Peter Paul and Many

Text: John 21:13-19

Feast of Peter and Paul

Christianity is a faith that sits in the moment, acknowledges the past, but has a preference for the future. Its vocabulary is full of words about restoring what is broken, renewing what has decayed, resurrecting what is dead. It is not an accident that all these words begin with “re-”, along with many other ones like reconciliation, restoration, rebirth. The prefix means “again” or “back.” They are all about finding something that has been lost—rediscovering it—or getting back to the right path after having wandered, or being cleansed after being corrupted.

In all these words, there is a turn, a change of direction. We acknowledge the past but head on out into the re-formed future. Repent—another such word—means to make a turn. Forgiveness—an essential word but this time without the prefix—lets us grieve the past but importantly releases us from it so we can step ahead in freedom.

As a consequence, we are open to big surprises and changes in our lives. We are taught by example and doctrine that that is how God works. Words like calling, commissioning, and conversion are all about being pulled into the future. We say that we accept God’s call, but sometimes it feels like we really have little choice in the matter. Often the result is that we are comforted in unexpected ways. Other times we are distressed. But we are usually at least a little amazed.

Today we celebrate the ministries of Peter and Paul. They did not have much in common. Peter was an ordinary fisherman. Paul was a privileged and educated Roman citizen. Though thrown together in the same stew by God, it seems that they did not like each other much. Peter supported Paul in his ministry to the gentiles, but Peter had big doubts about the plan until a vision set him straight.

Peter was much more involved with the fledgling church establishment than Paul was. Peter was careful. Paul was impulsive and exuberant. Peter does not mention Paul much, but Paul refers to Peter disdainfully, as he does in today’s second reading, by including Cephas—Peter’s name in Aramaic—in a dismissive list.

But Peter and Paul did have in common Christ’s call to them. Both were recruited directly by Jesus, Peter at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, Paul on the road to Damascus after the Resurrection. They were both renamed by Christ—Peter was Simon, Paul was Saul. They were both founding leaders of what was to become Christianity.

But most of all, they both had their lives totally turned around by Jesus. A new direction. Neither of them anticipated what they would become. Neither one of them could have imagined, given their backgrounds, inclinations, or prospects, what would happen to them.

Of the two, Paul’s story is the simpler. He is called once, through dramatically, and after that seems to apply the same energy and commitment to strengthening Christianity as he did attacking it before, and he seems pretty happy with his lot and his vocation.

But Peter’s story is more complicated.

Peter is one of the first disciples called to follow Jesus. He becomes a good friend of Jesus. They were buddies, companions. Peter was an enthusiast. It is Peter who wants to build booths at the Transfiguration. It is Peter who wants Jesus to wash his whole body, not just his feet. It is Peter who tries to walk on water. It is Peter who so confidently acclaims Jesus as messiah. Peter is a doofus.

But something happens to Peter. First, he denies Jesus three times. And the death of Jesus, his friend, is a harsh blow. The Resurrection confounds him. In the Gospel of John, Peter is the first to enter the empty tomb. According to other accounts, Peter is the first person to whom the risen Christ appeared. Yet he responds by going fishing; his job before he met Jesus.

The conversation today between Jesus and Peter is a turning point in Peter’s life. One of those change-in-direction events. By the time it is over, Peter is a new person. A different person. No longer a fisherman, Peter has a new role given to him by Jesus. A more difficult role. A more responsible role. From now on in the Bible we will hear no more goofy stories about Peter. He stops being exuberant and playful.

Jesus had before nick-named him Rocky, which is what Peter means in Greek. At the time, Jesus said to him: On this rock—on you, Peter—I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. Now Peter understands the seriousness of this commission. In the course of one conversation Peter goes from a care-free flaky sidekick to a reliable but troubled leader. From outlier to administrator. From rebel to mainstream. It is Peter who has to worry about infrastructure while Paul gets to be the flashy marketeer. Peter agonizes about the admission of gentiles; Paul just goes out and signs them all up.

Do you love me? Jesus asks Peter. Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, Jesus tells Peter. Be a good shepherd to them. Not just to nourish them, but to do all that a shepherd does. Both Paul and Peter nourish God’s people. They have that in common. But it is Peter who has to make sure that the fences are set, the hay in the loft, the lambs attended to.

When Jesus asks about Peter’s love for him, he is not testing Peter’s character. This is not a job interview. He chose Peter long ago. Jesus knows that Peter’s job will not be glamorous. There will be tough going. He will be taken places he does not want to go. Danger lies ahead. Peter’s call to lead God’s people is not a consequence of his love for Jesus. His love does not compel him.

Rather, it is his love for Jesus that enables him to respond to Jesus’ call. It is a job that he cannot do without his love for Christ. Jesus is not saying, if you love me, then tend my sheep. It is not a condition. He is saying, since you love me, you will be able to tend my sheep. The work is hard. But because you love me, you will be able to do it.

Peter and Paul are long gone, but the work of attending to God’s people continues. It is now we who are called to nourish each other in body and spirit.

It is not likely that we will be called upon to create a whole new religion. But it is likely that there will be big changes and surprises in in our lives. That we will on occasion be amazed. And that we will be called sometime to make a sharp turn into a new future. In those times, we trust that we be sustained and guided, as Peter and Paul were, by our love for God in Christ.