Full Peter, Empty Peter

From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: “God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you!” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.”

Matthew 16:21-23, NET

 

Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk!“ Then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. He jumped up, stood and began walking around…

While the man was hanging on to Peter and John, all the people, completely astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway called Solomon’s Portico. When Peter saw this, he declared to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us as if we had made this man walk by our own power or piety? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his servant Jesus…

Acts 2:6-8b, 11-13b, NET

We are vessels created to be filled. We crave a constant filling and will do anything to be full. The absence of fullness is painful.

Peter was once full of himself. From the day he answered Jesus’ invitation to empty his boat of fish and become a fisher of men, Peter scrambled to fill the empty places. He filled them with bravado, courage, and impulsivity; in the background, he became full of self-righteousness. Eventually, with the interests of man, not God. And this, a disciple who walked right beside Jesus on the dusty roads of Jerusalem!

We are no better. We crave constant filling. The drive to fill is involuntary, like breathing. I don’t consciously think about filling my lungs with air most of the day.

Jesus’ rebuke was not enough to stop Peter’s craving. We watch with agony as the drama of Full Peter continues.

Then Jesus said to them, “This night you will all fall away because of me, for it is written:

‘I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.“ Peter said to him, “If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!“ Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, on this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.“ Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you.“ And all the disciples said the same thing. 

Matthew 26:31-35 NET

Peter is full of trust in his loyalty, his goodness, and his commitment. A little less obvious was his appetite for the admiration of others. After Peter’s valiant declaration, all the disciples said the same thing. His strength and bravado were admirable; who could say anything different?

But we know the rest of the story. Peter denied Jesus, and thus began his emptying. Empty Peter is much different from full Peter.

Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk!“ Then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. He jumped up, stood and began walking around…

While the man was hanging on to Peter and John, all the people, completely astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway called Solomon’s Portico. When Peter saw this, he declared to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us as if we had made this man walk by our own power or piety? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his servant Jesus…

Acts 2:6-8b, 11-13b, NET

Empty Peter knew he had nothing considered valuable in the eyes of man. All he had was Jesus. 

Emptying scars us, for good. The scars of Peter’s selfishness made him sensitive to ever again taking glory from God. He flat-out refused. Jesus only, Jesus always. This was Empty Peter on full display.

Are you suffering right now? Perhaps it is your emptying. Sometimes, it takes painful measures to empty us of ourselves. Yet the paradox is this: Empty Me becomes Full of Jesus.

And with Peter, we declare from our emptiness, “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his servant Jesus!”

Lord, empty me. I will still myself before your faithful wounding so that I may be scarred for good. Amen.

@audreycfrank

Photo by Hennie Stander on Unsplash