10- 04-10 MI DAILY DEVOTION (Luke 22: 31- 62)
THE DOWNFALL OF PETER
Peter’s life as a Christian was full of failures and blunders. Peter’s downfall was not sudden but gradual. Peter’s life is very much like ours. (I Corinthians 10: 12) “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (Proverbs 14: 14) “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.”
PETER’S SELF CONFIDENCE (Luke 22:33) “And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both in prison, and to death.” He trusted himself and his ability as well as his own strength instead of God. Although the Lord warned Peter of the coming temptation, yet Peter just took it for granted or he might have just took the Lord’s Word so lightly. Peter trusted in himself and in the flesh. Peter might have thought he would remain faithful to God. (Luke 22: 31-32).
PETER GAVE UP HIS PRAYER LIFE (Luke 22: 45- 46) 45 “And when he arose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 46- And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.”
(Matthew 26: 40- 41) 40- “And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41- Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
This was Peter’s second downward step to his downfall. He did not learn to call to God for help which was really the primary cause of his backsliding. It was really prayerlessness. How many times have we felt like praying, but your body and mind seem so tired to pray. Your spirit is willing to pray but your flesh is not. Your spirit said talk to God but your flesh, your body is saying the different thing, it’s saying the opposite. Your body is saying sleep. The Spirit said, “go to church”, but the flesh says “NO”. The Spirit said, “read your Bible” but your flesh says, “NO”.
PETER BECAME CARNAL AND WORLDLY (Luke 22:49-50) 49- “When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? 50- “And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.” Peter was acting in the flesh. He cut off the ear of Malchus. Peter Walked…, was standing up…, Sits… with those who do not know, with those who do not love the Lord and with those who do not honour the Lord. “Worldliness is anything, and everything in which the Lord is left out.” Peter was brave and loyal to our Lord, but he was not acting as spiritual and as a mature Christian.
(Psalms 1: 1) “BLESSED is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”
