Today Daily Devotional

Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

— Matthew 26:33

There’s wisdom in the saying “Never say never.” But when we are determined not to do something, we can easily say, “I’ll never do that!”

After the Last Supper, Peter passionately declared that he would never betray Jesus. But Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself.

After the Passover meal they had shared, Jesus made a dramatic announcement: “This very night you will all fall away on account of me. . . .” But Peter asserted confidently that he would never leave Jesus. “No, Peter,” Jesus said, in effect, “before daybreak you will disown me three times.”

Though Peter’s heart was in the right place, Jesus knew Peter’s weakness. And, true to Jesus’ words, Peter failed miserably (see Matthew 26:69-75).

Yet there’s grace and hope in this story. Jesus prayed for Peter and the others, that they would be faithful and kept safe, despite the hardships and failures they would face. And did you know that Jesus prayed for us as well? (See John 17.)

I fail often. Even in my most determined moments, I stumble and fall. What about you? Jesus knows us and our weaknesses, and he still loves us. Though we sometimes fail to be faithful, Jesus—our faithful Savior—restores us and entrusts us with his work.

Thank you, Jesus, that you have promised never to leave us or forsake us, even though we will fail you in our weakness at times. Show us the way to follow and serve you. In your name, Amen.

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

— John 13:8

In summertime I often wear sandals. If I walk on sidewalks and pavement, my feet stay relatively clean. But when I venture onto a dirt path, my feet will quickly get dirty, and they’ll need washing when I get home. At the Last Supper, foot washing was necessary.

In Bible times, foot washing was standard hospitality before a meal or a banquet. Typically it was performed by a servant. So we can easily picture Peter’s surprise and disapproval when Jesus—their host and esteemed teacher— got up, took off his cloak, and began to wash and dry his disciples’ feet. “No,” Peter declared, “You shall never wash my feet.” But when Jesus explained, Peter said Jesus should wash his hands and his head as well.

Though Peter and the other disciples didn't understand this foot washing at the time, they later grasped Jesus’ deep, spiritual meaning in this lowly action. All who belong to Jesus need his washing—not from dirt but from their sins. And just as people’s feet needed washing every day, sinners need daily forgiveness. In this humble, selfless act, Jesus demonstrated our need for forgiveness, his power alone to provide this washing, and what it means to love—by sacrificially serving others.

When we share the love of Christ with the people around us, they will know that Jesus loves them too.

Lord Jesus, thank you for washing our sin away. May we too serve others selflessly, sharing your love and inviting them to know you. Amen.

Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

— Luke 22:8

At our house, busyness swirls as we prepare for big meals at Thanksgiving and Christmastime. Wrestling a big meal onto the table requires lots of planning.

That was undoubtedly true for Jewish families looking forward to Passover as well. In our story today Jesus sends his trusted disciples Peter and John to make arrangements for the Passover meal they would share together.

Many details had to be arranged in preparing this meal: securing a large room in Jerusalem; clearing all of the yeast out of that room; and buying wine, cakes of unleavened bread, and bitter herbs, among other things. Most important, they also needed a lamb that had been sacrificed at the temple. How could they do all that in so little time?

Amazingly, Jesus had already foreseen every detail. Just as Jesus had said, Peter and John met a man carrying a jar of water in Jerusalem, and he led them to a house where they could take care of all their Passover preparations. The miraculous logistics of this story emphasize Jesus’ divinity and power, as well as his attention to detail.

Like Peter and John, we can be confident when Jesus gives us an assignment. No matter how difficult or complicated it may seem, he has already been working ahead of us, preparing the way and graciously providing an opportunity for us to be involved in his work of salvation.

In your invitation to trust and follow you, Jesus, you provide all that we need for serving you in the world. Amen.

Peter remembered [the fig tree] and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

— Mark 11:21

There’s a small tree in our yard that needs to be removed because of its inconvenient location. It seems a shame to chop it down, though. When Peter noticed a tree that was withered because Jesus had cursed it, he expressed his surprise.

Peter’s surprise is not surprising. Why, indeed, would Jesus—who cares for children, feeds the hungry, and heals the sick—kill a poor little fig tree? The key to understanding this puzzle has to do with what happens after Jesus first sees the tree and when he sees it again.

After cursing the tree, Jesus and the disciples enter Jerusalem and go into the temple courts. There, to his dismay, Jesus finds a bustling market filled with merchants hawking sacrificial animals for profit. With some of the harshest words that he ever says, Jesus drives out the merchants and money changers for turning God’s temple into “a den of robbers.” And the withered tree that they see the next day illustrates Jesus’ point: Fruitless faith is no faith at all.

Through the sacrifice of Jesus’ death and resurrection, all who turn to Jesus are made right with God. And with this new life God wants us to do the good works he has already prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). If we fail to do them, we will be acting like that fig tree, withered and producing no fruit.

Jesus, you have made us to be like trees planted beside the waters of eternal life. Make us fruitful, producing the fruit of righteousness for your glory. Amen.

Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

— Matthew 19:27

Often in life we are taught that we will be rewarded for certain behaviors and actions—especially if we try hard and work at something with all our heart. In our reading for today, Peter speaks for the others around him and asserts that they’ve given up everything to follow Jesus. Can they expect a reward?

In his teaching here, Jesus indicates that there is a cost in following him. When a rich young man asks how he can “get eternal life,” Jesus speaks of keeping God’s commandments, and he calls on the young man to give up his wealth to the poor and to follow him. Unable to do that, the rich young man turns away disappointed.

Jesus explains to his disciples how hard it can be for a rich person to be saved. In fact, he says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle” than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom. Gaining salvation for ourselves is impossible, but, thankfully, God has provided a way for us. If we turn to Jesus, he will save us and give us new life.

Like Peter and the other disciples, we should turn to Jesus, recognizing that all that we have has been given by God. And we should seek to honor God first by serving him and others. Though our rewards in this life may not include wealth or status, the Lord will bless us with all we need and with the assurance that we will have eternal life with him “at the renewal of all things.”

Help us, Lord, to follow where you lead, serving you and others as we await full life in your presence. Amen.

Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

— Matthew 18:21

Sometimes when I’m alone and driving long distances, I listen to “golden oldies” on the radio. One song I occasionally hear has this refrain: “I’ve been trying to get down to the heart of the matter. . . . I think it’s about forgiveness.” This is exactly what Jesus was getting at in our passage for today.

Peter asks Jesus, “How many times shall I forgive my brother or sister?” And Jesus responds with the parable of the unforgiving servant. This servant, who has been forgiven much, refuses to forgive someone who owes him only a little. Jesus shows there is no limit to the number of times we should forgive others. Why? Because we should forgive as God forgives.

Our forgiveness of others actually shows that we realize how much God has forgiven us. God’s transforming mercy enables us to show mercy to others out of love for God.

Some psychologists say that forgiveness is a personal option, suggesting a kind of permission structure for not forgiving people who have wronged us. In some cases, of course, it may not be wise to fully embrace or trust someone whom we have forgiven. And forgiving some injuries may take hard work and may not completely resolve the hurt. But forgiving is the right thing to do.

For Jesus, for Peter, and for us, forgiveness is the heart of the matter.

As you have forgiven us all of our sins, Jesus, help us by your grace to forgive others. Amen.

“Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

“Yes, he does,” [Peter] replied.

— Matthew 17:25

Though I’m no expert at it, I love fishing. When I cast my line, I just long to catch something. In this fishing story, Peter goes out to catch a specific fish—one with a coin in its mouth!

When the tax collectors ask Peter if Jesus pays the temple tax (a voluntary “donation” expected of adult men), Peter answers, “Yes, he does.”

Later Jesus speaks with Peter about this at his house. While noting that the children of kings are not expected to pay taxes, Jesus indicates that he and Peter should pay the tax so that they will not “cause offense.” So he tells Peter to cast his line into the lake and that he’ll catch a fish with a coin that he can use to pay both his and Jesus’ temple tax.

What does this striking story suggest? Jesus’ answer points ahead to the time when he, as the Son of God, will replace the Jerusalem temple himself as the focus of true worship and righteousness (see John 2:19-22; John 4:16-21). Jesus’ response also shows that he will provide all that his followers will need. In addition, Jesus offers some sound advice for all who share the good news about him—don’t cause unnecessary offense.

Though we might wish we could pay our taxes by fishing, we can be assured that in Christ all our needs will be taken care of and that we will have opportunities to invite the people around us to worship him freely.

May you alone, Lord, be at the center of our worship, as we trust in you to provide for all our needs and to help us share your love. Amen.

We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

— 2 Peter 1:18

Some events in our lives can take on deeper meaning as the years pass. Especially when it comes to matters of faith and encounters with Jesus, we can find that our understanding can sharpen and grow over time. That certainly was the case with Peter and his understanding of Jesus over the years.

After Jesus had ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-11), Peter continued to reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ time on earth. And he recalled a key moment when God had revealed Jesus’ true identity on the mount of transfiguration. There Jesus had been revealed as the Son of God in dazzling glory, and God had said about him: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5). As the years passed, the truth of this intense moment grew clearer and expanded in Peter’s mind and life, leading him to act boldly and powerfully in faith and service for the Lord. And in all of this Peter was guided by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In a variety of ways this can be true for us too. By recalling God’s grace to us, meditating on his Word, and engaging with God in prayer through the work of the Spirit, our faith will grow and deepen. As the Lord teaches us in his Word, this is what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Lord Jesus, may our faith and knowledge continue to grow so that we can serve faithfully as your true disciples. Amen.

“Blessed are you, Simon . . . for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.”

— Matthew 16:17

Peter was a person who would often just blurt out what he was thinking. Sometimes he was right, and other times he was embarrassingly wrong. But in this passage he spoke the absolute truth about Jesus.

In the region of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” Hearing that people were saying he was like one of the great prophets, Jesus asked, “But what about you? . . . Who do you say I am?” And Peter blurted out a confession for the ages: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

How did Peter know this, and what did it mean? Considering some of the things Peter blurted out in other settings, we can be confident that this was not from his own wisdom. Instead, it was revealed to him by God. As Jesus himself said, “Blessed are you, Simon . . . This was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” Only God, through the Holy Spirit, could reveal Jesus’ divine identity.

Though Peter spoke the truth, he didn’t fully understand it. The full meaning was revealed later, after Jesus gave up his life to save us from sin, and when he rose from death to give us eternal life. Only the Son of the living God could do all that, as God himself had planned (Acts 2:22-36).

And what about us? Only as we grow in faith and walk with Jesus do we begin to see God’s love and what it means for us.

Jesus, thank you for revealing yourself to Peter and to us. Help us to keep growing in our faith and trust in you. Amen.

Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

— Matthew 15:15

When children are small, they pepper us with questions: Why? Where? How? What does that mean? Although at times this may feel annoying to us, it shows that the children are listening. Peter asked Jesus lots of questions.

As Jesus wrapped up a harsh critique of the people’s religious leaders, who were often more concerned about dietary laws than about how they treated people, Jesus told a brief parable that ended with these words, “If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

Peter was confused about Jesus’ meaning, so he asked for clarification. And in response Jesus asked, “Don’t you see that what makes you impure is not what you eat but what is in your heart?”

Like faithful Jews of that day, Peter and the other disciples paid close attention to the religious dietary laws of their time. But keeping those laws while letting sin into their hearts would be a terrible mistake, Jesus asserted. He was also pointing ahead to when he would fulfill the law and become the people’s true source of righteousness.

At the risk of embarrassment, Peter was right to ask Jesus for clarification. Traditions and our own understandings can fail us. And when we turn to the Lord for understanding, he will provide what we need to keep our hearts in line with his plan for our lives.

Do you need guidance? Never stop asking Jesus to lead and guide you.

Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of your Spirit to lead and guide us as we trust and follow you. Amen.