Peter The Rock Of The Church


Peter was the first person to acknowledge that Jesus was the Son of God.
Peter's life can be a model to us all. It was his growing understanding
of God throughout his life that enabled him to lead the early Christian
Church.

Peter loved Jesus. When he saw Jesus walk on water he tried to walk on
water. However when he saw the strong winds and waves of the sea, he
began to sink. Like Peter, we too may try an impossible task and begin
to sink when we become fearful at the odds to achieve success. The
master was never afraid because he trusted God with everything that he
did. It was his understanding of God that gave him the courage to walk
on the water. It is our understanding of God that brings success in our
lives. We are what our understanding of God is.

When Jesus went to heal a young girl, who had just died he took Peter and
others with him. When Jesus told them this child was not dead Peter and
the others laughed at him. Jesus told them to leave the room because of
their lack of faith. He then healed the child.

Peter at the cross denied Jesus three times. Jesus had foretold Peter
would do this. Peter remorsed over his denial of Jesus. When Jesus
raised himself from the grave he tested Peter's devotion to him. He
asked Peter three times if he loved him. Peter affirmed his love and
Jesus told him to feed his sheep. The sheep were those who were seeking
to change their lives by learning about Christ Jesus. Peter devoted the
rest of his life in this service.

Mary Baker Eddy states in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
"Jesus purposed founding his society, not on the personal Peter as a
mortal, but on the God-power which lay behind Peter's confession of the
true Messiah. It was now evident to Peter that divine Life, Truth, and
Love, and not a human personality, was the healer of the sick and a rock,
a firm foundation in the realm of harmony." (138:1-5)


Peter's growing understanding of his relationship with God gave him the
courage to stand up for the Christ and take charge of the early church.
His courage was put to the test when he was put in prison and condemned
to die. Peter knew God was with him. He would rather die than deny the
Christ again. The Bible tells us that the church members were praying
for his deliverance day and night. Peter knew that right in that prison
God was indeed with him. The result of his prayers and those of his
fellow members in his church brought him his deliverance from prison.

Peter's steadfastness to the Christ in that situation is an example to us
all. God will not allow the just to be punished. Like Peter, we to can
turn to God in every trial in our lives.

Peter's spiritual growth was evident over the years. He was called upon
to heal a woman who had just died. This time when he went in the room he
did not laugh at the possibility that God could heal someone that had
died. He knew that "...with God all things are possible."(Matt. 19:26)
and healed the woman.

Peter life teaches us that we must be willing to let go of our old ways
of doing things. We must give up old ways of thinking about things.
Peter was willing to give up all to serve God. He was afraid at times.
He made mistakes at times. However he pressed onward and upward because
of his love of the Christ.

Are we willing to deeply ponder our own thoughts that would cause us to
deny the Christ. Some of these thoughts might be self-centerness,
jealousy, envy, egotism and willfulness. The Bible tells us "Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new." (II Cor. 5:17) This is what
happened to Peter. He gave up being a rough and tough fisherman to
become a fisher of men and leader of the Christian Church.