Fishing was an occupation that would allow Peter and the other disciples to work at night. Consequently they would avoid being overly exposed to the public. On their first night as born-again fishermen, they were comforted by familiar sights, sounds, and smells. It's too bad they failed to catch any fish.
Even though the disciples were finished with being disciples, Jesus had not finished with them. Somehow he had heard about their decision to return to their old lives. So at daybreak, he was waiting to greet them. For some reason, they did not recognize him. Perhaps they were too far from shore to see him clearly.
Memories
A number of things happen in this passage which would have stirred the memories of the disciples. First the miraculous catch of fish: Peter's mind would have returned to the time when Jesus had called him and Andrew to be disciples. Like now they had been fishing all night but had caught nothing. Jesus told them, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Even though they thought it would do no good, they did so and as a result caught so many fish that their net began to break.
Shortly after Peter reached the shore, the other disciples arrived in the boat. The first thing they noticed was that Jesus was cooking some fish over a charcoal fire. Peter might have recalled that on the night that he had betrayed Jesus, he was standing beside a charcoal fire. Like us he may have tried to repress his guilty feelings, but seeing that charcoal fire would have caused those feelings to return. People who have endured traumatic events know how certain sights and sounds can remind them of those events.
We all have memories which haunt and inhabit our minds. Sometimes these memories come back to us when we least expect it. A certain smell, a familiar place, a piece of music. When I come in to church each week the smell of the incense reminds me of my childhood church where I used to attend the evening mass and the smell of incense lingered from the morning. It's a happy memory. Sometimes we have less than happy memories which come to us unasked for and which are unwelcome.
Repentance
The purpose of the meeting in today's reading was for Jesus to give Peter time to repent. The memories inspired by the fish of happy times and the initial enthusiasm to follow Jesus and those inspired by the charcoal fire of the denial of Jesus would have taken Peter to a place where he knew he needed to repent.
Repenting was the only way Peter could recover from the guilt he felt. Had his love of Jesus been stronger than his fear, Peter would not have betrayed Jesus. To strengthen his love, Jesus matched each act of betrayal with a question that was designed to get him to realize that love is more than a feeling.
"Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" It was easy for him to answer that he loved Jesus more than the other disciples. But loving Jesus more than the other disciples was not enough. So Jesus replies, "Feed my lambs." If Peter really loves Jesus more than the other disciples, he will furnish the people with what they need to be sustained as believers.
Next Jesus asks him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Jesus wants to know if Peter truly loves him. Peter responds by saying, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Again, the words were not enough. Jesus wants Peter to demonstrate his love. So he said, "Tend my sheep." If Peter really loves Jesus, he will care, guide, and protect the people.
Jesus is not finished. He asks Peter again, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" The man who had said he would never abandon Jesus needs to be more convincing. Peter knows Jesus knows everything. Nothing can be hidden from him. So Peter responds, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus might believe Peter, but again words are not enough. Thus Jesus replies, "Feed my sheep." If Peter really loves Jesus, he will govern, care for, guide, and protect the people.
For each of the three times that Peter had betrayed Jesus, he was forced to accept responsibility for his cowardly behaviour. He was not allowed to rationalize his conduct by referring to the other disciples who had also betrayed Jesus by abandoning him. He was not allowed to dull his guilty feelings by staying busy or by getting drunk.
In confronting Peter, Jesus was not condemning him. He was merely trying to get Peter to a point where he could accept forgiveness.
Forgiveness can only be accepted by people who accept full responsibility for their actions. Otherwise forgiveness is like medicine that is offered to a person who refuses to take it because she does not believe she is sick. Whatever the medicine is intended to heal won't be healed until the person admits their need for it. The same is true for forgiveness. Until a person admits a need for it, forgiveness won't heal the guilt which accompanies wrongdoing.
One of the ways to receive forgiveness is to make restitution to the injured party. Making restitution helps the wrongdoer feel like he is worthy of being forgiven. For example, through demonstrating his love of Jesus, Peter would make restitution to Jesus. And making restitution would help Peter feel worthy enough to receive Jesus' forgiveness.
We too need
to repent when we do things wrong. We need to say sorry to those we offend
and also to make restitution. The most difficult part, of course, is to admit
that we have done anything wrong. We need, like Peter, to be taken to a place
of repentance where we can start to put right the things we have done.
Amen.
This sermon was first preached in the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester. Click here for further information.