Readings:
Sermon:
The gospel reading this week is from John chapter 21 and relates the third and final appearance of the risen Jesus as recorded in John’s gospel.
Central to this story is the recommissioning of Peter by Jesus. Peter had been chosen by Jesus to be the leader of the apostles. However, in the arrest, trial and death of Jesus, Peter had failed in spectacular fashion. On Jesus’ final evening with his disciples, Peter had promised that he was prepared to lay down his life for Jesus. Later, in the garden of Gethsemane he had failed to stay awake and pray with Jesus in his hour of need. Following Jesus’ arrest he had fled, and then in the courtyard of the High Priest he had denied Jesus three times before the cock crowed. At the crucifixion itself he was nowhere to be seen.
Jesus had now risen from the dead. No issue was more urgent than who is to lead the new entity called the Church. Jesus had several choices. He could have told Peter that he had messed up and that a different apostle would be chosen. Conversely, he could have said that the past didn’t really matter and that they could carry on as if nothing had happened.
Jesus chose a different path, however. He did recommission Peter, but the threefold questioning reflects the threefold denial and so came fully to terms with past failure. Peter also had a choice. He had just led a party out fishing on the lake, and this could have been the point at which he decided to give up the idea of leading the Church and return to his old career. Jesus met Peter at a critical juncture. He did not force his hand. He challenged Peter to affirm where his love lay. Peter three times affirmed that despite his failure he did love Jesus and so his decision was made. Jesus gave him the task to feed and tend his lambs and his sheep…that is to act as pastor of the new community of Jesus’ followers.
The conversation between Jesus and Peter contains two different Greek words for ‘love’. Commentators tell us not to read too much into this variation. It does perhaps suggest that Jesus and Peter discussed the depth and variety of what love for Jesus would involve. Indeed, in their conversation Jesus hinted that Peter is to expect a violent death similar to that which Jesus had faced.
Their conversation concluded with Jesus and Peter talking about the vocation of the beloved disciple. This disciple is revealed as the author of the fourth Gospel and may be the apostle John. His calling was to be very different. He had been commissioned by Jesus on the cross to care for Jesus’ mother and he was to become a Gospel writer. Jesus’ inner circle of apostles had been Peter, James and John. It is worth noting that the third member of this trio, James, was the first apostle to face martyrdom. So, Peter, James and John each had very different callings. Which was the greatest calling? That is not a question that has a meaning! As Jesus suggests in verse 22: ‘What is that to you? Follow me!’ The task of Christian believers is to follow Jesus as faithfully as they can. We simply should not speculate on whether one vocation is greater than another.
This whole passage is a rich one as we consider our own calling. Every Christian has to face the reality that in one way or another they have let Jesus down and fractured their relationship with Him. We must face up to our failings and not pretend that they do not exist. Failure, however, most certainly does not disqualify us from serving Jesus. Nor does God ever force our hand. We remain free agents. However, Jesus persistently asks us the question he asked Peter: ‘Do you love me?’ If we are able to respond positively to that call, we shall find ourselves taking a part in the drama of God’s saving love for the world. Again, like Peter, we should not worry if the path we are called to follow differs from the paths that others around us are following. It is enough to know that God loves each of us more deeply than we can imagine, and that our greatest task is to convey that love in every minute of the day.
Questions:
- Is there a way your church community conveys God’s love for the world? How effective is this? Are there ways in which this can be developed?