Sifted but Not Shaken: Finding Strength in the Kingdom of God
Some moments in life shape us in ways we don’t even realize. They form our expectations, our belief systems, our assumptions about how the world—and God—work. Sometimes those moments shape us in healthy ways. Sometimes they misshape us. But all of them leave a mark.
We see this with the disciples in Luke 22.
A Dinner Conversation That Changed Everything
Jesus has gathered his disciples for the Passover meal. The room has been mysteriously provided, the table is set, and for once, the pace slows. Crowds have been pressing in on Jesus daily at the temple. His reputation is growing, and the disciples feel it too. They knew Him when He was a small-town rabbi, but now they’re riding the wave of His popularity.
And out of that moment of success comes…an argument. Luke tells us:
“A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.” (Luke 22:24)
Imagine that scene. The King of the Universe is reclining at the table, and His followers are comparing who’s cooler, more liked, more important.
Jesus interrupts with reality: “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them…But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.” (Luke 22:25-26)
In other words: You’ve been formed by the wrong picture of greatness. The world says the one sitting at the head of the table is the most important. But Jesus says, “I am among you as one who serves.”
Jesus redefines greatness by stooping low. He takes the elevator of humility all the way down, showing that the kingdom is built not by power, but by service.
From Servants to Guests to Rulers
Then, in a stunning twist, Jesus paints a vision of the disciples’ future:
“You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom…so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:28-30)
Do you see the progression? First, He shows them what it looks like to be servants. Then, He promises they will be honored guests at His table. Finally, He says they’ll be rulers—owners—in the kingdom.
But before they can get there, something hard is coming.
The Sifting of Peter
Jesus turns to Peter: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.” (Luke 22:31-32)
The language is striking. Sifting was the violent shaking of wheat to separate what was worthless from what was useful. Satan wanted to shake Peter so hard that his faith would collapse.
And yet Jesus doesn’t pray that Peter will be spared the sifting. He prays that Peter’s faith will endure through it—that the shaking will actually make him stronger.
That’s not how we usually pray. We want God to remove the trial, stop the shaking, and silence the opposition. But Jesus shows us another way. Sometimes the very thing that feels like it’s tearing us apart is the thing God will use to make us whole.
When Faith Falters
Peter swears he’s ready to die for Jesus. But within hours, he denies Him three times. The rooster crows. Jesus turns and looks at Peter. And Peter weeps bitterly.
This moment breaks him—but it doesn’t end him. Because Jesus had already prayed for him. He knew Peter would return. And when he did, he would be the one to strengthen his brothers.
Sifting hurts, but it can refine us into people who are more like Jesus than ever before.
Joy in the Sifting
James, the half-brother of Jesus, would later write these words to the church:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” (James 1:2-3)
Joy? In trials? Only if you believe that subtraction can lead to multiplication. That the shaking can leave you more complete, not less.
Another Story: The Rich Young Ruler
There’s another man who faced his own moment of sifting. In Mark 10, a wealthy young man comes to Jesus asking about eternal life. Jesus tells him: “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor…then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21)
It says, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” That’s the heart behind the hard thing Jesus was asking. But the man walked away sad, unable to let go of the weight holding him back.
Unlike Peter, he chose not to be sifted. He clung to his possessions and, in doing so, missed the kingdom invitation of a lifetime.
The Way of the Kingdom
Both Peter and the rich young ruler were faced with subtraction. One resisted, one endured. And that made all the difference.
The way of Jesus is this: He must increase, and we must decrease. Our pride, our idols, our false pictures of greatness must be shaken loose so that what remains is faith, endurance, and maturity.
Satan desires to sift us into hopelessness. God desires to sift us into strength.
The question is: when the shaking comes—and it will—will we resist, or will we trust that Jesus has already prayed for us?
Because on the other side of the sifting is a seat at the table. Not just as a servant. Not just as a guest. But as a beloved son or daughter who shares in the kingdom of God.
With joy,
Bo Stern Brady
Lead Pastor, B4Church