Grace in disguise

Simon Peter was a man of extremes. A man who often speaks before he thinks. Who also often acts before he thinks. That’s how we get to know him in The Chosen, but also in the Bible. Whatever you may think of it, Simon Peter’s character often brings him to the very heights of human experience. But sadly… also into the deep valleys of sorrow, shame, and struggle.

The way Simon Peter’s extremes can switch rapidly is perhaps seen most clearly in the Bible in Matthew 16. In that passage, Jesus has a conversation with His disciples about one of the most fundamental questions you can ask about Jesus: “Who do you say I am?” That same question is one Jesus still asks you and me today. But first, He asked it to His disciples.

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”... Just moments earlier, the disciples had mentioned a few possibilities: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets. But Simon Peter..? He knows! And he almost shouts it out: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”

Wow. Just wow. You really have to be Simon Peter to say something like that—and to know it. And Jesus affirms him in that: “for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” What a moment. What beautiful words.

But then… Just moments later, that same Simon Peter makes an epic misstep and, in a burst of overconfidence, he dares to rebuke none other than Jesus! And just like that, we roll into the other extreme of Simon Peter’s character. The unreasonable side. The side that speaks out of turn. The side that doesn’t listen. The side that somehow thinks he knows better than Jesus.

And yet… even in his worst moments, Simon Peter is not cast aside. Jesus doesn’t replace him with someone more reliable or polished. No, He stays with him. He sees through the blunders and the bravado—and He sees the heart. That’s grace in disguise. Grace that hides in failure. Grace that shows up in the very places where we think we’ve blown it for good.

What if the parts of your story you’re most ashamed of… are the very places where grace is waiting to be found?