What is the chief occupational hazard of a preacher?

Shortly before His crucifixion, our Lord challenged Simon Peter with these words recorded in Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, behold Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Jesus, who knew the hearts of all men, including those closest to Him, understood that Simon Peter in a moment of weakness would deny that he even knew who Jesus was.

John Stott has correctly observed, “Pride is without doubt the chief occupational hazard of the preacher.” Peter was no exception. Introduced to Jesus by his brother Andrew, Peter was immediately challenged by Christ in John 1:42, “…So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas (or Peter). Cephas and Peter are from the word rock in Aramaic and Greek. Rock was a description that Simon Peter had difficulty living up to. Throughout the gospels, it was Simon Peter who continually said and did the wrong thing. On one occasion Simon Peter was actually called Satan by the Lord, when he attempted to discourage Christ from going to the cross (Mark 8:33). And eventually it would be Simon Peter who denied knowing the Lord not once, but three times.

As Luke records the story in Luke 22:54-62, Peter started down this road to denial when he was confronted by a servant girl. In Simon Peter’s society, this servant girl would have been the least intimidating person imaginable. The fact that she was a girl made her considerably less credible than males in ancient society, and then the fact that she was a servant. It was in the face of this, that Simon Peter quickly denied that he even knew Christ when questioned by this servant girl.

Jesus, who knew Simon Peter’s heart, had already revealed to him that this would take place. Of course, Simon Peter being who he was vehemently resisted the notion that he would do any thing less but stand beside the Lord to the very end (Luke 22:33). It was then that Christ revealed that before the rooster crowed to welcome a new day, Simon Peter would deny Him three times, a prophecy that became a sad reality in the life of Simon Peter. It is unique that Jesus addressed his beloved disciple in this instance by his old name, Simon. Just as Jesus had encouraged him to live by his new name, He knew that the “old man” was still lurking in dark shadows of Simon Peter’s heart.

Thankfully, Christ prayed for Simon Peter that his faith would not fail, and encouraged him, “…when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). This is exactly what the Apostle Peter did, in Acts chapter two; it was Peter who stood up on the day of Pentecost to deliver the first evangelistic message of the church (Acts 2:14). Shedding the dark memories of Simon, in light of the Holy Spirit’s flame, Peter was a bold evangelist for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps today a rooster’s crow haunts you in your life. A distant memory or present reality of mistakes, failures and sin, serve to accuse you and impede your progress in becoming what God has imagined for your life. The good news of the gospel is that just as Simon Peter was transformed, we can also be transformed by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. The familiar words of 2 Corinthians 5:17 come to mind, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

The gospel that was lived out and proclaimed by Simon Peter is still transforming lives today, good news indeed! No matter the hurt, habit, or hang up, Jesus has died in our place and has risen that we may have eternal life.