October 5, 2016
LIKE WHEAT ON THE THRESHING FLOOR . . . SO ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES!
Luke 22:24–38
Emily Loper
Central Truth
In the midst of the Last Supper, Jesus predicts Peter's betrayal. Satan asked to sift all of the disciples as wheat, and Jesus allowed him to sift Peter. But Jesus also predicts that through this sifting, Peter's faith and encouragement to his brothers would be strengthened.
Key Verse | Luke 22:31–32
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32)
Luke 22:24–38
Who Is the Greatest?
24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
28 You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial
31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, 1 22:31 The Greek word for you (twice in this verse) is plural; in verse 32, all four instances are singular 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 2 22:33 Greek He said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus 3 22:34 Greek He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”
Scripture Must Be Fulfilled in Jesus
35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”
Dive Deeper | Luke 22:24–38
I once heard a speaker at a conference say, “God will never permit the tempter to sift you like wheat, unless He knows of something that needs sifting.” I could give you a long list of all the things that need sifting in my life. Pride, control, selfishness, and insecurity are just the things that I’m painfully aware of.
Yuck!
When I recognize my sin, I tend to be pretty hard on myself. I sit for a while in the weight of choosing something that is fleeting over the Lord’s best. It never satisfies. And it never fulfills. But the sweet truth we can cling to is that, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins" (Colossians 2:13 NIV, emphasis mine).
Just like Jesus knew that Peter would be tested and deny Him three times, Jesus already knew every sin I would ever commit before He gave His life on the cross. Do you know what that means? It means that the Lord chose me in spite of my shortcomings—all those pesky things that need sifting in order for me to be more like Jesus.
When being sifted, we can remember: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) If we’re looking at our lives through that lens, we can trust God through them. They are no cause to fear. Rather they offer potential for Christ’s power to be made perfect in our lives.
I’ve heard several speakers here at Watermark point out that if dependence is the goal, then weakness is the advantage. If we’re looking at our lives through the lens of 2 Corinthians 12:9, we can trust that seasons of sifting offer the potential for Christ’s power to be made perfect in our lives. Additionally, as verse 32 mentions, after we’ve been sifted like wheat, we are equipped to strengthen those with whom we’re running this race. Look at Peter! He went on to make a pretty huge impact for the kingdom. So take heart, brothers and sisters! We're all a work in progress!
Discussion Questions
1. What are some areas of your life that you think may need sifting (e.g., pride, doubt, fear, discontentment, etc.)?
2. Can you think of a time when the Lord used hard and/or painful circumstances to teach you a valuable lesson? Think about some of those times. What did the Lord teach you in that season? What did He teach you about His character?
3. Where are other examples in Scripture of someone being sanctified through a difficult situation?
4. In seasons of sifting, how can you be intentional to keep in mind that God is good?