There’s a fun title, don’t you think?

And before you ask: I didn’t mean to write something else. In a world that can pressure us to always say/think/do/be the exact perfect thing in every situation, this month I wanted to take a look at the opposite—the times we get it wrong.

That’s right. This is an article about getting it wrong, making mistakes—like the disciples often did.

We have many examples of this even just in Peter’s story. After sinking into the water when he looked to the storm instead of Jesus (No, he could’ve walked on water), suggesting that they build dwelling places for them at the site of the transfiguration (No, we must go back into the world again), saying Jesus must not be crucified (No! Get behind me Satan!), and a few other things, Peter denies he even knows Jesus three times during the crucifixion.1

Aside from this, we have the story of the disciples’ argument over who is the greatest among them. We have the story of fear in the face of the storm before Jesus calms the sea. We have the story of Thomas, who won’t believe in the resurrection until he sees Jesus himself.2

The disciples make mistakes. They do not always say or do the exact perfect thing in every situation—sometimes they do, but sometimes they don’t. They’re human. There are a couple of things that seem common among all of these moments, however.

1. None of this is small scale. These are big statements and actions.
2. Everything the disciples do, they do in earnest. They really are trying their best.

Jesus is a teacher to the disciples. No teacher I’ve ever met expects their students to know everything about a subject before they’ve had a chance to learn it. Some answers and actions will be wrong, but the disciples learn from them. They are encouraged to keep acting and stretching themselves to a wider world and scope. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descends on them in a flame-like form, and they are sent out to the whole world with the Gospel message.3

And Peter? After the resurrection, Peter is specifically commissioned by the risen Christ to “feed my sheep.” That’s no small task, either.

What does this mean for us? Perhaps the message here is simply “have courage.” In a society that often seems so concerned with success, know that you can fail, and learn, and try again.

And if you do fail, fail like the disciples. Be genuine in what you say and do, and act in earnest faith and hope for good in the world God so loves.

1Matthew 14:22-32; Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-9, Luke 9:28-37; Matthew 16:22-23, Mark 8:31-33; Matthew 26:69-75, Mark 14:66-72, Luke 22:54-62, John 18:15-27.

2 Matthew 20:20-28, Mark 9:33-37, Luke 22:24-27; Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-35; John 20:24-29.

3 Acts 2:1-24.