The dark side of Peter: Looking at passages from 'Following Jesus'

"Peter in 14:28 becomes the perfect illustration of 'little faith.' He starts out well enough. But when things get tough, he loses confidence and flounders on being left to his own devices. ... He is among the first followers of Jesus, is the most prominent among the Twelve Apostles, and serves as their representatives at various points. And yet Peter also has a dark side that causes him at times to lose trust and even deny Jesus."

These passages come from 'Following Jesus: What the New Testament Teaches Us' by renowned Catholic biblical scholar Jesuit Father Daniel Harrington. The book looks at what it means to become a disciple of Christ in light of the New Testament.

I found this passage particularly interesting, as the saints can sometimes seem untouchable and not relatable. They appear perfect, an ideal that we cannot reach. But, in reality, saints were just people like us. They had their own struggles and sins. The difference? They fully cooperated with God's grace. Just as St. Peter went from being a man of "little faith" to the "fearless preacher of the good news about Jesus," we too can become saints. When we respond to God's grace and allow him to work in us, God heals the soul and leads us to holiness.

More about the book

"Following Jesus" offers many insightful biblical interpretations like this. It is divided into four parts, each of which deals with six key New Testament passages relating to the theme of following Jesus:

• Part One: Hearing Jesus' Call in the Synoptic Gospels
• Part Two: Growing in Appreciation of Jesus in John's Gospel
• Part Three: Paul as a Disciple of Jesus
• Part Four: Other Ways of Being a Disciple of Jesus

Father Harrington presents his study of the New Testament in a straightforward way, with summaries at the end of each section, along with proactive Think, Pray, and Act reflections.

For more information, click here.