Peter’s Shadow

Just wanted to share with you about a new revelation I had while reading the New Testament. Christ aside I always thought Paul was the stud of the N.T. My thoughts are starting to change about that. Well at least Peter deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Paul.

Jesus said ‘And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 20: 18-19

Yeah yeah we all know Peter was the founder of the Church but this power to bind and loose is a big deal. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept you should study it in detail. In a sentence it means Jesus told Peter whatever practices Peter deemed worthy to be followed or not followed on earth God would also make it that way in heaven. Think about that… a man was given the power to effect what heaven looks like.

OK that’s cool… yeah but check this out…
Act 5:15 people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.

What in the world??? Peter’s faith was sooo strong that he nearly walked on water but since then his faith increases to the point that Peter’s very shadow has the power to heal people! That’s crazy. There’s not even an account in the gospels that Jesus did that.

Of course there was the two times in Acts that Peter was imprisoned (one time guarded by 16 men) and an angel came down to break him out.

It’s kind of funny how Peter is often portrayed as the class clown or remembered for denying Christ three times. Peter is a man among men. I wish I had a tenth of the faith Peter had.