Sifting and Pruning
I must confess that the Apostle Peter and I have something in common: we both got a little mid-life cocky, and both of us got “sifted.” Peter’s sifting was foretold by Jesus shortly before the Last Supper (Lk. 22:31) and occurred just hours later. Mine occurred while pastoring. I’d reached the point in my own self-estimation that I was cocky enough to invite the Lord to prune me (Jn. 15:1-8).
The more successful a person becomes in ministry, the easier it is to forget that Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). As in zero. Nada. As in, all your amazing efforts and “big impact” programs don’t amount to spitting in the wind. He pruned me. It was painful. And as predicted by Jesus, it produced more and better fruit, beginning with humility.
Sifting and pruning are similar in that they reduce the level of “me in me,” and increase the level of “Jesus in me.” That was part of Jesus’ lesson, mid-way through the pruning process. A friend gave me a book titled, “Crucified by Christians.” I thought, “I’m gonna like this book, about all those lousy religious types that hurt and hate their leaders.” But the book had a different thesis: Just as God the Father knew the names and counted the hairs on the heads of those whipping and driving the spikes into Jesus’ body, and actually orchestrated the death of His own son, for purposes of my salvation – so also, the same God was cutting off useless branches that had defined me for so long that they’d replaced bearing fruit as the main objective of my existence; and all of it for the same purpose: glorifying the right person – Jesus.
It’s so easy for a fruit tree to forget that more and bigger branches aren’t the objective. My family and I used to go apple-picking in the fall. As we approached the orchard the first time we expected tall, bushy trees and were surprised to see relatively short, heavily pruned trees – full of apples.
We learned that the more full and bushy the tree, the more energy it took for the tree to support limbs and leaves. But when whacked way back, the tree put its energy into making apples.
Peter had to get past himself, through sifting (AKA monumental failure) before he could be of any use to Christ. Kingdom productivity does not equate with big branches. It’s all about fruit.
Peter’s moment of failure, when he heard that rooster crow the second time, was stunning. But the next encounter with Jesus was even more profound, as Jesus called him aside and three times asked, “Peter, do you love me?” This exchange is far more poignant in Greek than in English. Ponder the depth of this short, intense chat between Peter and Jesus (John 21:155-17) with this interpretation:
Jesus: “Peter, do you agapas me?” (You’ve heard enough sermons about “agape” to get this.)
Peter: “Yes, Lord, you know I philo you.” (That’s what Peter said; couldn’t say “agape.”)
Jesus: “Peter, do you agapas me?” (Christ came back to the same word again: “agape.”)
Peter: “Lord, you know that I philo you.” (Peter’s failure drove him to crushing humility.)
Jesus: “Peter, do you philo me?” (Jesus backed it down, and said, “really, even “philo”…?)
Then scripture says that Peter was grieved. Nailed to the wall. Dead to rights. Exposed.
Have you ever failed God so miserably that you questioned your own integrity as you tried to use the word “love” in prayer to God? Peter did. Have you ever been brought to your knees by a spiritual gut-punch that calls your hand and shouts, “You are useless and phony and should just quit this whole ministry gig”? That was Peter’s moment. I’ve been there too. It’s called “sifting,” AKA “pruning.” As painful and humiliating as it is, it’s all good.
There are two mistakes to avoid in this moment:
1) Trying to muscle through it and cover up the wound
2) Quitting.
In baking, sifting removes the larger particles that could potentially result in faulty bread.
Larger particles like big egos, big programs, big persona, big anything but Jesus.
In apple trees, pruning refocuses the tree’s efforts at creating much more fruit.
It hurts to see big personal “limbs” hacked off, so trust the gardener (see Jn. 15:1)
Sifting. Pruning. Kingdom building.
John Splinter serves on the GlobalGrace staff