Pavarotti, Domingo and that Other Guy, and Peter.

PETER’S PROBLEM

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

"Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:22-31 (NIV)

Simon Peter was a compulsive man of action. But he was always tripping, probably because he kept trying to walk with one foot in his mouth. That was his other characteristic, not being able to keep his mouth shut. It makes him a good foil. We sit here and snicker at his bluster as he takes a few steps onto the water, looks down and sinks. It brings images of Wily Coyote running several feet off the side of a cliff, and then realizing nothing solid is under him and plummeting.

But I'll tell you, I didn't see any of those other guys jumping off the boat. Nobody else was making any leap of faith here. How about you and me? Would we have stepped over the railing in a storm and believed we could walk even one stride length on water?

Even so, Peter lost it and Jesus had to save him. 

Hmm? All kinds of lessons going on here wouldn’t you say? 

Peter steps out boldly when his eyes are on Christ, but he begins to sink when he looks away and cuts his contact with God. He is in danger of drowning until Jesus takes hold of him and saves him. So is the metaphor that as long as we keep our eyes on Christ we will be okay?

I think there is more to it than that. Jesus was walking on the water a few yards away. Yes, Peter glanced down and began to sink. But why couldn't he have simply looked back at Jesus and kept going? What was missing? Let's look at some of Peter's yo-yo performances as an Apostle and try to unravel this mystery.

Early on, Peter seems to have a lot less faith. Jesus has been teaching a crowd from one of Simon Peter's boats.  When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.  Luke 5:4-10 (NIV)

Peter never feared speaking his mind. He isn't telling Jesus to command him to do anything here. He's already sinking. Can't you just see him rolling his eyes when he says, "But because you say so." You can just hear him whisper under his breath to James or John, "shows you how much a carpenter knows about fishing. But he's the boss and we are not to reason why."  

Of course by the time he attempts to walk on water he's seen several other miracles besides this, like feeding thousands of people with just a few fish and chips. Still, as long as Jesus is right there to grab him, he gets bold, but if Jesus goes a bit distant or Peter gets distracted by worldly trouble, he sinks again.

It is after one of those big crowd feedings that Jesus asks his Disciples a question: "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ." Mark 8:29 (NIV)

Sounds like Peter has it together now, doesn't it? For about two minutes, until Jesus began telling them what was going to happen.

He (Jesus) then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Mark 8:31-33 (NIV)

You can see Peter was a self-assured man. He was full of pride and he trusted in his own ability to solve problems. He just declared Jesus the Messiah, yet Peter has the audacity to tell the Son of God he doesn't know what he is talking about. No one is going to harm Jesus while Peter is around. Old Rock-hard Peter the Pebble is going to keep Jesus safe. "Don't worry, Christ, anyone threatens and I'll save you," he says and once again it is Jesus has to save Peter, this time from Satan.

Being a fast learner, Peter now understands and never questions Jesus again, right?

Yeah, right. It's a Passover week. Jesus has the Disciples together and he begins to do something out of protocol to him and their positions.

After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you not going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" John 13:5-9 (NIV)

What is Peter's problem? Is he bipolar or something? At least he may be becoming more contrite or maybe not.

They are in the Garden of Gethsemane. A whole bunch of soldiers show up to arrest Jesus.

Again he (Jesus) asked them, "Who is it you want?" 
 And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." "I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go." This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me." Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) John 18: 7-10 (NIV)

Despite all the times that Jesus told his Apostles this was going to happen, Peter is still trying to be the protector. He is carrying a sword. He uses it in this situation. Believe me, it wasn't Peter's intention to cut off Malchus' ear. He was going to cut off the whole head, but Malchus ducked. Old Peter was going to take on the whole military outfit. Once again, Peter was going to save Jesus and Jesus had to step forth and save Peter.

Peter the Brave, the Savior's savior, isn't he quite the superhero? We find out just how super Peter is not long afterward his short swordplay.

Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in. "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter. 


He replied, "I am not." John 18:15-18. (NIV)

Jesus is out of sight, out of mind. Peter is for Peter here. He's looking down into the stormy cold sea and trying to swim to shore to save him self. 

Yet later we will see a Peter who won't deny Christ even under torture or death, despite the fact that Jesus is gone to Heaven and Peter can't stand right next to Him and see Him and be grabbed by Him. What was Peter's problem all those other times when Jesus was right nearby and what cured it?

There is a Seinfeld episode called "The Maestro". A running gag involves "The Three Tenors".  You know, Pavarotti, Domingo and...and...and that other guy.

Pavarotti, Domingo and that other guy, therein lays the answer to Peter's problem.

PETER’S SOLUTION

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:1-14 (NIV)

When did this discourse occur? Why, on the night of the last supper, on the eve of Christ's crucifixion, and he was preparing his Disciples for his leaving them. Thomas and Phillip, after all this time and what they had seen, do not sound ready to be great evangelists, no precursors of the two Billys: Sunday and Graham. And where is Simon Peter to reiterate his great profession of Jesus as the Son of God?

I wouldn't be surprise to learn Peter was over in a corner sulking at this moment because he's the one who asked Jesus where he was going and reacted with his usual bluster at the answer:

Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?"

Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."

 Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."

 Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!"  John 13:36-38 (NIV)

Even if Jesus wasn't God and knew what was going to happen tomorrow, he would have probably still asked if Peter would really lay down his life for him.  It was a "been there-done that" kind of moment.

If you think about that question, it is not just aimed at Peter. It's a question being asked of us as well. Will you and I really lay down our lives for Him?

Peter didn't come back with any snappy insistence that he would.  This is where Thomas and Phillip jumped in and showed they aren't so ready for things either. 

Jesus' reply is one of several in Scripture where he says he is God. "If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." And also here we have one of the core, undeniable principles of our faith, one of those on which we who claim to be Christian must agree or we will be like Peter denying we know Him: Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Yet, we still have Peter's problem. Peter does indeed deny knowing Jesus three times and then he runs and hides. Thomas and Phillip had already run and hid right after Jesus was arrested. At least Peter had the gumption to go with John to the courtyard.

And after the Crucifixion where were Peter and all these guys, and some gals that had been going everywhere with Jesus as well. Hiding in a room shaking in their boots. Seemed like Christianity was going nowhere.

Yeah, sure, Jesus rose again on Sunday and all and that boosted them up for a little over a month, but when he ascended up to Heaven, they didn't exactly hit the street corners proclaiming the good news.  They just kind of went back to that room and hung around wondering what to do next. 

They seem to have forgotten this:

"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." John 14:15-17 (NIV)

Despite three years of teachings and miracles and seeing Jesus rise from the dead, there was no fire in their belly. There didn't seem anything would get them fired up now. It didn't seem anything short of the room catching fire would get them out of it.

Which is exactly what it took. 

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit... Acts 2:1-4  (NIV)

They hotfooted it out of that room in a blaze that changed the world. Now it is our commission to carry the flame, for we are lamps and shouldn't hide our light. "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light." Luke 8:16 (NIV)

What was Peter's problem? He and the other disciples were men born just as we are with an empty place inside. They could walk around with the Lord and when they were with Him they took strength from God being near. But when Jesus was distant or gone, they just had that empty space. Jesus knew this and knew it was his sacrifice that would ultimately allow that empty space to be opened and filled. 

"All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (NIV)

If you have accepted Jesus as the Way, then you have the Holy Spirit in your formally empty space. You can't pray for the Spirit because you have already been given it. The more you use it the more you will have.  "Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him." Luke 8:18 (NIV)

When we look out on the stormy sea we will not see Jesus walking across the waves. If we see someone claiming he can calm the storm if we come to him, be careful, it isn't a ghost, it is the Prince of this World or one of his false prophets. No, don't look outward now. Look inward. God is always with us in the form of the Holy Spirit. We have what Peter lacked before Pentecost; we should not have Peter's problem. Just remember we know the truth and the world cannot unless we tell them.

 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.  John 14:17 (KJV)

Oh, in case you are curious, the Three Tenors were Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and...and...uh, that other guy...uh...

...Jose Carreras.