From Hero to Zero

“…after coming to [Nazareth] His hometown, He began teaching them in their synagogue, and they were astonished, and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers [what is the source of His authority]? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not [living here] among us? Where then did this Man get all this [wisdom and power]?’ And they took offense at Him [refusing to believe in Him]. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.’ And He did not do many miracles there [in Nazareth] because of their unbelief.”  (Matthew 13:54-58 AMP)  This passage reflects how the people that knew Jesus best couldn’t, or wouldn’t, acknowledge His true identity, regardless of the wisdom and the miracles they witnessed.  They went from being astonished to offended and in their eyes Jesus went from being a hero to a zero.

A short while later:  “When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?’  They replied, ‘Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.’  He pressed them, ‘And how about you? Who do you say I am?’  Simon Peter said, ‘You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’  Jesus came back, ‘God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.  And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.’”  (Matthew 16:13-19 MSG)  At this point, Simon, a simple fisherman and one of many Christ followers, is proclaimed to be blessed by God with intimate information and is honored with a name change to Peter – representing strength, stability, reliability and endurance.

Ohhhh, but how quickly one can fall!  Peter, because he’s still thinking of how Jesus is surely going to be the conquering Messiah, goes from being a rock to being a stumbling block.  Just two verses later in Matthew 16:21-23 (NLT) says:  “From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.  But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. ‘Heaven forbid, Lord,’ he said. ‘This will never happen to you!’  Jesus turned to Peter and said, ‘Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.’”  Whoa!  What a humiliating tongue lashing!  He went from being blessed intimately by God to being a tool of Satan.  Peter went from a hero to a zero faster than a speeding bullet!

You know, Jesus didn’t change Peter’s name after he’d already proven himself to be rock-solid.  He was already a strong personality with a lot of passion.  But he also could be brash and impulsive – even unstable at times.  He would act before he thought, exhibiting courage, then pay the price for his misjudgment with fear – i.e. when he decided to walk on water.  The name change was prophetic – it’s what Peter would be molded into – a steady force for the church.

Jesus’ apostles were normal human beings that could be timid at times and would exhibit fear.  Think about how they abandoned Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane; how they hid behind locked doors after the crucifixion; how they were fearful during storms on the Sea of Galilee and when they saw Jesus walking toward them on the water; and, how they doubted after the resurrection, even after hearing reliable reports and then seeing Him alive.  These were the people that were closest to Jesus when He walked on this earth – teaching and doing miraculous things right before their eyes!

There will be times that we too may go from hero to zero faster than we can even recognize what happened.  But we can then be forged into a diamond hard rock that can help change the world like Peter – who became a primary decision-maker and leader, with a foundational role in establishing the early church.

What this tells me is this – we need to remember that we too are just normal human beings.  We need to learn how to give ourselves and others grace in this life.  We can give ourselves permission to be fearful or timid.  We may be outspoken and impulsive and overly passionate.  None of this means we cannot be used by God.  We too can be molded into a steady force that can be used to change our lives and the lives of others.

“If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.”  1 Peter 3:15 (MSG)

Written by Karran Martin – November 12, 2026

[All bold emphasis is mine]