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May 4, 2019In the Gospel of John, the Resurrection of Jesus is sandwiched between two charcoal fires. The first is in the courtyard of Caiaphas and the second is on a beach in Galilee. At the first, Peter betrays Jesus three times. At the second, Peter tells Jesus three times that he loves him. Sin is the absence of God in our life. Love is the presence of God. “Those who abide in love,” John says, “abide in God.” 1 Jn. 4:16. How different the scene after each fire. After his betrayal, Peter flees Jesus and hides in the upper room. After his three-fold affirmation of love of God, Peter becomes St. Peter, apostle and martyr. In the Acts of the Apostles, after his encounter with the Risen Lord, St. Peter boldly proclaims, “Better for us to obey God than men!” He defies the same authorities who turned Jesus over to the Romans for crucifixion. His redemption is found in the same place where his fall from grace occurred.
Sin and Redemption
In his defense, Peter was used to failure:- At the beginning of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus told Peter to put out into deep water and drop his nets. He made a great catch of fish. Overwhelmed, he told Jesus to depart from him for he was a “sinful man.” (Mt 16:16) Jesus said, “Follow me.”
- Remember, later, his famous profession of faith, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” That is how he got his name, Cephas, which means ‘rock,’ the sure foundation (Mt 16:1320). Just as quickly as his rise to prominence, he was rebuked for his failure to accept Jesus’ destiny – the crucifixion. “Get behind me; you have the thoughts of Satan.” (Mt 16:23)
The Resurrection and running from God
So, true to form, after the resurrection, Peter told the other disciples. “I’m going fishing.” As morning broke, a voice from the past said, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” The sheer power of Jesus’ presence and the Beloved Disciple said, “It is the Lord,” Peter jumped into the water to find him once again. Next we see the fire, the fish and bread and Jesus asks three times, because Peter denied him three times, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Lord, you know I love you.” “Feed my lambs.” “Do you love me?” “Feed my sheep.” And yet a third time, “Do you love me?”—which, we’re told, hurt Peter. “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
The Risen Lord could have asked Peter or us a lot of questions. Do you believe? Do you promise never to betray me again? Have you learned your lesson yet?
But the fundamental question is; do you love me?
Loving God with your whole heart
The great problem of the people of Israel is right worship. Jesus taught that the greatest commandment was, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mk. 12:30. The Book of Revelation chants, “Worthy is the Lamb. ... To the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, be praise and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.” You worship what or who you love the most.
Sin is the absence of the love of God in our life. Faith is the presence of our love for God. In the stories of the Resurrection, love of God is present in forgiveness. Peter didn’t forget the charcoal fire in the courtyard of Caiaphas. Another charcoal fire was also the place of his redemption. This story is about the nature of forgiveness. God provides for us – fills our boat with fish and even cooks for us – but we can never enjoy what he does for us without a life of forgiveness. Jesus doesn’t pretend Peter didn’t sin against him; no excuses or alibis necessary. We block grace when we seek to excuse our inadequacy. We cannot be healed unless we see the wound that must be mended. The experience of forgiveness is to acknowledge even in the experience of our own failures, our love for God. Every sinner has a future; every saint has a past. Our redemption begins when we recognize our own presence around the fire in Caiaphas’ courtyard.
