Luke 22:31-34

Luke 22:31-34

Simon, Simon.  Look! Satan longs to sift you all as wheat.  And I long, regarding you al, in order that the faith should not leave you.  And after the time when you return, strengthen your brothers.” And he said to Him, “Lord, with you I am ready to journey also into a prison and into death.”  And He replied, “I say to you, Peter, a cock will not crow this day until three times you should deny to have known me.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus doesn’t speak about Satan very often – certainly less frequently than we speak about Satan!  But here Jesus does tell us something rather important.  Satan deserves to sift us like wheat.  In other words, Satan desires to go through us and find the weak ones, the useless ones, the ones who can be pulled away from the others and not missed.  Satan wants to pull us away from God.  He isn’t looking for recruits; he’s looking to keep us from relationship with our creator.

When you think about the work of Satan, what do you think about?  Where do you feel his temptation in your life?

Second Thought:

In contrast to Satan, Jesus desires that faith should not leave us.   Yet, if we look at the words that Jesus says, He knows that we aren’t going to be perfect.  Jesus looks to Peter and tells him that when his faith should return that he needs to strengthen the faith of the rest of the disciples.  Jesus knows Peter will fall away.  He knows that with what’s coming, Peter will be faced with all sorts of doubt.  He knows us.  He knows we will all struggle and have moments of weakness.  Yet, He still wants to use us.  He doesn’t give up on us.  He calls us to usefulness in the kingdom even after we have a moment of weakness.

What does this passage tell us about God’s love?  What does it tell us about His forgiveness?

Third Thought:

Peter tells Jesus that he will go with Jesus even into death.  Unfortunately, we know that this isn’t true.  As Jesus asserts, Peter will deny Jesus three times.  Jesus knows Peter better than Peter knows himself.  Again, though, this shows us Jesus’ grace and mercy.  Even when Peter doesn’t accept the truth about himself, Jesus doesn’t give up on him.

When has God had reason to give up on you, yet He hasn’t?  When have you been blind to the truth about your own weakness?

Passage for Tomorrow: Luke 22:35-38