So last week I began a two part “blog series” with the idea that when Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” He was talking about the fish that Peter had just caught. I won’t recap it because if you really want to, you can just read it again so I’ll just pick up where we left off in the 17th Chapter of John’s Gospel. Continuing from last week it reads:
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
So here is Jesus who just guts Peter by asking him whether or not he loves Him more than some dead fish and Peter responds by saying, quite sincerely, that Jesus already knows that he love Him. But then Jesus asks again, and then a third time and Peter responds the same way each time. But the third time Jesus asked, John records that, “Peter was hurt.” Why was Peter hurt? The common teaching I’ve heard on this is that Jesus asked Peter three times because Peter had denied Jesus three times and by affirming his love for Jesus three times, Peter was now “even” and could once again assume his role an Apostle. I think there is much validity in this reasoning but I think it misses it a little.
If you read the Gospels, you will see they paint a picture of Peter as someone who is very self-deprecating. Peter strikes me as a man who wants to do the right thing so bad, that sometimes he speaks or acts too soon. In fact, Jesus corrects Peter more times in the Gospels than the other 11 apostles combined. In short, all his mistakes weigh heavily on Peter and he demonstrates very little self-esteem. Peter seems to have the idea that he can’t do anything right. I mean look at his occupation. He was a fisherman by trade but both times we see him fishing in the Gospels, he sucks at it. Seriously, the only recorded times of Peter catching any fish are because Jesus intervened. So what does all this have to do with Jesus asking Peter if he loves Him three times? Jesus was making a point.
Of course Peter loved Jesus. Peter knew and Jesus knew it. Peter even said, “You know that I love you,” all three times Jesus asked. I think Jesus real message was more about making Peter feel OK about what happened than anything else. He didn’t ask him so that Peter would be “even.” Jesus’ death and resurrection already made Peter “even” and Jesus would have known this. This questioning was about Peter knowing he was “even.” It says “Peter was hurt,” when Jesus asked the third time because in asking three times, Jesus is once again saying so much more. Can you hear the rant hidden so gently in Jesus’ words? “There Peter! If you say you love me three times will you stop feeling sorry for yourself? If you feel like I know you love me will you get over this whole denying me thing? Can’t you understand? Do you know why you suck at fishing? It’s because it’s not what you’re supposed to be doing! I told you when we met that, “From now on you will fish for men.” Do you know what “from now on means?” So get up and lets go! Stop feeling sorry for yourself! You have no idea how much of an impact your life will have on this world. So take my hands, the ones with holes in them that were put there so could stop feeling guilty, get up and get moving.”
Jesus wanted to Peter to accept the fact that the past is that past and not the present. Jesus wanted Peter to accept that he had denied Him but to also accept the fact that Jesus is already past that. Maybe Peter couldn’t let it go but he could certainly move on. And the same is true for us. What is it about you that you can’t move on from? What is holding you back from being what Jesus has called you to be? Not just your occupation but your effectiveness. What is it that is holding you back and how many times does Jesus have to ask YOU if you love Him before you finally get it? For Peter, it only took three times. I think for most of us, it’ll take more. So the next time you meditate on Jesus. The next time you are in prayer. Listen for His voice. Listen for that question. Because He’ll ask it as many times as He has to until it sinks in. “Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?”
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