Sifted as wheat: what foundation will it reveal?

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Luke 22:21b-34:

But look, the hand of the one betraying Me is at the table with Me! ²² For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

²³ So they began to argue among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do this thing.

The Dispute over Greatness

²⁴ Then a dispute also arose among them about who should be considered the greatest. ²⁵ But He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles dominate them, and those who have authority over them are called^[d] ‘Benefactors.’^[e] 26 But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving. ²⁷ For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the One who serves. ²⁸ You are the ones who stood by Me in My trials. ²⁹ I bestow on you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one on Me, ³⁰ so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom. And you will sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

Peter’s Denial Predicted

³¹ “Simon, Simon,^[f] look out! Satan has asked to sift you^[g] like wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you^[h] that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

³³ “Lord,” he told Him, “I’m ready to go with You both to prison and to death!”

³⁴ “I tell you, Peter,” He said, “the rooster will not crow today until^[i] you deny three times that you know Me!”

Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.

I remember when I visited with my grandma in her village in Madurai as a child, I would watch her sift rice on a large sieve made with woven dried leaves. She shook it violently so that the stones, dirt and dust would fly out and the rice kernels would remain.

In Biblical times, a similar process was carried out to violently shake away all the grime and dirt so that the pure wheat kernels may remain.

Satan, known as one who accuses those who belong to Christ is relentless in his accusations of us day and night before God’s throne room (Revelations 12:10). Satan knew that Jesus had told Peter that his faith (in Christ) would be the “Rock” (foundation) on which the church would be built (Matthew 16:13-19). Satan had asked for Peter to be sifted. In essence he was challenging God that Peter’s true foundation (if it was truly on Christ or on himself) would be revealed through fiery trials. A similar challenge happened to Job.

In the original Biblical translation, in the verse: Satan has asked to sift you like wheat, “you” is plural. Jesus was referring to all the disciples-to the moment when they would all leave His side when Judas comes with the troops to betray Him.

God had granted Satan his request. Not because God wanted Peter to suffer at the hands of Satan. But because God had a higher purpose for Peter. A true refining of Peter where every false foundation of confidence in himself would be sifted, shaken and removed until the solid foundation of his true faith in Jesus would remain.

Often times God allows trials in our lives to prune us and refine us. Just when we think we can stand, when we think we are able to fight Satan, He allows us to go through a fiery trial. His purpose through it all is to refine us and make us more fit for the next chapter in our lives.

Our God never wastes trials that come our way.

I love how this passage of Peter’s foundations being shaken come right after Jesus’ revelation of a betrayer sitting amongst them. It comes right after the disciples immediately argue amongst themselves who is greater. When they try to prove that they would never do anything “lesser” as this. Peter even went to the extent of cutting off the servant’s ear when Judas comes with a battalion to arrest Jesus int he garden of Gethsemane. Peter was operating from a false foundation. From his own abilities. From his own wisdom. From his own limited human reasoning and understanding.

Reflect with me for a moment. How often have we with our smug righteousness thought we would never betray God in our actions and words? Unknown to ourselves we stand on our own righteous acts instead of standing on Christ’s finished work on the cross. We stand on our own blind confidence, on our own abilities. On our own recognitions and titles. Those are false foundations. For in the fiery trials (and these will come to every believer for we are in a battle with Satan from the moment we give our lives to Jesus) our true foundation will be revealed.

What trials are you going through right now? What will it reveal of you when the fierce storm of trials is over?

Peter wept. He went through true repentance. He repented of his false sense of security in his own confidence and abilities. That he would never deny Christ. Yet the trials also revealed the “rock” he stood on. Beneath the façade of false sense of confidence was a true foundation. God was in essence bringing him back to the basics. It was humbling. It was life transforming. For from this solid foundation, Peter would go on to do mighty acts for the Lord that would cause the salvation of many.  

Judas, who was numbered among the 12 also went through a conflicting time- he came to his senses and felt remorse (Matthew 27:3) but he did not have a true foundation to stand on. His remorse came from a place of guilt. It was not true repentance as what Peter felt. He had pride and ego within himself that prevented him from experiencing true repentance. Remorse is not enough. Remorse is defined as “a strong feeling of guilt and regret about something you have done”. Judas wallowed in this so long that he decided to take his own life. Peter regretted too. But he experienced true repentance. Peter grieved when he saw that he had denied God in his actions. He took a crucial step- he turned to God to be restored again. Peter experienced true repentance. He humbled himself. He broke away from pride, empty confidence in himself and ego. He was willing to give up all of these so that the only true foundation, the only needed foundation would remain: Christ Himself.

In the parable of the wise and the foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27), we see that the house of the wise man stood even after the torrential rains and winds lashed against it. The foolish man built his house on the sand- on false foundations. His house came crashing down when a storm lashed against it. Not because the house was not solid but because the foundation was not strong enough to sustain him.

What false foundations are we standing on today? What foundation does our marriage, our parenting, our working style etc. stand on? What foundations is the Lord shaking in our lives?

My friend, don’t despise trials and storms in your life. Submit to the Lord and let Him lead you victoriously out of them. May you and I, after the “winnowing process” is over, still be found standing on Christ. Our Rock and our firm foundation.

Prayer

Abba Father, I come before Your throne of grace undone. Break away from me every false foundation as I go through this time of trial and testing. Purify me and make me whole. I want to stand not on my own righteousness but on Yours. Burn every dross within me and refine me O Lord so I can be a powerful battleaxe in Your Hand. So I can be fully, freely be surrendered to do all that You will of me. Holy Spirit cause me to stand and to stand strong on You and You alone. In Jesus’ Matchless Name, amen.

Here is a song for you as you go before the Lord in an attitude of surrender and prayer today: