The Gift of Sifting

In the Gospel of Luke, Peter receives the prophetic word no one ever wants to get “Satan has demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And, when you have turned again strengthen your brothers.”  Peter is shocked and perhaps a bit offended that his level of commitment is being called into question so he immediately begins to defend himself restating his absolute devotion and allegiance to Jesus. After Peter’s passionate declaration of fidelity, Jesus continues the prophecy with “I tell you Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:31-34) 

Can you imagine getting this Word? I wonder how many of us would want to record this gem in our Journal of Prophetic Words?! This ranks right up there with Jesus pointing out that Peter’s thoughts were aligned with Satan on the trip to Caesarea Philippi. (Matt.16:23) Surely these encounters were unsettling for Peter who was  completely confident that he knew the quality of his convictions and that he knew his own heart. Within a few hours of this prophecy, that very same night, Peter did exactly as Jesus predicted.

Search Me, Know My Heart

 If you live long enough, you will certainly learn that you can and will do things that are not consistent with your values, things you never thought you would do. King David had already learned this lesson when he humbly asked the Lord to search his heart and see if there was any corruption trying to hide or camouflage itself. David was no longer a boy, but a man having been through a few things. He understood that we don’t always truly know ourselves, our motivations, or what we are capable of, but he also knew that we are fully-known and fully-loved by an all-knowing, all-loving God! When David wrote these words, he had surrendered his pride, his ego, his insecurities and his defensiveness (procuring the sifting process) choosing to welcome grace into his heart and into his life. (Psalm139:23-24)

Holy Sifting

 Sifting is a metaphor God uses comparing farming in that era to a spiritual process of Holy Refinement designed to separate what is valuable from what is worthless. Farmers violently shook wheat through a sieve to separate the grain (the valuable crop) from the chaff (the discard). Peter would have been familiar with this concept as God had spoken the same thing to Israel. (Amos 9:9) 

Using the identical analogy, Jesus explains how little Satan understands about this process of Holy Sifting. Satan sees sifting as a tool to break people down and destroy their faith. However, Jesus clarifies the Real Purpose and Outcome of Holy Sifting —  Refinement. It is an intense, trial-like process, when Believers are supernaturally empowered by HIS INTERCESSION — resulting in a powerful & resilient faith, purity, maturity, and preparation for future work! 

Where Pride Goes to Die 

Sifting positions us for exponential growth while simultaneously equipping us to fulfill our purpose. Sifting is not a test of our worthiness designed to show God who we are or what we are made of, nor is it intended to prove our worthlessness. God already knows us better than we know ourselves, He does not need a test to gain such insights. No, sifting is not a test - it is a process. The sifting process is designed to separate that precious seed of faith, unshakable trust and reliance in Him, from the contaminants of self-reliance, pride, perfectionism, and shame; it separates what is valuable from what is worthless. The sifting process is literally where pride goes to die. 

The Look

Luke is the only one who records the look. “Peter denies knowing Jesus for the third time, immediately followed by a rooster crowing. At that moment, Jesus turns and looked at Peter and Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.” Luke 22:60-62

Knowing Jesus, I’m sure there was not one ounce of condemnation in “the look,” but the realization that we have failed the Lord and/or people we love and respect can be a soul crushing experience.  It certainly was for Peter!  The bitter weeping described in Luke 22:62 involves deep, agonizing sorrow and weeping which leads to repentance. It requires some serious maturity to fail so epically and then to completely surrender our spiritual blindness, egotism, and arrogance. It’s when we  yield independence and embrace total dependence on God and His grace, that we are positioned for redemption and recovery!

Nowhere is this more plainly illustrated than in the different reactions of Peter and Judas during the week of His Passion. Judas had remorse for what he had done and then killed himself. Remorse and repentance are not the same thing. (Matt. 27:3-5) Pride often masquerades as remorse and sorrow, attracting self-pity resulting in a victim identity which fuels anger, shame, condemnation and hopelessness. They are like dominos knocking over the next domino of distress until your new address is 111 Defeated Drive…. but God!

Perfectionism vs. Grace

Grace, simply put, is God’s favor that you didn’t earn. Perfectionism doesn’t want you to accept grace or give it. Perfectionism involves constant striving for flawlessness and  impossibly high standards where your self-worth is based on achieving those demands. It’s message is clear, you must perform perfectly so that you are worthy of love. This pride-filled reliance on performance is the very trademark of conditional love; you and I must earn it! 

While many people are willing to concede that Jesus is the only one who will ever be perfect, and that God’s love is unconditional, you still see them living day-to-day under the slave-driving weight of demanding perfection from themselves and others. Failing well requires us to suffocate pride. We cannot give it any oxygen, in fact, we have to extinguish it in such a way that it cannot become a barrier preventing us from running towards grace!

Breakfast

After that soul crushing night, Peter returns to fishing and within a couple of weeks Jesus appears on the shoreline. When Peter, who has been fishing all night, realizes that Jesus is on the shore, he dives into the water and swims with all his might to get to Him. I’m sure the echo of his denials have been on repeat in his head, and the anguish of “the look” has burned itself into Peter’s heart like a brand.  

He probably had no idea what to expect from Jesus at this potentially stressful reunion. Peter might have anticipated a berating critique, or a harsh reprimand, followed by a disdainful look?  What ever his expectations might have been, I’m not sure he could have anticipated that Jesus would be making him breakfast. During breakfast, Jesus engages Peter in a redemptive conversation generously offering him three chances to affirm his love, erasing the sting of his three denials. (John 21) What a merciful, kind, amazing and loving God we serve!

Sift Who?

A quick study of Jesus’s prophecy in Luke 22 will reveal that the “you” Satan has demanded to sift and the “you” that Jesus has prayed for are, both, PLURAL in the Greek. So, a more accurate translation would read, that Satan has demand to sift “all of you” and “ I have prayed for “all of you.” Some scholars believe that the plural form applies to just the disciples, while others believe that the intended message is that Satan desires to sift all of mankind. I believe the latter as I have been through some pretty vigorous sifting myself! Therefore, if the sifting applies to all —  then, so does Jesus’s continued, unfailing intercession ensuring that our faith will not fail! 

It makes so much sense, now, as to why Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father  continuously making intercession for us! Honestly, He could probably sit where ever He wants because: He has conquered Death, Hell and the Grave, He is the Lamb of God, He is worthy, He is the one and only Mediator of the New Covenant, He is our High Priest in heaven, and a thousand other honorifics! However, He has chosen the seat where His ongoing, relentless, and fervent intercession ensures that OUR FAITH WILL NOT FAIL!

We don’t need to fear the sifting process, nor do we need to live as prisoners of guilt, shame, sin, pride, or self hatred; a miserable life defined by our worst mistakes! We can CHOOSE, like Peter, to turn, repent and receive the free and abundant favor that we don’t deserve! At your lowest and worst moments, I pray that you will walk, run, swim, skip, hop or crawl, towards Him and receive HIS AMAZING GRACE, and maybe even breakfast!