Have you ever wondered what it must have felt like for Simon when Jesus nicknamed him “Peter” in Matthew 16:18? The nickname “Peter” meant “the rock.” Imagine being called “the Rock” by Jesus!?! You could imagine that Simon took this new name very seriously. That may have made his moments of failure even more difficult. Like when he sunk like a rock after walking on water in Matthew 14 because of a lack of belief. Or when he rebuked Jesus because he couldn’t wrap his mind around Jesus being crucified, and Jesus strongly rebuked Simon because he had become a “stumbling block” in Matthew 16. Or when he denied knowing Jesus three times on the night that Jesus was arrested. 1 Corinthians 13:5 says that “love keeps no record of wrongs.” Because love understands that failure is a part of the growth process. Love doesn’t see us for who we are now, but who we are becoming.That’s why Jesus was able to pray for Peter before his moments of failure and remind Peter even after he had failed to “strengthen his brothers” (Luke 22:31-32). That’s what love does. Love forgives.
