Luke 22:31-34 Sifting Like Wheat
Good morning! Please turn with me once again to Luke 22. Today we will look at verses 31-34, page 882 in the pew Bibles.
I know that I have been telling a lot of stories from my fire fighter training lately, and I would say that I was sorry about that but it would be a lie, because I really am enjoying it, and I have another story yet to tell.
A few weeks ago, down in Concord at the State Fire Academy, we participated in search and rescue drills all day. I won’t bore you with the details of all that it entailed now other than to say it was a very long day filled with crawling around in full gear, in the dark, with our vision obscured, it was absolutely exhausting. From what I’ve been told, it only gets worse from here.
What I enjoyed the most about the day was that it ended up being a real heart check, at least for me. I had to see what was left when I had nothing left. No more strength, no more stamina, no more bravado.
There was a lot of boasting and blustering first thing in the morning that day but by the end of the day we all had to come to grips with reality and there was no more room for that sort of thing.
Our text for this morning is much like that. Jesus is warning the disciples and especially Peter that hard times are on the way and there won’t be any more room for boasting and bravado. Things were about to get real.
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”
Let’s pray.
Simon, Simon… That’s how Jesus starts out. Jesus often started powerful statements with, “Truly, truly…” or, “Verily, verily…” depending on your translation. Every word Jesus uttered is true, but this double emphasis brought even more attention to the strength of what He was about to say.
But why does Jesus say, “Simon, Simon?” We know that He is talking to Peter, the chief among the disciples, but why does He call him Simon?
We all remember what the name, “Peter,” means, right? It means, “Rock.” He’s also called, “Cephas,” which is the same name with the same meaning. Steady, firm, reliable, this is no pebble, this is a big strong rock.
But what about the name, “Simon?” And why is it significant that Jesus calls Him Simon and not Peter in this moment?
Peter means rock, but Simon means: shaky, or unsteady, like a reed blowing in the wind.
Quite a difference isn’t it? It’s especially powerful considering what Jesus is about to tell him.
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat…
In our short passage the word, “you,” is used eight times, nine if you include the “your.”
The difficulty that we have in our English translations is that we can’t see that the first two, “you’s” are plural and the rest are singular.
That means that Satan had demanded to have all of the disciples, to sift them like wheat, not just Peter.
Sifting was the act of separating kernels of wheat from their coverings called chaff. The wheat, chaff and all would be gathered up into a large round sieve and thrown up in the air over and over forcing the two materials to separate with the heavy kernels falling back into the sieve and the light and fluffy chaff to blow away in the breeze.
Sounds fun doesn’t it? Maybe not if you are the wheat. From the wheat’s point of view sifting is a violent process, getting thrown around, up and down, over and over until all that extra outer stuff is forced off and stripped away.
But this is where, and I don’t mean to sound disrespectful, it almost seems like Satan is being manipulated. From a certain perspective, I think that Satan is extremely predictable. He wanted to sift the disciples to show that they were chaff but in reality they really were wheat and the sifting proved that.
Persecutions, dangers, trials, and tribulations are terrifying to us when we’re in the midst of them, but they are often used to show what, or who our faith is really in.
Jesus warned Peter that the sifting was coming and in His warning He reminds us of a wonderful and powerful truth: that Jesus Himself intercedes for His saints.
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
Those first two, “you’s,” are plural, but the third, “you,” and the, “your,” are singular. Jesus says, “I’ve prayed for you Shaky that your faith may not fail.
Jesus prayer for Peter, he interceded for Him, He spoke to the Father on his behalf. This is a work, the Bible tells us, that He continues to do, not just for Peter, but for us, even to this very moment.
Romans 8:34, Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Hebrews 7:23-25, 23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 9:24, 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
1 John 2:1, My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
What a wonderful truth to know that Jesus Himself prayed for Peter, and is praying for us even now.
Jesus prayed for Peter, that his faith, his trust in and reliance on Jesus would not fail.
Jesus here predicted that Peter would indeed fall, but also that he would rise and be restored, and be useful in strengthening the church.
Now, because we’ve read the rest of the book we know that Peter would indeed turn back to the Lord after denying Him and that he did in fact strengthen the brethren as recorded in Acts and the Epistles.
But in this moment, Peter, of course, The Rock, chief among the humble, graciously accepts this wonderful gift from Jesus, right?
Nope, he’s still got plenty of bluster left in him.
33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”
Statements like that often get a lot of, “Hear, Hear!” At least until death shows up…
In truth, Peter’s reply of apparent strength actually communicates what he truly thought: that he didn’t need Jesus’ intercession, that he didn’t need Jesus’ help, that Jesus’ prayer for him was altogether unnecessary.
This was a denial before he even got to the denial.
In Matthew’s account of this event he quotes Peter as saying, “Though they all fall away, I will never fall away!”
JJ vanOosterzee wrote, “The very one who fancies himself to be stronger than ten other men, very soon gives proof that he is even weaker than a single [servant girl].”
Alistair Begg said, “None of us know what we will do in the hour of testing… Peter melted like a chocolate soldier in front of the fire.”
Proverbs 28:26 says, Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
Peter trusted in his own mind, his own heart, his own strength, and in that moment proved himself to be a fool.
33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”
Bravado, boasting, blustering, it’s all the language of pride. For Peter, that all ended when Jesus was arrested and everybody scattered, that’s when the sifting started.
I think we ought to take a lesson from that and let go of all that stuff before the sifting starts!
Just something to think about as we close.
Who was it that demanded to sift the disciples? Satan. Ephesians 6:10-18 says,
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…
Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
Amen.
