Year
C, Easter 3
John
21
How can you not love Peter? If you
have ever said something you have
regretted, doubted yourself, boasted, embarrassed yourself after boasting, loved
too quickly or too fiercely, if you have ever said one thing and then done the
complete opposite, acted just a little impulsively, or fallen and gotten back
up…then you cannot help but love Peter, or at least appreciate him and his
flawed beauty.
When my brother got married, my
oldest brother made a video that included pictures and commentary of almost every
embarrassing incident in my brother’s life.
It was quite thorough as my brother was 38 at the time and had a very
full and adventurous life. When I think
of Peter, I imagine that kind of video. It
would start with Jesus calling Peter and his brother Andrew while they were
fishing. Jesus asked them to be fishers
of people. Peter did not hesitate. He
simply dropped his net and followed him.
We see that impulsive nature again when Peter is out in another boat. He
saw Jesus walking on water and told Jesus that if it was really him, he should
call him and then Peter would walk on the water. Jesus complied and immediately Peter was out
of the boat, walking on the water, only to sink moments later. Or there was that time that he argued with
Jesus and was rebuked. Or the time he was trying to helpful and he offered to
build tents for Moses and Elijah at the transfiguration. Or the time Jesus wanted
to wash his feet and he refused, only to then ask Jesus to wash his whole
body. There are more moments on this
memory reel than I have time to share.
Some of them are funny, some awkward, and some heart breaking.
Today’s story in the Gospel of John would
definitely be on that reel. It contains humor, joy and a little pain. Peter was once again on a boat. This was obviously a place where Peter was
comfortable. It was the place where he
once found his identity and purpose. He
was after all a fisherman. At this point
in our Gospel story, he had already seen Jesus in the flesh a few times, but
still seemed to be surprised to see him here on the Sea of Tiberius. He didn’t even recognize him at first. But as soon as he knew it was Jesus, he did
what Peter does, he jumped into the water. He put his clothes on first as that
was what you did when you met your Lord and Savior, but he jumped because he
had to be the first to meet Jesus. He
could not possibly wait for the boat to cover the short distance to the
shore. I have a lot of theories about
why he didn’t wait, but I am fairly certain it would be foolish to put a lot of
thought into those theories, because that wasn’t who Peter was. He didn’t put a lot of thought into it things,
he just dove right in.
One of the first things Jesus asked
was that Peter go and get the fish so they could cook them and eat them. Jesus was always very good at directing
people and making sure they were playing a part in what was happening. He wasn’t just good at directing people. He was good at providing direction for
people’s lives. He still is.
You all remember the one moment on Peter’s memory
reel which is what he is most known for.
After Jesus’ arrest, Peter was asked if he knew him and he said no. He denied knowledge of Jesus not once, but
three times, just as Jesus had predicted.
Today’s Gospel isn’t the first time Peter had seen the resurrected Jesus,
but it is the first time we know of that they had a ny real heart to heart.
After they had eaten the fish, Jesus
pulled Peter aside and asked him one of the most vulnerable questions you can
ask someone. He asked Peter if he loved him.
Peter replied that he did. Peter
even added, “You know I love you.” ---because this was Jesus asking the
question and he knew all things. Jesus
replied, “Feed my lambs.” Jesus asked this same question again. This time Jesus
responded by saying, “Tend my sheep.” Then he asked a 3rd time. The
Gospel writer tells us that Peter was a little hurt that Jesus had to ask three
times. Did he doubt Peter? Why ask three
times? Because Peter had denied Jesus
three time and Jesus knew it was important that he was able to affirm his love
for Jesus three times. It was a step for
Peter towards healing and growth.
We also know Peter was impulsive and
prone to answer things quickly without thinking. Perhaps Jesus wanted to make
sure it would sink in. Also, he
wasn’t just asking if he loved him, he
was giving him a job. Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep. Remember,
Jesus was the Good Shepherd. He took care of his people. He was passing this job on to Peter.
It was an appropriate job for Peter. He didn’t tell
Peter (at least not here) that he needed to go and learn how to preach, or
teach or perform miracles. Peter
probably ended up doing all those things, but on that day, Jesus spoke to
Peter’s strengths. Jesus basically said,
take care of my people. While certainly
all of Jesus’ disciples were capable of caring for others, Jesus knew that Peter
was especially prepared. Peter knew what
it was to sin in a monumental and public way, and then be forgiven. He knew what it was to be loved in spite of
himself. Jesus knew that Peter would be
able to share that love and embody that love because Peter needed it so much in
his life.
We all have a purpose in this
life. Some of you might consider your
job to be your purpose or your role as a parent or spouse. That might be it. But I think that Jesus has a deeper purpose
for each of us and that purpose is developed, not from our gifts, but from our
failures, our fears, even our sins. You know, I have never known a pastor who
said, “I wanted to be a pastor because I’m was so good at being a Christian, I
thought, I should do this professionally.” I am sure those pastors are out
there, but I don’t know them. Part of
why I became a pastor was because I knew how badly and desperately I needed
God’s love. Some of the best therapists out there are those who have struggled
with mental health. Some of the best
physical therapist are those who know what it is to overcome physical injuries
or limitations.
Your purpose might not be your occupation. I can’t tell you what it is. But you have a
purpose designed by God. It will challenge you and it will help you be a better
Christian. Jesus needs our help. He didn’t ascend to his father in heaven
until he told his disciples what their purpose was. He needs our help. You might be thinking—well great, but how am
I supposed to know the purpose? Praying helps.
I would encourage you to look at the memory reel of your life and
identify the times when you have needed God.
There are all kinds of spiritual gift inventories out there that are
supposed to provide direction. They are
helpful. However, if you look at the stories in the Bible, God doesn’t call
people who are gifted in one way and then encourage them to find a purpose that
matches that gift. No, he encourages to
people to wade into their fears and insecurities and find a purpose there. That is scary, but that is why we have this
faith community. We are to be your
companions on this journey, this journey to find purpose and belonging. Come to me, or Mark, or our pastoral care
associate, Jane. You have a God given
purpose. God needs you to discover that
purpose because there are a lot of sheep that need caring for in this
world. We are the sheep, but we are also
the shepherds. God needs our help to
transform this tear drenched world we live in.
We can no longer live merely for ourselves. Discovering our purpose
isn’t about self-fulfillment.
Discovering our purpose enables us to transform the world into the world
God created it to be.
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