Peter, a flawed man and great leader

When the Lord called him to be a prophet, Jeremiah hesitated, giving excuses: “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child”. Simon, whom Jesus called Peter, was not like that. He was not a procrastinator.

The Bible tells us that when Jesus called him and his brother Andrew, they did not hesitate: “At once they left their nets and followed him.” When Jesus asked the disciples: “Who do you say I am?”, it was Simon Peter who quickly and correctly responded: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” But Simon had his fair share of foibles.

His inclination to make quick decisions without considering the consequences often showed a tendency to speak or act on impulse. When the disciples saw Jesus walking on water, they were at first terrified, thinking it was a ghost. As soon as Jesus revealed who he was and told them “Don’t be afraid”, Peter impulsively responded: “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” And indeed he walked on the water — for a while.

On the occasion of the transfiguration, he did not think it was necessary to ask Jesus what they should do. He immediately suggested to the transfigured Jesus what should be done: “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters — one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

The same boyish tendency to act without hesitation or speak with honest simplicity was evident on the night of the Last Supper. At first Peter swears: “No, you shall never wash my feet.” After Jesus has convinced him of the absolute necessity for this, Peter responds: “Then, Lord, not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” At times Peter almost acted like a belligerent cowboy. When Jesus was arrested, Peter immediately drew his sword and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear!

Peter was a faithful disciple, and he genuinely believed he could never betray or abandon Jesus. In Matthew 26 we hear him declaring: “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” Unfortunately, like most of us, he was afraid of losing his life, and so when Jesus was made to appear before the high priest, Peter denied his master three times.

This lack of courage in the face of the mob and authorities exhibited itself even after the resurrection of Jesus and the establishment of the Church. When Peter visited Antioch, he rightly associated with the Gentiles and used to eat with them, but when a group of circumcised people came arguing that the followers of Jesus should be circumcised, Peter was afraid of these men and began to separate himself from the Gentiles. The other great apostle, Paul, confronted Peter and rebuked him (Galatians 2).

Jesus appointed Simon Peter the head of his future Church, “for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…”

Peter disowned his master three times, but after the resurrection Jesus reinstated him. The question is: what did Jesus see in this unsophisticated and impulsive fisherman? The answer is that Jesus saw true leadership in Peter.

His leadership qualities became more evident after the ascension. For example, it was Peter who led the disciples in the election of Matthias as Judas’s replacement. It was Peter who was the first to stand up and publicly proclaim the resurrection of Jesus on the day Pentecost. And it was Peter who performed the first miracle after the birth of the Church (Acts 3). From Pentecost onward, Peter showed an amazing ability to quote from and interpret the scriptures.

Though an unschooled fisherman, given to impulsive behaviour  and capable of making horrendous mistakes, Peter was a courageous leader who took risks and who stood head and shoulders above the other eleven apostles. His unflinching loyalty to Jesus was proved in the end when he died a martyr’s death in Rome.