The Power Of Divine Grace

"It is because the Word of the Lord comes from God to man as a pure gift and as creative grace that it lives and grows from man to man. On the night in which He was betrayed Jesus foretold the failure of His disciples. Satan, He said, would sift them like wheat in the hope and to the intent that they might prove chaff to be burned in the unquenchable fire. On that occasion Jesus gave Peter, who was to fail most signally, a special proof of His love: “Simon, Simon,” He said, ‘I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail” (Lk 22:31-32). That forgiving love of Jesus laid the divine claim of grace on Peter even then, on the principle that he who is forgiven much shall love much (Lk 7:47). Jesus went on to say, “And when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren” (Lk 22:32). Because he had failed and had been forgiven, because he knew both the fragility of man’s resolves and the strength of divine grace, Peter was fitted for the task of strengthening his brethren. We find him doing this in his letters as the strengthener of persecuted brethren (1 Ptr) and as the strengthener and warner of brethren whose hold on the Christian hope is growing weak."

Martin Franzmann, Concordia Self-Study Commentary, New Testament, p. 258