Simon Peter

     One of the excellent examples of faith found in the scriptures is Simon Peter, who was named Cephas by Jesus.  (See the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for a large portion of the history of Peter.)    Peter was a fisherman who was living in Capernaum at the time Jesus started his ministry.  Jesus found Peter and his brother Andrew cleaning their nets.

     This is where we first see the faith of Peter.  Jesus, a complete stranger to the men, asked Peter to take him out a little from the land.  Peter did so, and Jesus was able to teach the people around while in the boat.  He then instructed Peter and his brother to fish at a certain location.  They had already done so, but exercised faith to throw in their nets.  They were rewarded with so many fish that two ships started to sink with the weight.

     Peter saw this miracle and fell at the Lord’s feet, calling Him Lord.  Jesus then called the two brothers and a couple other men to follow Him as His disciples.  They immediately left their livelihoods to follow Him.

     Think of the faith demonstrated in this story of Peter alone.  He didn’t know this stranger.  But he undoubtedly felt the strength of the Spirit testifying to him that he should do as Jesus asked.  So he took the Lord out in his ship as requested.  Then he exercised faith to throw his nets in a location he had already unsuccessfully fished for a long time because he was instructed to by this stranger.  And finally he forsook his employment to follow this stranger whom he had come to recognize as the Lord.

     The faith of Peter would continue to pull him along with the Lord, placing him at the heart of many of the most important events in the history of the world.  Peter would be present, though he couldn’t keep from falling asleep, when Jesus suffered in Gethsemane.  His faith compelled him to follow Jesus to prison even though it would be dangerous for him.  He would later be among the disciples who witnessed the coming of the resurrected Lord Jesus.  Because of his faith, Peter was called as the chief apostle to officiate over the church after Jesus was crucified.

     My favorite example of the faith of Peter is found in Matthew 14.  After Jesus miraculously fed a large host of people with bread and fish, he instructed his disciples to get in a ship and cross the sea.  He then retired to a mountain to pray.  While he was in the mountain praying, night descended and a storm came upon the sea where the disciples were crossing in the ship.  Jesus allowed the disciples to fight the stormy seas most of the night before he came to them in the fourth watch (between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m.). 

     When the disciples saw a man approaching on the stormy sea, they were naturally afraid.  But Jesus called to them, saying, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”  The men wouldn’t have been able to recognize the Lord in the sea, but they could recognize His voice.  So Peter called back, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.”  Jesus said to him, “Come.”

     Now here is one of the most amazing examples of faith I can think of.  Peter was in a ship on a stormy sea.  Waves were crashing all around the ship.  And Jesus had just instructed him to come to him by walking on the water.  What did Peter do?  He climbed out of the ship and onto the water!  Not only did he step out of the ship onto the water, but he began to walk on the water—stormy water full of waves!  How can anyone doubt the faith Peter had in Jesus Christ when he walked on water because Jesus told him to? 

     I see a large lesson for all of us to learn from this wonderful example.  That lesson is that, if we exercise faith in Jesus the Lord, we can do anything—quite literally anything.  Peter proved this by walking on water. 

     Peter’s lesson in faith didn’t end there on this occasion either.  After Peter briefly walked on water, his doubts got the better of him.  He could see he was on a stormy sea, and doubts crossed his mind.  He started to sink.  Rather than turning to the ship that he knew could pull him out of the water, Peter turned to the Lord.  He cried out, “Lord, save me.”  He turned to the One True Salvation, Jesus Christ, to rescue him from the sea.  I actually see a symbolic call in this as well.  His call, “Lord, save me,” was a call to save him from his doubts.  Jesus reached forth his hand and pulled Peter from the sea.

     You may want to criticize Peter for doubting.  He was walking on the water.  How could he start to doubt?  But let me ask you, would you have had the faith to get out of the boat in the first place?  I don’t know that I could have done it.  Let me ask another one.  When you started to sink, would you have thought to call on Jesus for help or would you have turned to the boat?  I have no way of knowing for sure, but I suspect I would have turned to the boat.

     Thinking of what I probably would have done in Peter’s circumstances helps me put Peter’s faith in perspective.  His faith truly was amazing.  And we can learn a great deal from it.  We can learn faith in Jesus can help us accomplish anything.  And we can learn that it doesn’t matter what trials, doubts, or dangers we face.  We should always turn to the Lord first and foremost.

     I love the example of Peter.  He was an incredible example of faith during his mortal life.  And I hope that I can show similar faith by the way I live my life.