Love and forgiveness are at the heart of the Christian message and we have those features in their most glorious state in today’s gospel.
We are at the end of John’s gospel. Jesus has completed his teaching and his final act is to have a private meeting with Peter. Here is the disciple that Jesus is building his Church on, the same apostle who has proved to be headstrong and inspired in equal measure, the apostle who proclaimed Jesus the Christ but the one who disowned him three times.
We know that Jesus loved Peter. We also know that Jesus commanded us to forgive as many times as possible and we have a demonstration of both here. Jesus knew that Peter loved him but he must have been mortally ashamed of the manner in which he disowned his God. There is no reference to him at the crucifixion and who knows what Peter endured that day. Whatever it was, he didn’t have to endure the cross, but he had to endure the shame.
The same shame as Judas experienced when betraying Christ. The difference between the two is that Peter retained his belief, his faith, his love and his hope in Christ, thereby giving himself the opportunity to be forgiven of his sins by Jesus.
And of course Jesus wants to do that and does it readily, thereby restoring Peter to his position as head of the apostles and the one who would lead his Church forward, albeit in the knowledge of a martyr’s death.
This time however, forgiven by the risen Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter would fulfil the mission required of him.
So let us seek the forgiveness of God that is readily available to us. Let us open our hearts to the love that Jesus wishes to pour out on us so that we can become, like Peter, filled with the Spirit so that we may go out and undertake the mission that God has for us.
Gospel John 21:15-19 ©
After Jesus had shown himself to his disciples and eaten with them, he said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.
‘I tell you most solemnly,
when you were young
you put on your own belt
and walked where you liked;
but when you grow old
you will stretch out your hands,
and somebody else will put a belt round you
and take you where you would rather not go.’
In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’