The 4-week short-story series of “first-person accounts” for the Easter season concludes this week with Simon Peter’s story.
Please remember that this short story is a fictional first person account just like the others. It includes historical and fictional characters, as well as fictional details that have been added. i have, however, endeavored to keep the story factual as to the details conveyed through the Gospels.
My prayer is that, through the telling, we are reminded of the hope and assurance that is ours through Jesus. To that end, let’s look at this week’s account through the eyes of Simon Peter.
Simon the Cyrene’s Story (April 8)
Simon Peter’s Story (This week - April 15)
All four of these Easter stories will be included in the book The One Who Stood Before Us
Watch for its release FEBRUARY 2021
________________________________
My name is Simon … or at least it was until Jesus changed it. I grew up in Bethsaida on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. I was a fisherman who later became a fisher of men. My father, Jonah, was teaching me how to swim and fish before I learned to walk. I once would have told you that my father taught me everything I needed to know about being a good fisherman. That is, until I met Jesus! But I’m getting ahead of myself.
My father died ten years ago. So, as his oldest son, I became the head of our family and our part of a fishing business. My father was in a partnership with his friend, Zebedee, for many years. The two men had learned that they could be more successful working together than they could be separately. As their respective sons grew, we all became a part of the business – Zebedee’s sons James and John, and my younger brother Andrew and myself.
Jehovah God continued to bless our efforts with bountiful harvests from the sea. Herod Antipas’s decision to construct his new capital city, Tiberias, brought even more hungry mouths to our nearby communities. As I am sure you know, no self-respecting Jew will set foot in the city, but we began trading with the Tiberian food merchants who came to us. So demand was high, business was good and our enterprise continued to prosper.
The greatest of God’s blessings in my life is my wife, Gabriella. She is a wise, strong and understanding woman. Those who know me will tell you that I am an impulsive man with the tendency to act first and then think through the ramifications. I have been known to come home discouraged by the events of the day and often the results of my own misactions. But my dear Gabriella would lovingly and patiently reason with me, caution me to go slowly, and encourage me to rise above my trials and disappointments. In sickness, she has been my comfort; and whenever I have followed my heart, she has been right there to cheer me on.
In His sovereignty, God did not grace us with a son, but He has blessed us with two beautiful daughters who thankfully take after their mother. They will be known for their beauty that comes from within; the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.(1) My future sons-in-law will be blessed men – just as I have been!
Our increased trade enabled Zebedee and I to hire additional men to work with us on our boats. As a matter of fact, there may be a future son-in-law or two in their midst! Hiring those additional fishermen proved to be most helpful when several years ago, Andrew and John came to us and asked to be released from their work responsibilities so they could seek out the prophet, John the Baptizer. He was creating quite a stir as a prophetic voice crying out in the wilderness with a message of repentance. Andrew and John felt God leading them to become his disciples. Zebedee and I released them without hesitation to follow their God-given pursuit. Our fishing enterprise would enable us to provide them with the means to provide for themselves.
Slightly more than three years ago, Andrew and John returned home. They excitedly shared with us that they had met the One whom the baptizer had declared to be the Messiah. They told us that His name was Jesus and He was from Nazareth. He had spoken to them out of the writings of the prophets with an authority like they had never heard.
Andrew and John had straightaway come to tell us about Jesus. A few days later, when Jesus arrived in Bethsaida, Andrew took me to meet Him. As we approached Him, He looked at me very intently. It was as if He was looking into my very soul and knew everything I had ever done, and everything I would ever do. As He looked at me, Jesus said, “You are Simon, son of Jonah, but I will no longer call you Simon, for you will be called Peter, which means ‘a rock’”.(2) He saw me in a way that I could not see myself. And for the first time in my life, I was struck silent. All I could do was marvel at this Man!
When Jesus set out for Capernaum, Andrew and John accompanied Him. I remained in Bethsaida to attend to our business. But my every thought was about Jesus. I knew that my life would never again be the same – and my heart was being drawn to follow Him. But what would I do regarding my responsibilities – to my wife, my family, and my business partner?
That night, I told Gabriella about meeting Jesus. I told her what He had said to me. “Gabriella, I believe He is the promised One,” I said. “Though we only just met, I believe He knows me better than I know myself. I believe my life will be different because of Him. I believe all of our lives will be different because of Him!”
My wife looked at me and said, “Have you considered the possibility that you may be meant to travel with Him and become one of His disciples?” I couldn’t believe she was asking me that question. I had been struggling with that very idea ever since i had met Jesus. “I can’t just leave and follow Him,” I replied. “I can’t abandon you and the girls, or Zebedee and the business. God has called me to be your husband, a father to the girls and a partner to Zebedee. I cannot turn my back on you or what God has called me to do.”
“You are a man of honor, Simon,” Gabriella said. “That’s one of the many reasons I love you. And I know you will never abandon me or your family. But I also know that if God calls you to follow the Messiah, you must do so. And we must all trust God to take care of us. His call on one of us is a call on all of us. If God so leads, the girls and I will go to Capernaum to live with my mother. We will be fine. I will trust God – and you must also! Let us watch and see how God leads!”
Shortly thereafter, Andrew and John returned. They told us about how Jesus had turned water into wine at a wedding celebration in Cana. They had seen Him cast out an evil spirit from a man in Capernaum. They had heard Him teach in the synagogue in a way that astounded even the rabbis. There was no question that Jesus was unlike any man they had ever known.
A few days later, in the early morning, Andrew, James, John and I had been fishing all through the night but hadn’t caught any fish. We were washing and mending our nets when Jesus arrived on the shore and began to preach to a crowd that was gathering around Him. Our fishing boats were there at the water’s edge.
As the crowd pressed in, Jesus turned to me and asked if He could step into one of the boats and be pushed off shore a little ways so that He could more easily speak to the crowd. I didn’t hesitate and did exactly what Jesus had asked. When He was done speaking to the crowd, He turned to me and said, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”(3)
I replied, “Master, we worked hard all night and didn’t catch a thing. But at Your word, I’ll let the nets down again.”(4) As soon as the nets were in the water, a great commotion arose as they filled with fish. I called out to Zebedee and the others to come out in the other boat and help Andrew and me bring in the catch. Soon both boats were so full of fish that we feared they would sink. I had never experienced anything like that!
Realizing what had just happened, I cried out to Jesus saying, “Oh, Lord, please leave me, for I am a sinful man.”(5) Jesus looked at me and said, “Do not fear! From now on you will be fishing for people!”(6)
Just then, I looked up and saw Gabriella and our daughters in the crowd. She was smiling at me and nodding her head. We both knew what I must do. To Zebedee’s credit, he too knew what James, John, Andrew and I had to do. He never asked us to reconsider our decision. He knew that Jesus’ call on our lives to follow Him was also a call on his life to stay and maintain the business so we would be free to follow Him.
I bid farewell to my wife and daughters. Zebedee bid farewell to his sons. And immediately we departed with Jesus! We had no idea what the journey would entail. We watched in amazement as Jesus stilled the winds and the seas. We witnessed Him heal the lame and the blind. Lepers were made whole. Those possessed by demons were set free. Multitudes were fed with a mere pittance of food.
One night, Jesus even summoned me in the midst of a storm to step out onto the waves and walk toward Him. Miraculously, I walked on the water … until I took my eyes off of Him. My impulsiveness often caused me to speak out – sometimes correctly – but often requiring correction from my Master. But even when Jesus was rebuking me, I knew that He loved me. It became apparent to all of us that Jesus was preparing me to become a shepherd of our band of disciples – in spite of my many imperfections.
The months and years passed quickly. Just a few weeks ago we were back in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. I will never forget our entry into the city on the first day of that week. Jesus rode into the city on the back of a colt. The people poured out of the city to cheer Him along with shouts of “Hosanna!” They laid garments and palm branches in His path. It appeared that the entire city was prepared to welcome Him as our Messiah.
But soon the week took a very unexpected turn. On the eve of the Passover, we all gathered in an upper room to share in our traditional Passover Seder, just as we had on previous occasions. But very quickly it became clear that this occasion would be different.
Soon after we arrived, Jesus got up from the table and kneeled before each one of us to wash our dirty feet. The Son of the Almighty God was washing our feet! We sat there in shock not knowing what to do or say. This was our Lord and our Master serving us in such a menial way.
When Jesus came to me, I protested. But He said, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to Me.”(7) Then in my impetuous way, I exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”(8) Jesus patiently responded, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean.”(9)
When Jesus returned to His place at the table, He asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? Since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Do as I have done to you.”(10)
As we ate our Passover meal, I thought about what Jesus had just said, and His message became clear. If He served, we are to serve. If He humbled Himself for the sake of the Kingdom, we are to humble ourselves for the sake of the Kingdom. If He gave all for us, we are to give all for Him.
My thoughts were interrupted when Jesus said, “Here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray Me.”(11) I couldn’t believe my ears! How could that be?
Later as we were walking together to the Garden of Gethsemane, I said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with You, and even to die with You,”(12) But I was shocked when He responded by telling me that I would deny Him three times that very night.
As most of you are well aware, that is exactly what I did! After Jesus was arrested that night, I denied that I even knew Him. My denial wasn’t even to those in authority who were making accusations against me, it was to household servants who were more curious than they were accusatory. Then, at the very moment of my third denial, my eyes met with His. To my even greater sorrow, His gaze was not accusatory or condemning, rather it was one of love and forgiveness.
Jesus had known what I would do! He had known that day when He first called me “Peter.” He had chosen me to walk with Him as a trusted follower, knowing I would deny Him. A flood of shame and sorrow cascaded over me and with tears streaming down my face, I ran to get as far away from Jesus as possible!
I didn’t know where I was headed. I was drowning in my remorse and I couldn’t bear to see His unmerited compassion one more time. This sensation of drowning was far worse than the day I had sunk in the storm-tossed sea – because this time I couldn’t call out to Jesus to rescue me. My shame wouldn’t permit me!
My feet eventually led me back to the upper room. No one else was there. Most of the others had apparently fled to Lazarus’s home in Bethany after the arrest, except the few who had stayed with Jesus. I didn’t know what was happening to Jesus, but I had a pretty good idea.
Late that night, John arrived at the upper room. He told me that Jesus was dead. He recounted all that had happened. Then he explained that he had been looking for me. The writer of Proverbs talks about a “friend who sticks closer than a brother”(13). That night and all throughout the next day and into the following, John was that kind of friend when I so desperately needed a friend. I sometimes wonder what I might have done if John had not been there with me. But in retrospect, I know Jesus was ministering His grace to me through John.
Imagine, John’s and my dismay when Mary Magdalene showed up at the room early Sunday morning to tell us that someone had taken Jesus’ body. We immediately ran to the tomb. John was the faster runner so he arrived at the tomb before I did. But John stopped at the doorway looking in. When I arrived I charged past him and went right into the tomb. There we saw the linen wrappings neatly rolled up. It was at that moment that John would later tell me that “he saw and believed”(4). He couldn’t yet prove that Jesus was risen, but He believed it with all his heart. I had not yet come to that place. I didn’t know what to think. John decided he would go see Jesus’ mother who was with the others in Bethany. I decided to return to the upper room. I still couldn’t face the others, knowing what I had done.
Throughout the hours that followed, I was in turmoil. Had Jesus body been taken, or had He risen from the grave like He had said He would? I had seen Him raise people from the dead on three occasions. I knew He had power over the death of others. But did He have power over His own death? And if He had risen from the dead, how could I ever face Him? I wanted to see Him. I wanted to tell Him I was sorry. I wanted His forgiveness … but my shame left me in doubt as to whether I could accept it.
As the hours passed, I continued to wrestle through all of this. When suddenly, Jesus appeared right before me! He didn’t walk into the room; He just appeared. “Peace be with you, Peter,” He said. Hearing His voice, I began to weep uncontrollably. Jesus stepped toward me and embraced me … and He didn’t let go. I have no idea how long we stood there with His arms wrapped around me. I kept saying, “Jesus, I am so sorry!” And He lovingly said, “I know you are, Peter. I forgive you!”
Jesus knew that He needed to correct me. And He would do so several days later – on the same shoreline where He had first called me to follow Him. But for now, He knew that my broken heart and spirit needed to be healed. And that healing also needed to occur before He and I were together in that same room with the other disciples later that night.
At that moment, I knew that my journey with Jesus would never be over. I would follow Him to my death. He had extended His grace, His mercy, His love and His forgiveness to me a sinner, even when I had denied Him. And I knew I would never again deny the One who stood before me.
________________________________
(1) 1 Peter 3:4
(2) John 1:42 (HCSB)
(3) Luke 5:4 (NLT)
(4) Luke 5:5 (NLT)
(5) Luke 5:8 (NLT)
(6) Luke 5:10 (NLT)
(7) John 13:8b (NLT)
(8) John 13:9 (NLT)
(9) John 13:10 (NLT)
(10)John 13:12-15 (NLT)
(11)Luke 22:21 (NLT)
(12)Luke 22:33 (NLT)
(13)Proverbs 18:24 (NLT)
Copyright © 2020 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.
First published on kenwinter.org 15-Apr-20