The Apostle Peter: How to Fail as a Disciple

Christianity celebrates the Apostle Peter. Catholicism venerates him as the first Pope. Protestantism credits him with the declaration that Jesus is the “Son of God.” He’s on the Mount Rushmore of the New Testament. But as a disciple, he was a failure. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

Jesus was unique. He didn’t wait for disciples to come to Him. Jesus went to them. When He said Lech Acharai! (Follow Me!), Jesus was declaring that He believed that His disciples could be like Him.  Of course, these young men dropped everything in their lives to walk in His dust.  But what happens when a disciple deserts his rabbi?

Kefa

You know him as the Apostle Peter.  But, his Hebrew nickname was “Kefa”.  It means the same in either language: “Rock”.  It was a special name given to him by Jesus, Himself, the first time they met:

One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

John 1:40-42 ESV

Peter was a fisherman (like most of the men from Capernaum).  This was a risky career choice. Most people in the Galilee believed the Sea was the Abyss – the dwelling of the dead.  Still, he made a decent living; enough for him and his wife to live comfortably.  And he enjoyed being on the water.

Living in Capernaum had its other perks as well. It was where the most learned and revered rabbis came to teach. Since Peter sought to live a righteous life, he was fortunate to be able to glean from the rabbis during the day. Fishing was done at night. So, this freed him up to sit in on their teachings in the synagogue.

The Oldest Disciple

In Jesus’ day, it was common for the oldest of a rabbi’s disciples to have the responsibility to be the spokesman for the group.  We see this often in the Gospels.  Jesus asks a question of the disciples and Peter answers.  Now, he may have been the most outspoken naturally But it’s also probable that he was simply acting in this role.  It could be that Peter was simply the oldest.

We know that the Apostle Peter was married. Jesus healed His mother-in-law early in His ministry (Matthew 8). None of the other disciples have wives. But there’s more evidence suggesting that he was the oldest.

One day Peter was approached by a group of tax collectors, and asked if Jesus intended to pay the Temple tax. Peter answered “Yes” and then went to Jesus to find out what to do next. As Jesus often did, he used the question as a teachable moment, but then He instructed Peter to go fishing. When Peter did, he found a shekel in the mouth of the fish he caught – the exact amount needed to pay the Temple tax for both he and Jesus.

A Hebrew male was not required to pay the Temple tax until he was twenty years old.  None of the other disciples were required to pay this tax, which seems to be pretty clear deductive evidence that Peter older than all the others.

This adds an additional level of importance to the moment when Jesus called Peter to become His disciple. If Peter was twenty years old, it means he had already moved well beyond being called as a disciple. He was a fisherman. He had a good life as a fisherman, and he had probably come to accept that.

“Lech Acharai”

Peter had already knew Jesus.  By the time we get to Luke 5:1-11, Jesus had turned the water into wine, cleansed the Temple at Passover, and healed many.  The crowds were beginning to wonder whether or not Jesus was the Messiah.  And then one day, Jesus came to the shore at Capernaum. The crowds were pressing against Him so hard that He climbed into Peter’s boat in order get enough space to teach. 

After teaching, Jesus decided it was time.  He asked Peter about catching any fish the night before.  When Peter told Him that they hadn’t had any luck, Jesus told him to go back out in his boat and try again.  Peter knew better.  You don’t fish during the day.  The fish can see your nets. 

Peter mentioned this to Jesus, but when the rabbi tells you to do something, you do it.  The result was the greatest catch of fish Peter had ever had.  Peter passed the test.  Even though he may have known in his mind that catching anything during the day was impossible, he still obeyed.  And Jesus did the impossible.  When Peter and the others in his boat finished hauling in the catch, Jesus said, “Lech acharai (Follow me) and I’ll make you fishers of men.”  

Stop and Think for a Moment

Our familiarity with the Gospel stories is both good and bad. We need to know the Bible. But it can be so familiar that we miss its power. The call of Peter the Apostle is one story where this can happen. He’s married. He’s a fisherman. And this means the chance to be a disciple had passed him by. But here’s Jesus; the Rabbi from Nazareth that all of Israel is talking about. And this Rabbi calls Peter to “follow Him.” 

Now’s the part where knowing the rest of the story can help us. Peter is going to deny he even knows this Rabbi. He doesn’t know it. But Jesus does. And He still calls Peter.