25.11 | Of Equal Standing
2 Peter 1
‘Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ’
2 Peter 1:1
At the centre of the Roman Catholic world is St Peter’s basilica. At 218 metres long, and 136 metres wide, it is extraordinary in its size. It covers an area of 23,000 square metres, which is nearly four football fields. The massive dome in the centre of the space is vast above your head, and the sculptures and artwork lining the building are breathtaking. In the midst of such staggering scale and beauty, the pilgrim feels tiny in comparison to the magnitude of what they are seeing.
The scale of the building is connected to the significance of Peter in history. His life story is remarkable, with his unparalleled proximity to Jesus transforming the life of a Galilean working man to a figure whose leadership became foundational for the global Church.
Today we begin some of Peter’s final words, likely incarcerated in Rome near the end of his life. And when we consider the magnitude of his ministry and impact, it is easy for us to feel comparatively small.
And yet Peter uses a phrase today that invites us to a vastly different perspective:
Of equal standing.
Of equal standing with the walker on water. Of equal standing with the witness of the transfiguration. Of equal standing with the Pentecost preacher. Of equal standing with he who raised the crippled to their feet and corpses from their deathbeds.
Of equal standing with the one after who colossal basilicas were named.
What is this?
Firstly, there is a corrective to our hearts, for it is in the way of broken humanity to create hierarchies of value—with impressive peoples placed upon pedestals in our souls. Impressive leaders and influential individuals, whose opinions and ways become great to us, and whose affirmations or criticism become disproportionately leading. We can be drawn by such examples into an idolatry of charisma, elevating and following and daydreaming. And yet the elevation of such individuals distracts the heart, for the heart of the Christian is to be captivated by Christ alone.
And secondly, there is another corrective to our hearts, for the elevation of others carries an implicit relegation of the self. If Peter sits higher, then we sit lower. If Peter is greater, then we are lesser. If that person who stands so confidently at the front of church is more precious to the Father, then we are less so.
Of equal standing.
Guard your heart, my friends, for the Father permits no hierarchies in His Kingdom, and your value to Him is no less than the greatest saint you can imagine. The love of Jesus for you is as complete, your faithful stewardship of your purpose is as precious, and your eternity is as sure. You are are visible to Him as any who have come before you, and your life of grateful surrender is as beautiful. For in the Kingdom, value is not measured by the metrics of skills or charisma or ministry reach; rather, it is measured only by the measureless grace of the Father who stands you alongside apostle and martyr and sage and saint, looks you in the eye, and places His hand upon your heart.
And calls each of us, beloved disciple, of equal standing.
Reflect:
What objections stir in my heart to this idea?
How do Peter’s words correct these?
Pray:
Father,
I am in awe
Of You.
For you are mighty and good and glorious and strong—
Beyond all measure and all that I can imagine.
And yet, Father,
Today I am stirred,
That You have also placed such value
Upon me.
And so I ask you to teach me, Father,
To perceive myself aright—
Aligned in the easy walk of the
Beloved
And the immeasurable surety of one named valuable
By You.
That my days and ways not be reduced to the wounded scale
Of skewed hierarchy and fractured vision,
But may accord only to the value given me
By You.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Old Testament:
For those also reading the Old Testament this year, your additional readings are here:
Ezekiel 47-48 | Psalm 135