We may stumble, but we will not fall | Luke 22:31-61
Easter is all about the victory Jesus won on the cross. God’s beloved Son was obedient unto death to bring salvation to all mankind. Even though Jesus was overwhelmed with sorrow at the Garden of Gethsemane over the cup He was called to drink (Mark 14:34), He did not falter, but endured the humiliation and agony to the end to bring God’s plan of salvation to fruition.
Yet Jesus was not the only one who went through the test of fire during Jesus’s final days on earth. The disciples, too, were thrown into confusion, apprehension, and heartbreaks that undoubtedly caught them by surprise. In one of the final conversations between Jesus and His disciples, Peter was so certain that he would be by Jesus’s side regardless of what might happen. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (Mark 14: 31). “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you” (John 13:37). “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33).
Peter was willing, and he thought he was ready. He refused to believe Jesus’s prediction that he would deny Jesus three times before the rooster crowed that night. But right when Jesus was betrayed and arrested before his eyes, when everyone started fleeing to abandon their teacher, He ran and deserted his Lord too (Mark 14: 50). He wanted so much to still be there for Jesus, but in the courtyard of the high priest’s house, when He was confronted not once, not twice, but three times about his association with Jesus, he denied knowing the man he vowed to die for (Luke 22:54-62).
The rooster crowed. Peter had stumbled in a way that was unimaginable to himself. He who had prided himself on his bravery and loyalty had turned his back on his beloved mentor. It was a betrayal that brought so much shame and guilt that Peter broke down and wept bitterly. He didn’t think he could sink so low, but he did. Indeed, none of us plans to stumble. But the intense fear and anxiety that grips our hearts when we are suddenly entrapped in unforeseen situations often leaves us paralyzed and overtaken by reflexes, and we stumble in ways that surprise even ourselves.
Your faith will not fail
Yet Jesus was not surprised. He even makes provisions for us ahead of every unexpected way we may stumble, because this is the provision Jesus made for Peter before the challenge came His way. This is what Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of 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” (Luke 22:31-32).
In the span of 2 verses, Jesus managed to reveal the behind-the-scene of every challenge that is placed on our path and every temptation that causes us to stumble. From our limited human perspective, all we see are the circumstances that close in on us, which leave us feeling like we have no choice but to react in the most instinctual ways.
But what Jesus said shows us that Satan was, and is, constantly looking for ways to make us stumble. The circumstance that caused Peter to deny Jesus was orchestrated and planned by the devil. He wanted to sift Jesus’s disciples as wheat, to create confusion and fear and anxiety that prevent them from remembering what Jesus did or said, in the hope of destroying their faith.
Nonetheless, this verse also shows that even Satan has to ask for permission from Jesus. Satan is cunning and malicious, but he is not greater than our God. More importantly, because Jesus knew what was coming, He was able to pray for Peter ahead of time, praying that Peter’s faith may not fail despite the trials coming his way.
Notice how Jesus called Peter “Simon” here, which was Peter’s original name before Jesus granted him the new name that means “rock” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus addressed this revelation to Simon because the person who needed to hear this was Simon—the fisherman who abandoned all to follow Jesus, who was impulsive and sometimes overly confident, who was not completely ready to be the rock on which Jesus would build His church.
But Simon was also whom Jesus prayed for. Jesus understands the ways our most instinctive selves would react to Satan’s scheme and deception. Thus as the pioneer and perfector of our faith, He has cast a safety net below us, so that even if we stumble, our faith will not fail. We think we are tackling these temptations and challenges on our own, but Jesus has long made provisions for us, limiting the extent of our trials and protecting us from losing our faith altogether. He will not allow us to be tested beyond what we can bear (1 Cor 10:13).
Turn back and strengthen your brothers
Still, fear got the better of Peter. He swore, he called down curses, vehemently denying to be one of Jesus’s disciples (Mark 14:71). He had failed his test and stumbled, seemingly proving that he would never become the rock Jesus called him to be. But as he remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him about his denial of Jesus (Luke 22:61), I wonder if he recalled that Jesus also said this to him, “And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22: 32).
Peter might have been so disappointed in himself that he thought he would never be worthy to call Jesus Lord again. But Jesus had shown him grace before he knew he needed it. Knowing full well that Peter would stumble, Jesus reminded Peter that he could turn back. In fact, not only was Peter not dismissed and relegated to the sidelines after his stumbling, but Jesus’s charge for him remained—he was still called to strengthen his brothers. Simon would still become Peter, and eventually be the courageous leader of his fellow believers as intended by his Lord and mentor.
Peter might have lost faith in himself, but Jesus never did. He knew that this stumbling was just one episode in Peter’s journey of faith, a misstep that could be turned into the biggest blessing for his growth and equipping. It is precisely because Peter had stumbled that he would shed his over-confidence and learn the importance of humility and watchful alertness. It is in his turning back from his failures that he would learn how to help and strengthen his brothers and sisters when they stumble. It is in surrendering his guilt and shame to accept the grace Jesus has offered that he would learn how to treat his fellow believers with grace, acceptance, and encouragement.
No one is immune to stumbling. We all have moments when we falter and give in to the devil’s scheme to derail us. But Jesus who conquered even death is the Lord who knows how to safeguard our faith. He knows all about our weaknesses and the ways we can stumble, and yet He loves us, reaffirms us, and encourages us. In His grace, He still calls us worthy to serve alongside Him for His kingdom. We can turn back regardless of how we have failed, because the power of the resurrected Christ will enable us to do so. So long as we continue to follow Jesus, we will be growing into the role God calls us to fulfill. May we be reminded of the grace and power that has been granted to Peter this Easter, and know that we have been called, strengthened, protected, and reaffirmed in the same loving way.
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