Peter's

Story

By

Abp. Leslie "Mary" Trombly

Copyright (c) 2003

My name is Simon Peter, more commonly known as "Peter" or "Peter the Rock". This is my story. I am the son of a fisherman. My brother and I worked on my father's fishing boat. I grew up on the sea of Galilee, where my siblings and I used to play and swim. I loved to fish and would take many fishing trips with my father. Life was hard and my father adhered to the policy of "hard work never hurt anyone". He was a strict parent and dealt with us harshly if we stepped out of line. When I grew up I kept working on my father's boat with my brother. In my spare time I would drink and get drunk. I would curse and become more arrogant and stubborn with each drink I took. Inevitably sooner ot later, I would end up in a fight with someone. This is how I lived until one day, when something happened to change my life.

One day I was fixing the nets and preparing to call it quits. The day's fishing was a total failure and I was in no mood for anyone or anything. I had drunk myself half drunk when a stranger approached. He was a tall and lanky man - not the fisherman type at all. As he approached he said the strangest thing. He said, "Take your boat out again and cast your nets on the other side of the boat." I said ,"Are you crazy! We just came in because the fishing was so bad. We didn't catch a thing!" "This man doesn't know a thing about fishing!", I thought. He was insistant. So back in the boat we got and my brother said, "Let us see how good a fisherman this fella really is!" We were totally convinced that he couldn't catch a pollywog and so was I. We sailed for a while and the stranger remained silent until we reached our destination. Then he said again, "Cast your nets on the other side of the boat. We started to argue with him, but he was adamant. Reluctantly we did as he said. No sooner had we done that when the nets started breaking away from the side of the boat. We scrambled to hold on to them and after a brief struggle we succeeded on pulling the nets on board to find the full of the fish that we had no luck in getting earlier. We were awestruck!

When we got back on shore and sold the fish we had and ate some of what was left with this stranger. He said another strange thing. He said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." By now my brother and I were entranced by him. We asked him what his name was and he said, "I am Jesus of Nazareth." "Hey! I heard of you!" piped up my brother. "You are that carpenter's son - right?", he continued. Jesus replied, "Yes I am." That was the beginning of my three year relationship with Jesus as one of His apostles. I would continue to serve Him until my death years later. I didn't know that at the time. All I knew then was that there was something about this man that just made you want to follow Him where ever He went. It didn't come as easily for me to just follow Him. First I was a drunk to begin with. I got drunker that night and even got into a fight. I was an arrogant, stubborn man, with a very bad temper. Even when I was this way in front of Jesus, He still had a love and compassion for me that I had never seen before. Needless to say we left our nets and followed Him.

The apostles Jesus selected and called grew from my brother, Andrew and I, to twelve in all. Then He called two more who were: James and his brother, John, who were in a ship with Zebedee, their father mending their nets. Then he called Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. We followed Him and did as he instructed. We also learned things that we never knew before. Things that were not taught in the synagogues. With all the miracles He had performed were beyond description; but there things He did that left me speechless. I never thought it was possible to cast out demons and raise the dead; but He did. He even taught us how to pray and He taught us the meaning of Faith and having love - even for your enemies. A lesson that I would learn until much later.

One day when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, a centurion caame to Him, beseeching him. He said, "Lord, my servant lies at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented." Jesus said to him, I will come and healhim." The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it." When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Jesus said unto the centurion, Go your way; and as you have believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the same hour. That was the day we learned about having the complete faith in God, that He often talked about. Applying it to our lives was something else entirely. That was hard for us to do. We know that we should have and we did sometimes, but other times we failed very miserably at it.

Another time we went with him to the other side into the country of the Gederenes. There He met a man possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. They cried out, saying, What have we to do with you, Jesus, you Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time? There was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If you cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. He said unto them, "Go" and when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine. Then the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. The ones that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what had happened to the possessed of the devils. The whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts. The other Apostles and I had never seen anything like it! Oh sure, we saw him cast out demons; but nothing like this! We were utterly baffled and amazed! How could a mere man do this? "Surely", I thought, "This man must be a Prophet or something from God !"

During an occasion when He was healing the sick and the scribes said, "This man blasphemeth." Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Why do you think it is evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Your sins be forgiven you; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then he said to the sick of the palsy,) "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.". That set me to thinking that perhaps this man was the Son of God. Of all the people that Jesus healed and freed from any demon possession very few of them ever said "thank you" to Him. That angered me. Jesus never said a word about their ungratitude except when He talked about the ten blind men and only one came back to thank Him. In it was a lesson about who hears the word and receives it and those who hear it and do not.

Jesus sent all twelve of us forth, and commanded us, saying," Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter you not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. And into whatsoever city or town you shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till you go thence. And when you come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. We did as we commanded of us. Earlier He gave us the power to do what He commanded us to do.

I remember that when we returned to Jesus' hometown how they mocked and cursed him. They said, " Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And is sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. He didn't do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. I didn't completely believe in the "resurrection thing". Sure He brought Jarius's daughter back to life; but no one had seen it. She could have just been asleep. We didn't believe it until Lazarus died. Weoften visited him and his sisters, Mary and Martha often. But one day we got word that Lazarus was sick and Mary and Martha sent a messenger begging Jesus to come quickly, but he sent back a message that he would be there in a little while. When we finally arrived in Bethany, Mary and Martha were in mourning because their brother had died three days ago. He asked them both if they believed and they said yes. Then He resurrected Lazarus from the dead and we believed.

I remember one time we were to meet Jesus across the water and a storm came up and we were afraid that we would drown. There in the midst of the storm we saw Jesus - Walking on the Water! I saw that and wanted to walk on water too, so I said to Jesus, "Ask me to come to you" (My arrogance again) He did and I started to walk on the water just like He did and was doing fine unti the thunder and lightening scared me and I sunk into the water. Jesus said, "Where is your Faith?" I had failed again. While He was in the boat he asked us who we thought He was. Some said Elias the prophet, othes said differently. When He looked at me and asked , "Who do you say that I am?" Without thinking, The words came out; "You are the Son of God, the Messiah". He said that my knowledge had come from the Father and that I was to be His rock and henceforth known as "Peter" on which he would buildHis church.

I saw many things as I walked with Jesus and learned much. I also learned that as perfect as I wanted to be, that in the flesh, I would never be. It hit home at the time of His trial and crucifixion. We were celebrating the Passover after Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem a week ago. We had learned that He would be betrayed and found out it was Judas Iscariot, that would betray Him. My arrogance showed up again and I told Jesus as we celebrated that "Last Supper " with him that I would die for Him. But Jesus said, "Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, you will deny me three times." I said to Him, Though I should die with you, yet will I not deny you. Likewise also said all the disciples. Little did I realize that His words would come true that very night. Judas betrayed him with a kiss and I denied him three times before the cock crowed. I wept bitterly at my betrayal of Jesus.

After Jesus death and resurrection, He appeared to us and as he ascended into heaven He said "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." We did as He instructed and years later, instead of dying a natural death, I was crucified. I didn't want to be put on a cross the same way that Jesus was so I insisted that they crucify me upside down and they did. Now I am with my Lord and Savior in His kingdom. I wait for the day when all that is evil to end; but in the meantime, I serve him here as I served him when I was alive. I am no longer stubborn or arrogant and I no longer have a mean temper. I serve Him in great joy and perfection as you all will, who are in Christ, one day.

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