Luke 22:31, 32
“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.” (NIV)

“Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.” (MSG)

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There is a lot going on here. 

Can’t you imagine the conversation the evil one had with Jesus? “Come on, Jesus. You know that Peter guy is wishy-washy at best. Can’t make up his mind and keep it made up. When the going gets tough, he’s going to get going — in the other direction! Let me take care of him now. I can solve that problem for you before it gets any worse.”

Aren’t you glad Jesus is Jesus? 

In his report to Peter, he says, “Stay on your toes.” The New International Version says it this way:

“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.” 

Get the picture? A moment of testing is coming, so severe that Jesus felt the need to pray on behalf of his big fishy disciple. The Rock they called him. He was Rocky in his own mind. He was a Rock on that night before Jesus was arrested. He Rocked with his sword as he cut off a guy’s ear. Then, when the going got tough, the Rock got rolling. 

Jesus didn’t need another problem. He needed a Rock. 

So let’s make sure we get the picture here. Satan saw Peter for who he was. Jesus saw Peter for who he could be. Jesus saw how Peter needed heavenly assistance to Rock on. Jesus knew that, even with all of heaven on his side, Peter would roll away. He also knew that failure is not fatal when we return to the Rock of Ages. 

Jesus can do more with us at our worst than we can do with ourselves at our best. 

Jesus said, “And when you’ve turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 

When, not if. 

“Strengthen your brothers.” Not, “Draw strength from others.”

Sometimes, combined weakness multiplies strength. That’s the way it works when Jesus is in charge. 

Here’s what Jesus knows about you and me:
1. We will fail. 
2. He always seeks our highest and best.
3. He restores us so that we may restore others.

To this last point, check out the Psalm 23, where it says, “He restores my soul.” See also 2 Corinthians 1:1-11, where, eleven times, depending on the translation you read, the Apostle Paul tells struggling disciples to comfort one another with the comfort they have received from Jesus. 

You may feel like a failure. You may have failed. You may have failed as spectacularly as the Apostle Peter. Failure should be followed by recovery, and our Father in heaven has provided everything we need to recover. He restores us, renews us, refreshes us, and uses us to help others experience recovery. 

Satan wants to sift us because he doesn’t want restoration and renewal to catch on, because the whole world will be changed if that starts happening. 

And that is Good News. That is the Gospel. 

Eugene Peterson’s Message paraphrase really helps us with the last part of these verses. 

“When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.”

Testing helps us in two different directions. It helps us see where we still need to grow, and it helps us help others where we have grown. Lean on your brothers and sisters in Christ today for those areas where you’re struggling to succeed, and provide strength to your brothers and sisters in Christ who haven’t quite mastered what you have. We really do need each other. 

These would be good verses to commit to memory. 

These would be good verses to commit to life.

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I will commit these verses to memory and to life. 

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Our Father, Peter, recovered from what was likely one of the worst failures possible. You saw it coming. You made it possible for him to succeed in that test. He failed anyway. You made it possible for him to be restored and renewed. You restored him and renewed him. What you did for Peter, you do for us. You take the pebbles of our faith and practice and turn them into stones of remembrance. You make it possible for us to bear evidence of your grace, mercy, and kindness. You make us carriers of your goodness and compassion. Thank you that failure, even spectacular failure like Peter’s, doesn’t have to be fatal. Instead, it can become the rock we stand on as we live the better lives you make possible. Amen.