I hope friends out there help me solve the seeming puzzle in the following verse.
Luke 22:31-32, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Satan has no power over God’s chosen ones. The fact that Satan asked suggests that he believed he had the right to sift Simon (Peter). The context of the passage indicates that the Lord Jesus was hinting at Simon’s denial of Jesus before it happened (Luke 22:54-62).
It is important to recall two major incidents around the death of Jesus: Judas betraying Jesus and Peter denying him. I believe that Peter’s denial of Jesus most likely was the ground for Satan’s asking to swift him like wheat.
It is interesting that the bible says that Judas “went away and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5) but Peter “went outside and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). Both felt guilt for failing Jesus, yet Peter’s reaction obviously fell short of the extreme: He did not kill himself, I believe most likely thanks to the Lord Jesus’ praying for him. Someone join me to thank God for Jesus’ intercessory ministry!
Here is the puzzle: I do not understand why the Lord Jesus did not just pray that Peter does not deny (fail) him but instead prayed that his faith may not fail?
I recall someone telling me that he read somewhere that “Christians are most probably the only soldiers that shoot their wounded comrades in war”. The brother was alluding to the tendency in the church to practice the law without mercy or, in other words, Discipline failing brethren for the sake of church discipline….It is important to note that unless church discipline is redemptive, that is, seeks restoration, it serves no good purpose and can only lead to losses in the Kingdom.
See, the fact is, Simon (Peter) was going to deny Jesus and God allowed it in His own wisdom. However, the fact is also that the lord Jesus would not suffer to lose him to Satan, which could have happened if Peter’s faith had failed. Hence, he prayed for his faith not to fail. Some of us today are grateful that Jesus did!
The “fall” of Peter did not have to mean the end of him as a chosen apostle. He was to fall but not stay on the ground. It was important for the kingdom of God that Peter got up again and put Satan to shame.
Let me tell you, you may have failed God many times or even just once but the Lord wants you to get up and get on with your calling as Christian. Whilst Satan dwells on and is interested in your failures, the Lord Jesus is more interested in your restoration. Get up and get on with encouraging the brethren and don’t you let anyone shut you up!
May the Lord help us!
