Sifted

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

SIFTED

Luke 22:31-34

31 "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."  33 But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." 34 Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me." 

NIV

There is a case that could be made over the fact that the Greek word for wheat is plural. This could mean that although Jesus was addressing Peter, he was telling him the Satan has asked to sift all the disciples. That is to separate the grain from the shaft, or separate the disciples from Christ and his protectiveness. That is the same kind of conversation Satan had with God over Job. He charged that Job loved God so much because of all that God had blessed him with. Here again in his asking to separate them from Jesus, he is charging the only reason they are hanging around Christ is because he has done so much for  them. Jesus is informing or addressing Peter because of perhaps two reasons. One he has already been establishing Peter as the one who will be in charge after he is gone, or that because of the impetuous nature of Peter, Jesus knew how he would respond and was trying to teach him, as well as the others, about steadfastness in the face of trouble. Whichever the case, as Peter can usually be counted on, he responds with a bold affirmation of his faith.  But Jesus assures him, no matter how bold he thinks he is, no matter how much he says he will follow Jesus, he will still have those moments of denial. That denial was simply motivated by self-preservation. As we know the others sort of scattered when the mayhem began in the garden and Jesus was arrested and taken. Peter did at least follow at a distance, but we know what happened there as well. Our life lesson here is in the steadfastness of our faith. Are we believers only when it is convenient to be one? Are we believers only because of the blessings we have received from the hand of God? Are we believers only when everything is going our way? If we are rich, like Job, or poor, hoping to be rich like Job, is that our motivation for believing? If we are experiencing the protective hand of God against harm at the hand of Satan, is that our reason to believe? What if things start going bad? What if we do not have financial security, do we still believe? What if we do not have perfect health, do we still believe? What if we lose some or all of what we do have, do we still believe? What if our job depends on our keeping silent about our faith, or even use the name of Jesus other than in vain, do we still believe, or is that a form of denial? What if because we might experience some other form of hardship if someone knew we were believers, would we remain silent so to be spared that hardship? Do we profess boldly our faith, like Peter did, but when tested in some way, fold under the pressure? What can man do to us? They can kill the body, but not our spirit. They can cause us great turmoil, but they cannot destroy our spirit. Although Job went through a sifting by Satan worse then any of us might ever have to, his final response was the one, Peter and we need to hold fast to.  “Should we receive good from the hand of God and not trouble?” Satan asked to sift Job, and was allowed, Satan also asked to sift Peter and perhaps all the disciples, and he was allowed to a point. Satan cannot do anything to us as well, unless he asks permission from God. So anything that happens to us, whether it is for good, a blessing from God, or something bad, either materially, emotionally, physically, it is permitted by God, or therefore as Job says, it is from the hand of God. Our faith in Jesus Christ cannot depend on our circumstances in this life. Our faith must be steadfast throughout the course of our life, no wavering, no doubting, and no fainting or even discouragement. God has us in the shadow of his wing, we are his and his to do with as he pleases. Our purpose is to bring honor and glory to him. No matter what, even if we are sifted.