Continuing from a previous post * Helping Change to Occur, Neal A. Maxwell wrote:
Peter also had the courage to ask questions in order to better understand. He didn’t pretend to understand when he did not. On one occasion when Jesus told a parable, Peter (venturing more than others who probably didn’t understand either) said, “Declare unto us this parable.” Enduring the mild reproof which Jesus offered, Peter learned. It is significant to notice how an absence of this kind of candor in our most mundane of relationships can be a real hindrance to our leader-follower success. If followers pretend to understand, and really don’t, how can the leader or teacher know this in order to make the unclear clear? What will happen when the implementation of a particular decision commences, and what is wanted is not fully understood? It is significant that Peter assumed (rightly) that Jesus expected his disciples to be open and candid; he knew this kind of relationship was acceptable to Jesus and necessary if Peter was to learn. When Jesus urged him to fish in seemingly fish-less waters, Peter nevertheless said “at thy word I will let down the net.”
But we also see in Peter, at least in his earlier ministry, a kind of unjustified or premature certitude which led him into some of his failure experiences. Partly, he lacked the conceptual strength to fully understand what Jesus saying—as any of us might have done under these unusual circumstances. On one occasion Peter said “Thou shalt never wash my feet.” Moments later, having new insights, he was saying “Lord, not only my feet, but my hands and my head.” Here we see Peter getting “out on the table” his true feelings and concerns which permitted him to learn a complete way that would not have been possible if he had not missed saying what he thought correct. Because he had an open ear and had the courage to repent, he could quickly acknowledge his failures and he could rally from the periodic reproof which Jesus gave him.
On another occasion, Peter said: “Though others shall be offended, yet will not I.” “I will not deny thee . . . likewise said all the disciples.” This unjustified confidence was, of course, not borne out by later events. Because he overestimated his strength and his stability to stand firmly in a crisis, Peter was given one of the greatest and yet most anguishing opportunities to learn in human history, when Jesus said in a moment of divine probing: “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” To which Peter replied “. . . Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.” (John 21: 15-17.) The thrice-repeated thrusting irony of Jesus’ questions must have burned deeply into the consciousness of Peter. But he learned more from this experience and again rallied from reproof. In terms of the leader-follower situation, the courage and resilience which Peter displayed was possible because it occurred within a relationship in which the Master had conveyed clearly to Peter that he, the Christ, loved Peter; when reproof was called for, Peter, being sure of Christ’s love, could endure the reproof and learn from it.~Neal A. Maxwell, “A More Excellent Way” (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book,1967) 38-40 (continued click Helping Change to Occur III)
