TRIALS AND TESTINGS -- SIFTED LIKE WHEAT
Ref: Luke 22:31-34
“ Facing trials with Christ will build you.
Facing trials without Christ will break you. “
As Jesus gathered His precious disciples around the Passover meal that night before He was crucified, Jesus shared some precious words with His disciples. We are considering His conversation with Peter for our meditation today.
Jesus told Peter that satan had sought His permission to sift him like wheat. “Sifting like wheat” is a phrase that most of us connect with immediately, because it signifies the unbearable suffering and unfair agony that life sometimes puts us through. Many would wonder why Jesus allows satan to test believers in the first place.
I’ve heard many people say that they decided to follow Jesus because they thought He would deliver them from all their troubles and sorrows. However, pain, loss, suffering and shame never spare us as long as we are on this earth. Following Jesus just because He will shield you against sorrow, pain & suffering is not a good foundation for your faith. No doubt, Jesus surely will alleviate troubles and meet your needs, but that should not be the only reason to put your trust in or follow Jesus.
Let us now try to understand why Jesus would allow sorrow and suffering in the lives of those who trust Him and follow Him ardently. Trials and testings come for various reasons – it could be (a)to discipline us, (b) it could be the consequence of our sin or wrong choice that we’ve made, (c) it could be because of a generational curse or (d) as we have read in Luke 22:31, Satan may be seeking to tempt and test us.
Whatever the reason for testing, we know that testing is a necessary part of growing and being grounded in deep faith for a believer. Consider this situation, students have to write exams every year in order to be promoted to higher class. If you argue saying why can’t you just promote the child, they’ve attended classes all through the year. It just does work that way! Sure he attended classes for a year , but what did he learn, how much has he imbibed, how much of it has become part of him.... all these and many more questions need to be answered. Hence an exam is the appointed way to evaluate the understanding and learning process of a student.
Similarly, if anyone contends saying they’ve attended church services week after week throughout the year and therefore deserve to enter heaven, it just doesn’t work that way! Testing and proving of our faith is essential in order to qualify to enter heaven. Secondly, we have to pass spiritual tests in order to move on to the next spiritual level.
I read somewhere that Rick Warren, the author of the popular book - ”Purpose Driven Life”, when he lost his teenage son said , “ there’s no testimony without a test.... your greatest ministry will come out of your deepest hurt.” I think they are profound words from a man of great confidence and faith in the Lord.
In the science of metals, we study about ‘tensile strength’. It indicates the resistance of a metal to break under tension or pressure. The more pressure apiece of steel or iron is able to withstand that much more the grade and that much more its price. Even so, God wants us to be strong and steadfast believers. Prov. 24:10 says, “If you faint in the day of trouble, your strength is small.” God does not want you to fail when satan challenges Him about His child’s faith & trust in Him.
When an engineer plans the construction of a building, he makes sure it has a strong foundation, that its walls and windows are well designed, and that in times of earthquake, fire or storm, it should withstand the trauma. If an engineer takes such care for a building how much more does the Lord God our Loving Father take caution and care to build our faith when He created us, saved us and called us! Know this truth in the depths of your heart dear friend, that no trial, or testing can harm you. Bible says in Psalm 37:23-24, that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord..... though he may fall, yet he shall not be utterly cast down for the hand of the Lord will lift him up. The Lord will be by your side protecting you and guiding you as you obey and move in Him.
The difference between a believer going through tough times and an unbeliever facing trials is like walking through a dark passage. The unbeliever has to grope his way through because he has no guiding person or principle. Whereas for a believer, he has the Lord to counsel, to instruct and guide him through the dark road. Jesus is the Light of the world. If He is walking with you, then how easy it is to cross the dark and dreary path.
In verse 31 of Luke 22, Jesus tells Peter what is happening in the spiritual realm... that satan has asked God’s permission to sift him like wheat. In the book of Job too, we read that in order to intervene in the activities of a child of God who is washed in the blood of Jesus and sealed by the Holy Spirit, he has to take the owner’s or his Lord’s permission! Hallelujah! Child of God, do you realize how safe and secure you are in the hands of Jesus? Satan cannot dare to touch you because you are the apple of God’s eye. And the blood of Jesus is so very powerful and a strong shield against every evil dart of the wicked one.
In verse 33, Peter says very confidently, ‘I’m willing to go with you to prison or to death.” Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. The Psalmist says, “ Even before a word is on my tongue, He knows it completely! “ (Psalm 139:4). Yes, even before a thought comes to our mind or before the word comes out of our mouth, our Lord knows about it ! Hallelujah!! How great our Lord God is!
In verse 34, Jesus said, “Peter, I tell you for sure that the cock will not crow before you have denied me thrice.” Very precise prediction! Peter was informed clearly what the test would be. He could have escaped the trap of satan. But overconfidence and failing to depend on God for help and power to overcome temptation, he succumbed to the pressure of the circumstances. As soon as the cock crew, Peter realised what a coward he’d been! How wretched to have denied Jesus, not once but thrice! At that time he saw Jesus looking at him. He went aside and wept bitterly..... a sign of brokenness and true repentance. The soft and forgiving look in Jesus’ eyes broke Peter’s heart. When Jesus met Peter by the sea side after His resurrection, Jesus did not chide him or condemn him for betraying, but helped him to recall and rededicate himself to the love and zeal he had for the Lord and to stand strong in his faith.
As a man of God has said, “ Never put a full stop where God has put a pause.” No doubt Peter had failed the Lord but as Jesus had said I’ve prayed that your faith may not fail... when you’ve changed your heart, go and strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:33) . Since Jesus interceded for Peter he was able to come out of his brokenness and become a strong witness. (Acts 3:15)
Let us for a moment consider the life of Judas. He betrayed Jesus too, not by denying like Peter, but by selling Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Greed for money caused Judas to take money from the high priests and he aided the Roman soldiers in finding Jesus in the mount of Olives and arresting Him. And when Judas realised that he had made a terrible mistake in deceiving Jesus and had become the cause for the murder of an innocent person, he went to the priests from whom he had taken money and returned it. But the priests refused to take it because it was the price of innocent blood. So Judas threw the money in the temple and went and hanged himself! Thus he ended the life that God had given him.
In contrast to Judas, Peter was able to continue even after his failure because he repented and returned to Jesus. Psalms 130:3 says “ If the Lord kept a record of our sins, who can stand? There is forgiveness with the Lord that he may be feared.” God forgave Peter and used him in building the church inspite of his shortcomings. On the day of Pentecost Peter was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and he began preaching with such boldness which no other disciple had expressed. In Acts 3:15 the very same Peter who had denied Jesus says, “ You have killed the Prince of Life, but God raised him back to life, and we are the witnesses.” From then on there was no turning back. Peter never again hesitated to challenge and speak before kings and authorities, he went to prison and did not fear when he was martyred for Christ’s sake. History says that Peter was hanged for preaching. It is said that Peter requested them to hang him upside down because he felt he was unworthy to be crucified the same way as Jesus.
Because Peter walked with Jesus in the time of his testing, he was able to rise from his fall and he was built up. Whereas Judas did not come back to Jesus , and so he ruined his life.
One more blessed truth we can glean from this passage is that , no doubt Jesus told Peter that he would be sifted like wheat but in reality what is the test that Peter faced? When we talk of testing of faith, Shedrach, Meschach and Abednego pop up first in our mind. They were thrown into a fiery furnace heated seven times more for standing up to their faith in a pagan country. We’ve heard about Daniel being thrown into a den of hungry lions for refusing to stop praying to Jehovah. Peter didn’t have to face any threat of that kind nor was any punishment imposed on him for his faith. Peter’s test was very simple. He was questioned if he was a disciple of Jesus. A small girl says once and two other people say they had seen Peter with Jesus. But Peter denies that he was in anyway associated with Jesus, all the three times.
On the other hand let us look at what it was like for Jesus on that night. Luke 22:53, Jesus says “.... this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” Jesus was arrested, accused, tried by the high priests, by Herod and Pilate: he was mocked, whipped, spat on his face, crowned with a crown of thorns and sentenced to be crucified.
Now, can you tell who was sifted as wheat that terrible night when the powers of darkness played its most heinous game? It is true Peter was targeted, but Jesus came in between satan and Peter and he bore all the attacks of satan upon Peter. As Isaiah 54:17 says, “ No weapon formed against you shall prosper...” Jesus stood in between and took all the blows that were meant for Peter. What a wonderful Saviour ! He will bear, but not allow satan to touch His child. You are the apple of God’s eye. If anyone has to touch you, they should first meet Jesus . Hallelujah!
Be encourage today dear brother, dear sister in Christ, and know for sure that Jesus will build your faith, strengthen and purge your faith as you depend upon Him. You will be able to testify like Job that after you've been tested you have come forth as gold! (Job 23:10)
May our Lord enable us to come forth as gold. AMEN.
