Name Change
Matthew 4:18-22 (NIV)
“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.”
Matthew 16:16,18 (NIV)
Peter: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”
Jesus: “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
We decided very quickly to name our first born ‘Simon’ after Simon Peter in the Bible. I went to register the birth while Larry was still in the maternity ward. As I was walking down the hill, full of the joys of being a father, I thought to myself that it would be a good to have my name carried into the next generation. So when the registrar asked for the Christian names I added ‘Francis’.
In the gospel according to Matthew, Simon’s calling is described very briefly. In Mark’s version there is a lot more explanation. Jesus got into Simon’s boat, used it to speak to a crowd, then told Simon to go out into the deep and put his nets down to catch some fish. Simon thought this was a waste of time and said so, but something compelled him to comply. The resulting catch was enormous, Simon and his partners were astonished. Simon’s reaction is interesting: he told Jesus to go away because he, Simon, was a sinful man. Much later on when Jesus was crucified, Simon ran away and denied ever knowing him.
Jesus, however, knew all along that while Simon had been inconsistent, weak and a bit of a hot head, he had the potential to be a pioneer leader of the Church that God would build on Jesus the ‘Rock’. Jesus gives the name ‘Peter’ to Simon - he will be a ‘rock’ reflecting the nature of his Saviour. We know, and God knows, our characters are far from perfect but he sees our potential and has a plan for each one of us – sometimes it can surprise us!
Prayer — Lord we can be like Simon Peter – we’ve seen who you are and still we behave in a way that is unworthy of your love. We are in situations where we know you are the answer to people’s needs but we duck out of telling the truth about you. We know you have forgiven us and go on forgiving us and we are deeply grateful. Help us to see ourselves as you see us and to live up to that potential.