When we talk about the Apostle Peter, we speak of him as if he were ignorant, but, I believe I can prove that Peter was actually a very smart, experienced, businessman.
The
perception that the disciples were people without formal schooling was not from
God, but from people who thought they knew them. They didn’t know them as well
as Jesus knew them and we read before that He doesn’t call dumb people. You may
not have a college degree, or a ministry degree, but that doesn’t stop you from
having other gifts. I’m pretty sure the gifts are there, but I’m not sure however
if you believe and know your talents and gifts are there.
Peter was
a professional fisherman and I've met a few of them. They look humble and crude on the outside, but they are some of the wisest people I ever met. Always hard working, they
don’t fear taking on a big, dangerous task. They are ready to face just about
any kind of threat or enemy and they have their own fighting and survival
skills. They, and even the humblest of them, know how to manage a medium sized
boat, know all the tricks to store and preserve their fish and the food they
need for long fishing trips.
Fishermen
know how to manage people and especially being with a few rude guys for weeks
in the same boat. They learn to be understanding, forgiving, always cheerful
and ready to cheer up others who feel homesick. So, when I read about Peter
being a dumb, rude, stupid, uneducated man and how Jesus suddenly changed him
into a smart preacher, I think this perception is far from the truth. Yes, he
denied Jesus, which was one of his biggest failures. Yes, he was a little foul
mouthed. He was also a hypocrite, as Paul called him later, but, Jesus didn’t
choose a guy using some sort of game. He
knew Peter very well and because He knew him, He chose him.
God does not choose
you and me just by random luck. He knows us, we may have a few failures in our
records, but we can learn from Joseph, Job, Moses, Gideon and Peter that
despite weakness and failure, we can be used mightily by our all-powerful God,
because He knows us and He is willing to discuss and debate with us his plans
and his reasons for calling us.
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