"The Strength Of Surrender"

“Jesus replied, ‘You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.’” (Matthew 16:17-18, NLT)

“Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. But Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?’” (John 18:10-11, NLT)

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” (James 1:19-21, NLT)

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7, NLT)

Throughout the Gospels, it seems like nobody was more in love with Jesus than Peter. He was one of the disciples who was closest to Jesus, yet he often got himself into trouble with his brashness and tendency to speak before thinking. I’m convinced, however, that this is why Jesus loved him so much. Peter was a mustang through and through, and he just needed to let Jesus tame his wild heart. No doubt, Jesus had to turn up the heat on him, even famously telling him, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23, NIV). Strong words for someone you love dearly.

Jesus was always trying to teach Peter meekness, while Peter kicked and bucked him each step of the way. To see the clearest depiction of meekness versus recklessness, look no further than the garden of Gethsemane, where Judas betrayed Jesus, delivering him over to the chief priests, soldiers, and Pharisees to be arrested.

Meekness is living with a bit in your mouth, keeping the sword in the sheath, knowing whose battle it truly is. Peter drew a sword, but Jesus knocked it to the ground with a single sentence.

No matter how erratic and imperfect Peter could be, he was in love with his Lord. Jesus used his disposition to help bring the gospel to the ends of the earth. Peter learned to come close to his teacher, to trust that what Jesus would do next was always going to be right.

Jesus, out of the meekness in his heart, his Father’s strength under control, simply says to Peter, “No, Peter, there’s no need to fight. My surrender is the way. No one needs to lose an ear tonight, because I’m going to lose my life for many.”

Surrendering to Jesus is a discipline every one of us needs to practice. Can you take a minute and pray for discernment before commenting on that social media post that bothered you, asking the Lord if that is really your battle to fight, if you really have something important to prove? Can you slow down your response when you think your spouse has wronged you before coming up with all sorts of skewed evidence that he or she is not really on your side? Can you remember your own imperfections and growth, and all the moments you’ve needed correction, before letting all your anger out on your teenager for making a poor decision? Our words and actions can be a weapon for the right fight, but weapons also hurt people. Meek men and women understand that choosing surrender demonstrates the character of someone who realizes their own need for forgiveness, someone who has relinquished the right to take vengeance and left that to God. And yet that choice to surrender is the surest sign of strength.