Servant Of God Who Is Aware Of His Portion & Position

SERVANT OF GOD WHO IS AWARE OF HIS PORTION & POSITION

By Rev. Saumiman Saud*

Talking about people who "Know Themselves" as opposed to those who "Don't Know Themselves" is closely related to a person's personality. Those who know themselves are like "rice stalks full of grain that bow down," while those who don't know themselves are like "empty barrels that make the most noise." Arrogance, feeling superior, thinking oneself smarter, richer, more beautiful or handsome are typical characteristics of people who don't know themselves. Such people forget that there's always someone better.

People who "know themselves" act carefully, always aware of their position and role. They understand when to act, when to speak, and when to remain silent. Their actions are wise, fair, and never harm others. They may not be liked by everyone, especially those who act dishonestly, but they don't care as long as what they do is right. People who know themselves can accept criticism and change if they are wrong. This article presents a Biblical figure from the New Testament who, according to the author, truly knew himself. Who is he?

He is one of Jesus' controversial disciples - the apostle Peter. Why do we call him that? Because Peter's behavior is widely and transparently revealed in the Bible. When we mention Peter, we surely know him well, and we've probably heard his life story many times. This time, we'll look at him from a slightly different perspective.

Remember, Peter wasn't a rich man's son, he wasn't highly educated, he was an ordinary person, imperfect. If we carefully examine the entire New Testament, the apostle Peter played a significant role in Jesus' ministry. He wasn't just a faithful disciple, but also a brave one. He often acted quickly and stood up for Jesus when He faced difficulties. Although Peter wasn't perfect, by God's grace he was entrusted with a great and perfect task.

Let's look in more detail at Peter's journey throughout his life until the end of his ministry. Peter's ups and downs in faith are transparently written in the Bible. Failure after failure never made Peter sink, but rather made him rise. To make Peter's life truly an inspiration for our lives today, there are three important points I invite us all to consider together, as Peter who "Knew Himself":

1. Peter realized who he was (John 21:3)

2. Peter regretted his actions (John 21:7)

3. Peter renewed his calling (Acts 2:41)

1. Peter realized who he was

Who was Peter really? Peter's original name was Simeon, in Greek people called him Simon, which means "listener." He was also called Cephas and more impressively "rock" (Petra), the latter name given directly by Jesus the Teacher. He was born in Bethsaida, the same hometown as Philip. Bethsaida was a town in the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee (John 1:44, John 12:21).

After marriage, he often lived in Capernaum, specifically at his mother-in-law's house (Matthew 8:14). Peter was a fisherman who inherited his father's fishing skills (Matthew 4:18). One day while he was casting his net into the lake, Jesus suddenly passed by and called them to be His disciples (Matthew 1:16-17). This is a brief background of Simon Peter.

In Jesus' ministry, Peter always took part alongside Jesus. He often accompanied Jesus wherever He went, including once pulling Jesus' hand when Jesus wanted to return to Jerusalem, which is why Jesus was angry with him: "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns." (Mark 8:33)

When accompanying Jesus in prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter was the one who drew his sword against one of the soldiers and cut off his ear. Peter is recorded as following Jesus only until Jesus was brought before the High Priest Annas (Matt 26:69-75; Mark 14:53-56; Luke 22:54-62; John 18:12-27). The final moments were fatal, as Peter ended up denying Jesus three times before the rooster crowed twice (Mark 14:30). This was likely due to deep feelings of guilt and regret in Peter for his denial of Jesus. Peter is last recorded leaving in bitter tears (Matt 26:75; Luke 22:62), and thus did not accompany Jesus to Golgotha.

After Jesus was crucified and had risen from the tomb, the disciples began to disperse. At that time, Peter responded quickly, saying, "I am going fishing." The others said to him, "We will go with you." They set out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing (John 21:3). Peter realized he had no special abilities. When he was called to be Jesus' disciple, he was just an ordinary fisherman. Now without Jesus with them, he had no particular skills. Peter was always aware of who he was; though his past should be forgotten, if it could serve as inspiration, what was wrong with keeping it as a reminder, so that we truly know who we are.