Not Always My Favorite Passage

In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus tells Peter that “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.” As we read the rest of Jesus’ statement it is clear that Satan’s request has been granted. Oh, boy. Poor Peter. Things are about to get rough.

But like everything else in the Bible, there’s a personal application. You see, the “you” is plural. I’m pretty sure Satan has asked to take a run at all believers. And God, in His good wisdom and loving desire to see us perfected and purified, has granted that request. So just as much as Peter was about to be severely tested and even hit rock bottom (see verse 62), we also should not be surprised at the testing of our faith. A severe, hitting-rock-bottom, where-else-shall-I-go kind of trial – where nothing remains but the gold of our relationship with Jesus (see John 6:68).

Just remember that, as He did for Peter, Jesus prays for us so that when we turn back we will be available to strengthen our Christian brothers and sisters who are going through their own similar but different trials. God Himself allowed (even authored) the trial and is keenly aware of it. He is intimately involved every step of the way, catching every tear that falls from our eyes. If our hearts feel broken, His is more so. But He sees the end, knows the end, even if we don’t.

And as He promised Peter, God Himself will get us there.

For the Glory of God

We’ve talked a bit about one reason for painful things happening in our lives (see Pruning, Job, Heading into the Storm, and The Little Stuff). But there are three other reasons I can see in the Bible. One of these Jesus calls “for the glory of God” (John 9 and 11). But what does that mean? In simplest terms, it means something that reveals – and hopefully advances – the Kingdom of God.

In John 9:1 we meet a man who has been blind all his life. The disciples, only being aware of a connection between suffering and sin, ask Jesus, “Whose fault is it that this man was born blind: was it his sin or the sin of his parents?” Jesus replies that it was the fault of neither but so that the hand of God might be displayed in this man’s life.

Wow. This grown man had been blind (never an easy thing but possibly even worse back then) since birth just so Jesus could come along and heal him? Seems a bit much.

But look at the results. God is revealed to the man, his parents, his neighbors and the religious leaders. To all it has an effect. The man becomes a follower of Jesus while his parents and the leaders choose to reject Jesus.

We see the same thing with the story of the death of Lazarus (John 11 and 12:9-10). Jesus could have saved Lazarus from dying but He didn’t. Not only that, but when He heard that Lazarus was sick, Jesus delayed His response for two days. So Lazarus not only died but, by the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been entombed for longer than the three days that Jewish tradition taught that the soul stayed with the body after death.

Why all the seemingly needless pain and suffering (on the part of Lazarus, his family and his friends) when Jesus was going to restore Lazarus to health and life anyway? Again, to reveal the handiwork of God. As with blind man, everyone one was affected by this miracle. Many put their trust in Jesus while others rejected and sought to kill him.

One final example since, in an earlier post (Heading into the Storm), I spoke of how storms can be used to mature us. In Acts 27:13 – 28:10 Paul encounters a life-threatening storm. It is through no fault of his and, furthermore, there is no clear indication that the storm brings about an increase in Paul’s maturity and closeness to God. Rather, the storm is used (successfully) to declare God to the soldiers and sailors on board the ship as well as to the inhabitants of the island on which they are finally shipwrecked.

So when a storm comes in your life (as they so often do), one thing to look for is how it can positively influence others for the Kingdom of God. It’s not what most people think of when they think of evangelism but it may be the very thing needed to save those around you.

Heading into the Storm

There’s a passage in Luke 8:22-25 in which Jesus suggests to His disciples that they all travel by boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. They all get in the boat and set out and Jesus promptly lies down and takes a nap. Next thing you know, a massive storm appears out of nowhere and threatens to capsize the boat. The disciples have good reason to believe that this might be the end. Of course, it’s not. They wake Jesus, He rebukes the wind and the waves and then rebukes the disciples for their lack of faith.

Didn’t Jesus know the storm was coming?? Then why did He tell His disciples to get in the boat? And having knowingly placed them in life-threatening danger, why did He then check out? Did He not care?

Does He not care about me? About you?

You bet He does. The disciples were never in any real danger. Their faith was not being tested, it was being increased. Jesus was teaching and growing His disciples in one of the most – and sometimes only – effective way: through a storm.

Jesus knew the storm was coming. In fact, He planned it that way. He loved His disciples way too much to take them by any other route or on any other day.

He loves us just as much.