Ron Writes
Tough guys. Rough guys. Scary guys. Big. Mean. Jesus dealt with them.
Two brothers, James and John, had a rough reputation. Jesus called them “Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder.” Sounds like a biker gang. Imagine “Sons of Thunder” sown on the back of their black leather robes. When they walk down the road, step aside. They felt disrespected by some Samaritans and asked Jesus “Do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them” (Lk. 9:54). Sounded like a couple of tough guys with short fuses. They saw themselves as leaders dominating everyone else (Mk. 10:37).
Peter was used to speaking his mind. He was a man of action. “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will” (Mt. 26:33). And he meant it. When the crowd came to arrest Jesus, Peter took out his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant (Mk. 14:47). He wasn’t Zorro. He didn’t have pinpoint accuracy. He just missed the center of the guy’s head. Peter was a big guy, and he was used to backing up the things he said. How big was he? In John 21 after Jesus’ resurrection, seven went fishing. A man told them to cast on the right side. They caught so many fish they couldn’t haul them in. John shouted that the man was Jesus. Peter jumps in and swims to shore. The other 6 come in their boat dragging this great catch of fish. When Jesus asks Peter to get some fish it says that he brought the net full of fish to land. Apparently the 6 couldn’t do it, but Peter could. In Acts 3 when Luke describes the healing of the lame man, he says that Peter seized him and lifted him up (Acts 3:7). Peter isn’t afraid of much. He’s big and he acts.
James and John became changed men. James becomes the first martyr (Acts 12:2). His brother John out lives all the other apostles. He becomes known as the “Apostle of love.” He’ll write 5 books of the NT. John’s ambition has been tempered by humility. “My little children,” “Beloved,” become his favorite ways to address others.
Peter learned he wasn’t invincible. He fell. He became more patient with others after that. He becomes known as the “Apostle of hope”. He shared what he learned: “be humble,” “cast all your anxiety on Him,” “Be of sober spirit,” “be on the alert,” “resist the devil” (1 Pt. 5).
Big, tough guys humbled and changed by the love, mercy, and grace of God.
