PETER'S POSITIVES

If you want to take pot shots at someone, Peter is certainly an easy target. We can find something wrong from his rebuke of Jesus (Mt. 16:22-23), to his denial, to his latent racism (Gal. 2:11-14) -- and almost anywhere in between.

But as one who expects to spend eternity with Peter, I feel that I owe him more than to constantly harp on his weaknesses. Which one of them is not multiplied ten-fold in me?

What was it that Jesus saw in Peter to allow him to arise to such prominence despite all of his shortcomings?

Perhaps it was because he was a self-starter (see Mt. 14:28, 15:15, 16:16, 17:4, 18:21, 19;27, Acts 2, 3, 4, etc.). Where would the church be today without its self-starters? Sometimes they go too far, and that tends to aggravate some Christians. Peter must have gotten on some people's nerves, but we don't hear about them.

Perhaps it was his incessant curiosity. He seemed never to take anything for granted, and constantly questioned the Master to learn more about the Way (see Mk. 11:21, Lk. 12:41, Jn. 6:68, 13:36).

Perhaps it was his humility and the raw emotion with which he displayed it (see Lk. 5:8, Jn. 13:6-9, Jn 21:7). These episodes reveal the heart of a man who recognized his humanity and the superiority of Christ.

Or, perhaps it was the emotion with which he loved the Lord (Jn. 21: 15-17). While Jesus required more than this (1 Jn. 5:3), the emotional type of love provided the basis upon which maturity could be built. And, it was Peter who was inspired to write so eloquently of maturity (2 Pet. 1:5-8).

Indeed, the depth of Peter's epistles reveals that the Holy Spirit can use even the weakest among us to be instruments of the Lord's service. Peter's bravery in the face of persecution and death is one of the greatest evidences of the resurrection of Christ -- for what but the recognition of Christ's divinity could have transformed the one who denied Christ to the courageous man who stated: "We must obey God rather than man" (Acts 5:29).

Oh that I had the faith to be crucified upside down! And even if tradition has it wrong, what a wonderful legacy he must have left for such a legend to be given credence.

The many positive aspects of Peter's life are an inspiration to all of us who are humbled by our own weaknesses.