Thursday of Trinity II - Devotion in semi-Exile

Lection for Thursday after Trinity II 
Proverbs 31:10-31      John 21:1-25

I want to meditate upon a few verses today from this final chapter of John’s Gospel.

So when they had finished breakfast, 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, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again 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, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep. (vv. 14-17)

Imagine you are Peter, and ever since the night you denied Jesus three times in the courtyard of the high priest on the night when Jesus was betrayed, neither He nor you have mentioned that denial. Your conscience is eating you up. In front of all the others Jesus has declared that you would deny Him – three times – before the rooster crowed. And for your part, you had boasted that you were willing to go to prison or death with Him. Yes, the others said the same thing, but Jesus singled you out and said, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

You did just as Jesus foretold. You denied Him three times. Worst of all, just before the rooster crowed, you denied Him the third time calling down curses upon yourself. A rooster crowed, the Lord looked at you, and you remembered! You ran off and wept bitterly.

Christ appeared to you all in the upper room three days later and declared that He was giving you His Father’s authority to forgive sins, but how could He give you that authority – you betrayed Him with your vile denial of knowing Him. On a couple other occasions you have seen Him and been with Him, but each time your depression over you base denial brought you near to despair. You still love Him! You want to be of service to Him, but you are not sure of your worthiness. You figure to just going back to being a fisherman, it is an honest trade.

Then comes this day, the day recorded in John’s Gospel. You are out fishing, seven of the disciples in the boat, but the fishing was bad. Jesus appears on the shore and brings about a miraculous catch of fish.

It is after a breakfast of fish when Jesus finally gets you alone to talk, and asks you if you love Him – three times He asks – three times He tell you that you have the same task that you had before, tending His Lambs. It hurts when He asks you the third time, but He does ask, and again says, “Tend My sheep!”

How long did it take you, how long did it take Peter to make the connection that he had denied Jesus three times – Jesus gives him three opportunities to do so again so that He might give him the commission to be one of His under-shepherds. Here is Christ, not in so many words, absolving Him for His three-fold denial.

Here is hope for sinners. Christ uses a man like Peter, a denier of Christ, a crass sinner, as His servant to bring His Gospel to others. There is forgiveness for Peter – there is forgiveness for Todd – there is forgiveness for you.

He used Peter – He can use me – and He will use you too.

Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let us pray:    By your grace Lord, you called Peter to be a servant in your church, to care for those blessed sheep for whom You died. Let me see myself as useful to you as Peter, that I might understand my various vocations and use them to serve You by serving others in all I do, bringing glory to Your holy name. Amen.