very practical advice about where to go fishing. He asked Peter to cast all of his nets into the deep. Peter knew that Jesus had told him he would catch men, but Peter wasn’t convinced that Jesus knew a lot about the fishing business. He tried to “be nice” and go along, just a little, with Jesus’ suggestion by throwing in a single net.

Luke 5:6,7:
And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

Peter saw that Jesus Christ knew how to fish, not by years of experience in the fishing business like Peter and his partners, but because Jesus walked by the spirit of God. At this point, Peter was full of condemnation for doubting the Master. He was ready to quit and allow Jesus to walk away from his life. Falling at Jesus’ knees, he asked him to leave.

Luke 5:8-10:
When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon….

Peter had grown in commitment, but when it came to giving up the fishing business and fully trusting God, he was not quite there yet. Jesus could have made Peter feel even worse about his failure. But he didn’t. Jesus Christ gave Peter the opportunity to totally sell out in service and keep God first in all that he did. At this point, Peter and his partners “forsook all” and followed God’s only-begotten Son.

Luke 5:10,11:
…And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Peter’s Growth: Faithful to the End

Later, Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James, and John to be apostles (Luke 6:12-14). Peter grew in leadership and service so that he helped about three thousand people get born again on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-41). He served as a great leader in the early church and was the first to bring salvation to the Gentiles (Acts 10: 1—11:18). His final written words show his great heart to grow in commitment, and to encourage others to do so.

II Peter 3:18:
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Like Peter, may we also grow in grace and in our commitment to, and our knowledge of, our lord and savior, Jesus Christ.  Let’s enjoy the growing process, lovingly and patiently,  as we learn from our heavenly Father. Then we can glorify Him through His wonderful Son!