““Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,”
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat — Simon, Simon: the personal address with the double name communicating urgency. Satan has asked (exētēsato, demanded, claimed): the Satan who demanded Job is now demanding Simon. To sift all of you as wheat: the violent, disorienting process of separating grain from chaff.
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. Jesus tells Peter that he's been asked for—requested by Satan himself. Satan wants access to him.
Then Jesus says: I've prayed for you. Your faith won't fail. That's curious because Peter's faith does fail. He denies Jesus three times. So is Jesus wrong? Or does 'faith won't fail' mean something different—that the fundamental orientation toward Jesus, even after denial, can be restored? I think Jesus is saying: you'll be tested severely. Satan wants to destroy you. But my prayer is that your faith—your actual loyalty to me—will survive the test. And it does. Peter denies Jesus. But Peter returns to Jesus. The faith, ultimately, holds.
““Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,”
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat — Simon, Simon: the personal address with the double name communicating urgency. Satan has asked (exētēsato, demanded, claimed): the Satan who demanded Job is now demanding Simon. To sift all of you as wheat: the violent, disorienting process of separating grain from chaff.
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. Jesus tells Peter that he's been asked for—requested by Satan himself. Satan wants access to him.
Then Jesus says: I've prayed for you. Your faith won't fail. That's curious because Peter's faith does fail. He denies Jesus three times. So is Jesus wrong? Or does 'faith won't fail' mean something different—that the fundamental orientation toward Jesus, even after denial, can be restored? I think Jesus is saying: you'll be tested severely. Satan wants to destroy you. But my prayer is that your faith—your actual loyalty to me—will survive the test. And it does. Peter denies Jesus. But Peter returns to Jesus. The faith, ultimately, holds.
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat — Simon, Simon: the personal address with the double name communicating urgency. Satan has asked (exētēsato, demanded, claimed): the Satan who demanded Job is now demanding Simon. To sift all of you as wheat: the violent, disorienting process of separating grain from chaff.