Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The Restoration of Peter

Some time after Jesus rose from the dead, his apostles went fishing again. This wasn't for men, as Jesus had told them to do (Luke 5:10), but for fish. Scripture isn't clear about the reasons Peter and a few of the others did this — whether they wanted to return to their old way of life or were just providing for themselves — but they went fishing and didn't catch a thing!

When morning came, Jesus was by the shore. They didn't recognize him, which might have been understandable the first time he appeared to them, but not so easy to understand now. But never mind. Jesus asked them if they had caught anything. It's not a question fishermen like to hear when their nets are empty and I'm guessing their answer was a brusque, "No".

Jesus told them to cast their nets to the right side and this time they caught a net load. Deja vu. This has happened before (Luke 5:6) and John, comprehending, said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Peter immediately plunged into the water (after putting his clothes on, thankfully) and waded towards Jesus, who already had a fire burning with a few fish roasting on the coals. "Breakfast," he said. (Have you ever eaten fried fish for breakfast?)

After they were done eating, he turned to Peter, and in front of everybody else had a decidedly strange conversation, that impacted Peter thoroughly.

“Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17)
 
The three-fold repetition was a direct reference to Peter's three-fold denial of Jesus, and it is important that we look at some of the events that went down at the time because they are very relevant to these remarks made by Jesus and the transformational impact they had on Peter.
 
Soon after the Last Supper (Luke 22:7-30), Jesus singled Peter out and said to him, “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.”
 
Jesus knows that Peter is going to betray him, but rather than pray that the apostle remain firm and courageous in the midst of strife, he prays instead that "his faith may not fail". Faith in what? And then Jesus goes on to tell Peter that after he has turned back, to strengthen his brothers.
 
Peter is either being dense, or not paying attention, because he says: “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).

That's exactly what happens. Jesus is arrested and beaten and seeing what is happening to his master throws Peter into a funk. He tries to hide in the crowd, but is recognized. He is challenged three times and all three times he denies knowing Jesus. Scripture describes what happens next, "The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter" (Luke 22:61)

I shudder to think of what went through Peter's mind when he looked into Jesus's eyes. Jesus's words to him must have flashed before his mind. His own brash reply. His betrayal. Utterly broken, he went out and wept bitterly. But through his tears of frustration, guilt, shame, agony and the million other feelings that went through his mind, feelings that must have made him want to die just like Judas had, one thought kept recurring to him: that Jesus still loved him.

This was the faith that Jesus prayed for Peter and it was a prayer that was answered. And now, with Jesus resurrected, it was time to help him understand what he needed to do with that faith: share the love that Jesus had for his brothers and sisters and strengthen them in turn.

We all fail. Repeatedly. Guilt often tortures us. Frustration makes many of us quit. But we need to remember what Peter remembered. That Jesus still loves us and is waiting to restore us. The only thing required is to go to him and confess our love for him.

It might help us to remember that not once did Jesus ask Peter if he was sorry. He didn't ask for any explanations. He didn't make him promise that he wouldn't do it again. He merely asked Peter if he loved him. That was all Jesus really wanted from Peter.

It is all he really wants from us.

But merely admitting that we love him isn't the end of the story. We need to serve him. And the best way is to tend the sheep that Jesus has left behind in the world. To care about them. To care for them. To love them.

A few additional notes before I conclude. It may help us to make note of some of the mistakes that Peter made that may have led to his betrayal of his Lord, so that we, in turn, can prevent making them ourselves.

One, he was overconfident. Overconfidence is always a result of pride. He might have very well intended to follow Jesus to jail and to death, but he didn't take into account his weakness.

Two, he wasn't in prayer. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked him to pray but sleep took precedence over prayer. Without the support of God through prayer we operate in our own strength.

Three, he didn't have Paul around to tell him that his struggle was not against flesh and blood but against forces in the heavenly realms (cf. Ephesias 6:12). A big mistake.

Four, he wasn't close to Jesus. In Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ we see Peter following Jesus from afar, almost as an observer. We need to be in Jesus and have him in us.

Five, when trying to hide, he chose the wrong company to hide with. If he had been with his fellow apostles, even though they too ran for their lives in the face of danger, he might have had a little support.