One of the first disciples Jesus called was Simon the brother of Andrew. Jesus gave him a new name:
‘Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).’ John 1:42 [NIV]
Both Cephas (Aramaic) and Peter (Greek) mean rock.
Many of the great leaders used by God had their names changed (Abram became Abraham, Sarai became Sarah, Saul became Paul etc.). A name is important in what it says about someone. Simon means “listener”. Simon was in a position to listen to what Jesus said. This week we will look at some of the interactions between Peter and Jesus.
In the Gospels, Simon Peter (or Peter) comes across as the sort of person who acts first and then thinks afterwards. However, he matured as a disciple and later on (in Acts) we see him becoming the ‘rock’ on which the church was built. Without this hindsight we might think Jesus had made a mistake in choosing Peter as a disciple – but his qualities developed over time to make him a better person.
Perhaps there are aspects of your personality you are not happy with. It could be that you have some negative traits. God is working his purpose out for the long term. Don’t despair, as you are transformed by growing more like Christ – so your character can develop to be the type of mature Christian who can be a foundation for the future work of God’s kingdom.
Lord, help me to grow in maturity in my life as your disciple. Amen
Dave MacLellan (first published in 2003)
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