Peter: Failing Forward
Peter’s story in Mark isn’t about a man who shines as a hero but about a disciple who stumbles big, fails loud, and discovers a God who never lets go.”
Before we march on through Mark’s whirlwind of demons, healings, and parables, let’s pause to glance at the disciple whose voice echoes behind these words—Simon Peter. If this really is “Peter’s Gospel,” you’d expect a highlight reel. Surely he’d remind us of that spectacular moment when he walked on water. Or the grand pronouncement when Jesus called him the rock on which the church would be built. But no—none of that shows up here. In Mark’s account, Peter leaves the victory laps on the cutting-room floor.
Instead, what we get is a Peter who stumbles, fumbles, and misses the point more often than not. And he’s not alone—none of the disciples come out looking like heroes. They start strong, all wide-eyed and eager, but by the end they’ve run themselves straight into the ditch. Their only saving grace is that Jesus refuses to quit on them. Especially Peter. His story will end not in triumph but in tears, and yet in the last chapter we’ll glimpse a Messiah who still holds on to him.
Why leave out the highlights? Maybe it’s humility. Maybe it’s lingering shame. Or maybe Peter wants us to know that discipleship isn’t about a string of spiritual victories. In fact, as the Gospel unfolds, watch how the disciples morph from underdogs—weaklings who depend entirely on God’s mercy—into men who start believing their own press, until they begin to look disturbingly like the Pharisees they once opposed. That’s the warning tucked inside Peter’s silence: the moment disciples forget their smallness is the moment they lose sight of Jesus.
So pay attention as we go. Peter’s story is not about a man who makes himself big for God, but about a man who fails big and discovers a God who never lets go. That’s the real Gospel, and that’s why Peter’s words still ring true.
Reflection Question
What would change if you believed that your story with God is shaped more by his faithfulness than by your faithfulness?
