Luke 22:31–34 (NIV)
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”
In this one short passage, three of the most advanced concepts in Christianity converge.
- Satan has to ask to sift them as wheat. (Yes, “you” is plural in verse 31.) He has to ask!
- When Jesus says, “I have prayed for you,” whatever He says next is what’s going to happen next. Jesus’ prayers get answered. (But note that “you” here is singular.)
- Jesus doesn’t pray for Satan’s request to be denied. Rather, he prays, “that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
Together, these things illuminate the doctrine of Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. (ESV)
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.(NKJV)
Of course, we cannot comprehend how and why God does what He does, but today’s passage gives us a look at how His higher ways play out in Simon’s life. He’s still not ready for the task of leading the church, but the college of hard knocks is about to go nuclear. Satan—clueless as ever—thinks he’s about to launch a brilliant attack on the disciples.
Instead, he will lay the groundwork for spreading the gospel throughout the world. His attacks will strengthen them, then kill them. The result will be unassailable evidence of the truth of the resurrection.
Jesus’ words, “the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me,” will haunt Simon for the rest of his life. Remember, Luke wasn’t an eyewitness here; he wrote this passage based on interviews. Try to imagine Simon unloading this on Luke. Every minute of every day, he’s reminded that his failure that night was total.
Or was it? Jesus prayed that his faith should not fail. His faith didn’t fail, though his courage sure did. That part must change for Simon to accomplish the next task— “and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
As painful as all this is for Simon, it’s necessary to turn him into Peter—the rock.
“No pain, no gain” isn’t just about exercise. It’s actually much more apt for growth in Christ. Are you, like Peter, haunted by your past failures?
Good. They happened for a reason; they make you stronger. Don’t try to forget or suppress them. Lay them before the Lord and ask Him to show you how they are working in you.
Embrace His forgiveness.
