This weekend was our Upper Core Retreat Evaluation and Planning for SFC Vancouver. The last session invited us to look at the CFC Theme for 2015: Love More. We looked at the life of Peter, a fisherman, an older gentleman, always so protective of our Lord, just as much as he is so gung ho about everything Jesus teaches, and just as much as he makes a fool of himself in every instance. Think about it – the one who wanted not just his feet washed but also his hands and his head, the one who calls Jesus the Messiah yet to who Jesus says, “Get behind me, Satan,” the one who cuts off the ear of the slave of a centurion when they make their way to arrest Jesus, the one who before the cock crows denies Jesus three times.
Imagine how this man was renamed by Jesus to Peter, the rock on which I will build my Church. How could Jesus leave the keys to the kingdom to such a man as Peter? Was Jesus crazy or out of His mind?
We conducted a Lectio Divina session on the passage, Love More, was based on:
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to Him, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said the third time, “ Do you love me?” and he said to Him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” – John 21: 15-17
The phrase that kept striking at me was “more than these.” Notice how Jesus only asks this part of the question once in the beginning but leaves these out the second and third time. This struck home to me because I can only imagine how Peter must have felt when Jesus asked him this question. “More than these.” Despite how Peter is and how he denied Him, Jesus boldly asked Peter to state his love for Him in front of all these who to Peter seemed more worthy to claim this kind of love.
Peter’s answer to this question is a simple yet humble, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” However, he doesn’t necessarily answer the second part of that question. Jesus asks the second question without the second half and Peter answers the same as before. Finally, when Jesus asks him the third time, it seems as if Peter answers the first question Jesus asks:
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Peter is absolutely shaken at the fact that Jesus asks him these questions simply because he feels terrible about denying Him. But I think that by the time he answers the third time, he answers the first question truthfully. Peter is humble and dedicated to Jesus. Peter knows that he will do anything and everything for the Lord. Peter is also ashamed for his actions and feels in the beginning that he is not worthy of love. However, Jesus chooses to love more. And it is because of this love that Peter has for the Lord that moves him to answer the way he answers.
We are all worthy of the Lord’s love in our lives. The love of the Lord is freely given to us. When we decide that our love is not enough, that we cannot love enough, the Lord continues to love more. That though Peter denies him three times, Jesus resolves this denial by affirming Peter’s love for him. So we need to do the same. When someone wrongs us in the most unimaginable way, we are called to love more. When someone refuses to forgive us, we are called to love more. When we feel like we deserve nothing and that we have lost the Lord’s trust in us, we are called to love more.
