3rd SUNDAY
OF EASTER
Revelation 5:11-14
John 21: 1-9
“Simon son of John, do you love me?
Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.”
Last Sunday, we heard John’s account on the first and second apparitions of Jesus to his disciples. As the Doubting Thomas was the focus of the story, we meditated on the meaning and importance of faith. Today, the same Johanine gospel narrates to us the third appearance of Jesus. Here, it puts Peter at the center of he story. Let us, then, try to meditate on three important points: first, Peter and his personal relationship with Jesus; second, Peter and his mission as head of the church; third, Peter and the early church.
1. No doubt, Peter ranks first among the
trusted friends of Jesus. That is why we have all the good reasons to believe
that Jesus used to converse with him regarding many things. But among the
recorded ones, it seems that there were only two questions of Jesus, which
would mean so much in the life of Peter. The first one was before the passion
when at Caesarea Philippi Jesus asked the people and his disciples concerning
his true person: “And you, who do you,
say that the Son of Man is?” The second question is narrated to us in
today’s gospel when after the resurrection Jesus would ask him: “Simon Son of John, do you love me?” Evidently,
we notice very important features in the two. The former was a
head-level-question to which only Peter gave a quick and precise answer: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living
God.” Whereas the latter was a heart-level-question to which Peter gave an
honest answer but in a very sorrowful mood: “Lord,
you know everything; you know I love you.”
In
today’s gospel episode, Jesus’ question is strikingly intentional. The question
of love was asked for three times in order to bring Peter back into that tragic
night when he denied his master for three times. Jesus once taught that the
ultimate test of love was giving one’s life for the sake of his friend. The
greatest thing and the highest virtue that binds mutual relationship is love.
This has been the constant teaching of Jesus, and Peter knew this. In fact, it
was most probably because of this that he promised loyalty to Jesus. But sadly,
that promise was broken and his pledge shattered into pieces with his denial: “I do not know him” (Lk
Now,
Jesus is back. Risen. Victorious. And he is right back to ask Peter about the
love he had for the Christ he knew. Thus, with Jesus’ question, Peter came to
his senses and began to be sorry. He wanted to assure his master once more of
how he loved him so much. But he realized too, how unfaithful he had become.
Deep inside him was that great love. But the fact remains: he was not able to
prove it at the hour of test. So, what more could he say? What face could he
show? Before Jesus, Peter is stripped off totally naked. What was left to him
was that unspeakable regret and humility to stoop down and yet with an
insistence of an honest affirmative answer: “Lord,
you know everything; you know I love you.” As if Peter were to say: You may condemn me Lord. You may not trust
me anymore. But despite everything, you know how much I love you.
2. But what was crucial in that encounter was not shame Peter, nor even to show weakness and failure before the rest. Rather, Jesus took this very occasion to re-affirm the mission he already entrusted to Peter long before at Caesarea Philippi. When Peter made his precise answer that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus also made Peter the head of his church and entrusted to him the keys of the kingdom. In fact, it was occasion when Simon’s name was changed into Peter to emphasize the rock upon which Christ’s church would be founded. And Peter was exactly the rock. Now, the risen Lord is back to give definite instructions to Peter: “Feed my lambs.” “Look after my sheep,” Feed my sheep.” These are the clear statements Jesus pronounced right after every affirmative answer of Peter. All these are expressed in the imperative mood, and thus would usher us to interpret and understand them as explicit commands of the risen Lord to Peter to shepherd his flock and to care for his people. This is his responsibility as head of the church.
What
is most striking here is Jesus’ insistence to pick up Peter despite everything
that happened. Perhaps, even Peter himself must have felt how unworthy he was.
But Jesus seemed not to look at this predicament, if ever he considered it a
predicament at all. With this Jesus wants to teach us one very important thing:
worthiness is not a conditio sine qua non
to shepherding. In fact, the contrary seems to be truer. That is, weakness
and unworthiness make man feel the dire need of God, and thus making his grace
work more effectively and perfectly well. For indeed, in man’s weakness, the
power of God becomes strong.
3. The Acts of the Apostles, from which is taken our today’s first reading, is a record of the activities of the apostles in the early life of the church. In today’s brief account, we can see at least two shining qualities of the renewed Peter: First, his obedience to God outranks everything – “We must obey God rather than men” – This shows his out right defiance of the authorities that forbade them to preach in the name of Jesus. Nobody could stop him now. He was a witness to the resurrection together with the rest of the apostles. The resurrection is the core of salvation, and thus, must be preached unreservedly and uncompromisingly. The second quality, which would characterize the person of Peter, was his joy in suffering for Christ: “So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.” They knew the consequence of their preaching: suffering and even death. But this did not trouble them nor gave them even the slightest fear. Instead, the very suffering meant for them the source of real happiness. Indeed, love is much sweeter the second time around.
“Peter, do you love me? Yes Lord. Feed my
Sheep!”