Discipleship - Its challenge.
by David Silvester
For many Christians Peter is the disciple we can most readily identify with, because of the shortcomings he displays.
In this verse I identify with his desire to stick close to Jesus whatever the cost and wish I had Peter’s directness and boldness at times, especially when I’m amongst those whose faith and commitment seem to have slipped into the ‘easy chair’.
Peter’s question, ‘Lord, why can’t I follow you now?’ was really the desire of his heart at that moment, and I don’t doubt that he meant what he said. But what Peter didn’t know was that a series of circumstances would soon follow where the real weaknesses within him would be revealed.
Probably we all have heart’s desires that are genuine like Peter’s, but when we’re faced with totally unexpected situations we discover just how powerless we are, and like Peter, we fall short.
Jesus knew all about how Peter would fail and deny Him, long before it happened, but that didn’t prevent Him calling Peter to follow Him.
Jesus reinstated Peter after the Resurrection, and he became a mighty man of God in the early church. Tradition has it that Peter was crucified upside down at the end of his ministry. When Jesus calls us to follow Him can we face the challenge of what it could eventually lead to?
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for calling me to follow You, and thank You for all the help You’ve given me over the years as I’ve endeavoured to fulfil that call. Please help me to be aware of pitfalls, and help me avoid those situations where I could so easily fail You, Amen.
David Silvester is married and has a son, two daughters and eight grandchildren. He trained as a production engineer. He then moved on to become a lecturer of engineering craft skills before being called of God in his early fifties to become a pastor of a Baptist church. He says that,"having previously experienced an amazing healing on a day others expected me to die, it came as no surprise that God directed me and my wife, Margaret, to become involved with Ellel Ministries."
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