Life's Great Arc

Life’s Great arc

Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”

Matthew 26:33 ESV

Early on in the Revolutionary War, King George and the British hierarchy made two strategic errors. First, they overestimated the loyalty of their American subjects. England’s defense of the colonies in the French and Indian Wars had drained the coffers of the crown and England surmised surely their gratitude would be worth a few new taxes. Secondly, they underestimated the patriotic fervor that burned in the hearts of a younger generation who thirsted for freedom from what they saw as tyranny. The rebels of the colonies sort liberty because they felt imprisoned by a king who desired taxes without representation.

Success in war and life depends greatly on proper estimations of the battlefield. Rushing into a sword fight with toothpick will not end well. Unless, of course, your name is David and you’re carrying a sling and five stones. To err in our calculations concerning our abilities and strength is to court failure and possible disaster. In our spiritual lives it is natural to overestimate our own intestinal fortitude while underestimating the power of Christ within us. There is a reason that this is a common pitfall.

When a man receives Christ, he is instantly thrust into a new and often confusing landscape. All that he has known before that moment is useless to him now, and yet, he does not know it. Having entered a world which is new to him, it is natural to rely on well-worn strategies. He has confidence he will conquer the Christian life in the same way, and with the same methods, he has in his past life experiences. Strength and determination are old friends that have rarely failed him. Self-assurance is his battle cry. Headstrong out of the gate, with nostrils flaring, he charges into this new adventure of walking with Christ. He trims the sails of his schooner, USS Confidence, believing he has what it takes to reward Christ with his fine service and unfailing devotion. Other ships have sunk but he will not share the ocean floor with them. The Captain will be happy that he brought him on board.

However, he has entered waters of which he knows little with strong, hidden undercurrents. But before long he runs into the wall of his own weakness. What eventually surfaces is an enemy he thought was his friend. He discovers through stormy seas that there is a greater opponent to understand and conquer. He slowly comes to realize that the enemy within is too great to defeat. To his great dismay we finally sees that the Christian life is not just difficult, it is impossible. Hitting the ocean floor, he looks around to see a thousand sunken vessels filled with well-meaning sailors of like mind. The leader of the apostolic band walked on that same ocean floor.

Peter was the obvious leader of the twelve. He was the oldest and therefore the most experienced in life’s ebb and flow. The crusty fisherman had been following Jesus for several years, when, in a matter of days, it all fell apart. In the mind of Peter, he was the one disciple who would not fail Jesus. However, when the Master spoke of being crucified, the strong-willed fisherman fiercely objected. Before the others was sternly rebuked by Jesus and then, after his arrest, he denied even knowing him. With the final crow of the rooster Peter sunk like a rock. Thankfully, that was not the end of his journey.

Jesus was not surprised when Peter failed to stand strong and he is not dismayed when we utterly failure to live the Christian life. In fact, he patiently waits for our efforts to meet their eventual collapse. The man who longs for oxygen is the one who is submerged in saltwater. Leaving the useless ship of self-reliance at the bottom of the sea he swims to the surface gasping for air. Jesus longs for our total collapse so that we might look to him for life itself. He does not want to empower us; he wants to be the power within us.

Many years later Peter wrote this, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:12,13) After Peter’s face-plant in the presence of his fellow disciples, he was a changed man. He was transformed into a glorious expression of God’s grace. This rugged fisherman from Galilee had allowed the power of Jesus Christ to so soften his heart, and transform his walk, that he embraced suffering and failure as a friend. For Peter it was no longer how many fish he could catch but the joy of having been netted by Jesus.