One of the details of our Lord's Passion that only St. Luke records are those words that He spoke to Peter in the Upper Room: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked for you guys, that he might sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” What can Jesus mean by this? Satan has come before the Lord, as he did in the days of Job, to demand God to let him attack the Lord's own people, in this case the apostles of Jesus and especially Peter. And it certainly seems, doesn't it, that Jesus' prayer is not answered. After all, Peter's faith does fail. He boasts mightily that he will go to prison and even death rather than leave Jesus side. And yet, only hours later, he has loudly and hotly denied that he even knows Jesus. The rooster crows and Mr. Boastful Peter is balling his eyes out when he remembers Jesus' words. That's because if Jesus means by His words “your faith” something in Peter, then yes, His prayer is not answered. And here is where you and I are called to repentance, for putting too much faith in our faith. For thinking that it is our believing or something inside US called “faith” that wins the day. Brothers and sisters in Christ, behold Peter and see what happens to those who so readily boast that they are on the Lord's side, that they will never betray or deny the Lord, that they will always be faithful! See how such a faith that is focused on MY believing and doing is bound to fail. In fact, Satan will sift it like wheat to wrench it from us and cause us to deny our Lord by our sins and thereby throw into question all our religion and piety and godliness. Indeed, if Jesus is talking about the faith of the disciples as the thing that will not fail, His prayer won't' be answered. Our sinful flesh will keep that prayer from being answered because our sinful flesh will lead us into despair and unbelief every time.
But if by “your faith” Jesus means something OUTSIDE of Peter, namely, Jesus Himself, then we see that His prayer is answered. If by Peter's faith we mean the OBJECT of Peter's faith, that is, Jesus, then things are completely different. Peter fails. Peter's believing fails. All the disciples end up running away. The only one left is Jesus. Will He fail? Will He go through with the suffering? It all hangs in the balance! If Jesus goes down, Peter and the apostles and you and I will perish. It comes close. Jesus sweats blood as He prays in the Garden. He knows what is coming and He doesn't want to do it. At that moment, if Jesus would do what He wanted, the faith of Peter and you and I would fail. “But not my will but Thine be done” prays Jesus. He did not come to do anything else than the Father's will. And that He does. Without wavering, without crying out, like a lamb led silent to the slaughter, Jesus will not defend Himself to the Clergy or to the Roman Governor or the eager-eyed King. When Jesus goes before the religious leaders and suffers their abuse, He is our faith. When He stands before Pilate and answers nothing, He is our faith. When Jesus is mocked by King Herod's crew, He is our faith. When He is whipped and crucified and mocked, He is our faith. When He commits Himself into the hands of His Father and dies for the sins of the world, Jesus is our faith. All that Jesus said, all that He did, all that He suffered, all that He accomplished, was done for Peter, for the apostles, for all sinners, for you and me. Any faith we have is just the Spirit bringing us to receive and believe all that Christ has done, He has done for us. If it's up to Peter and you and me, our faith will indeed fail. If it is up to Jesus, however, our faith CANNOT fail because He did not fail. As it goes with Jesus, so it goes with us. If He fails, we perish; if He conquers sin and death, we shall too; He did and so do we.
This faith, really this Jesus, is given and dwells in us by the holy means of grace. By Baptism in which we have died and risen with Jesus. As St. Paul says, it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. In the preaching of Jesus' death for sinners and the absolution of sins, faith is strengthened and we are kept in the faith of Jesus. In the Holy Supper, Jesus puts faith, that is, Himself into us, by giving us His body and blood. You see? It's all Jesus. It's tempting to make it about us. It's easy to slip into thinking it's all about you, and your believing, and your “faith strength” and level of faith and how much you do and believe. Turn away from the things within yourself. That's Peter's faith in himself, the kind believing that disappoints because it fails! Look outside yourself! Look to Jesus on the cross and the risen Jesus given in your Baptism, in Absolution, in the Supper. These are the unchanging and unfailing gifts of Jesus which are the proof that His prayer was answered: Your faith did not, cannot, and will not fail, because your faith is Jesus Himself, the Victorious Son of God who is the One who has in fact sifted Satan and has accomplished and delivers all things for your salvation. Peter failed but Jesus did not. That saves Peter and you too. Amen.