John 21: 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Peter needed healing. His bold declarations of unquenchable loyalty to Jesus had withered with the rooster’s third crow. He denied even knowing Jesus, let alone being one of his closest friends for the last three years. When thrust into a life-threatening crisis, self-preservation rather than undying faithfulness, surfaced. It exposed him to be a shallower man than he realized.
Before Peter could become the “rock” he would have to deal with some deeply hidden areas of his human nature. After the resurrection when Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, he gave opportunity for Peter’s guilt, shame and failure to surface. Three times Jesus asked. Three times the penetrating question opened the wound of his denial. But it also exposed him to a dimension of forgiving love he had yet to experience. It healed him. It equipped him to feed God’s flock. It prepared him to one day die rather than deny Christ again.
Peter became a chisel plow Christian.
Chisel plows are farm implements used primarily to break up hard, packed dirt. Their iron claws rip through the soil and prepare it for planting. They get rid of stones and weeds that would otherwise hinder seeds from taking root and bring fresh nutrients to the surface. Without chisel plows, fields would be far less productive.
Without the chisel plow of the Holy Spirit, so would we. Until we let the Lord dig deep into our hearts and surface our hidden faults, we can’t hope to grow. We need him to expose stones of bitterness and rejection. To cut off weeds of shame and guilt so they don’t overrun us like crabgrass.
Do you desire to have a deeper walk with Jesus? Then don’t be afraid of what might surface in your life. He loves you no matter what. Whether you’ve betrayed his character or fell short of loving his sheep, his love will reinstate you, just as it did for Peter.
A great harvest is waiting for us to become a part of. Let’s get ready. Let’s become chisel plow Christians.