Step 1: Come As You Are; I Love You

Luke 22:31-62 relates one of the most touching stories about the nature of Jesus that can be found in the entire Bible. Shortly after the last supper that Jesus had with his disciples, where he spoke about his impending death, Jesus says something very strange to Peter.

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32)

Jesus knows that Peter is going to deny him—his comment about Peter turning back suggests that—yet he tells Peter that he is not praying that he stays firm, or remains courageous, but that his faith may not fail. Faith in what? We will discover that before we come to the end of this story.

Peter, never really quick on the uptake, doesn't understand what Jesus is telling him, and doesn't ask him to explain either. He grandly tells Jesus that he is ready to die with him.

“Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:33-34).

As we know, that is exactly what happened. Soon after Jesus was arrested and taken into the house of the high priest, Peter tried to hide himself among the crowd, but he was recognized by a servant girl. “This man was with him.” she said. But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him.” A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” And Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. (cf. Luke 22:56-60)

Scripture then says, "The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter" (Luke 22:61)

The Lord Turned and Looked Upon Peter

Photograph by George P Landow courtesy The Victorian Web

I believe that this was a moment of tremendous significance for Peter—and consequently for the Church—because it was in that moment that Peter's life changed completely. He remembered what Jesus had said about his betraying him and stricken with remorse and guilt he went out and wept bitterly. And, although Scripture doesn't say what happened here, I think that the image that kept flashing before Peter's tear filled eyes as he wept—grieving over his betrayal, grieving over his cowardice, grieving over his failure—was the look in Jesus's eyes. It was not one of condemnation, or of anger, or of disappointment. It was simply one of love.

Peter believed in that love and turned back. The prayer that Jesus had made was answered. The faith that Jesus wanted Peter to have was faith in his love, his forgiving love.

In stark contrast to Peter was another apostle, Judas, who also messed up, but he thought his sin was beyond redemption. He didn't believe that God's love was so great, it would forgive him his betrayal and he went and hanged himself.

Many of us, unfortunately, are more like Judas than Peter, believing God to be an angry, vengeful God, quick to punish us for our wrongdoings. We can't be further from the truth. God is our father, who wants nothing more than for us to come back home to him, and when we do, punishment is the last thing on his mind because he is simply too happy to be angry. The Parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates this remarkable truth, and it can be seen exemplified in the life of every single sinner who has returned home to the father, including this author (see Return of the Prodigal).

He also does not ask us to change before we go to Him. Many of us believe we need to be perfect before we approach Him, but as we can never be that, we never end up going to Him at all. But as the Parable of the Prodigal Son also teaches, we need to go Him as we are. The son in this story was starving and filthy, clothed in rags, stinking to high heaven, but his father nonetheless gathered him in his arms and embraced him as he was. We don't need to change first either. We can go to him as we are, and then he will change us with his love.

"Come as you are," the Father says. "I love you." Let us believe that and go just as we are.