2024-02-15 12:33:38
The resurrected Jesus seeks to free Peter from his guilt and to prove to the disciples that he is the old Peter who loved him.
Christopher Francis – Vatican
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, seven of Jesus’ disciples, along with Peter, go fishing at night. No fish were caught all night. When morning came, Jesus stood on the shore. But the disciples did not know that he was Jesus. After performing an innovation by asking the disciples who could not find fish to cast their nets on the right side, Peter jumped into the sea and swam towards Jesus so that the disciples could recognize Jesus. Jesus had breakfast ready for them there. After they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He asks. He asks the same thrice. After the conversation between the two ended, Jesus mentioned how Peter was going to glorify God by dying, and then said to Peter, “Follow me.” At this event Jesus asked, “Do you love me? We will try to find an answer to the question in today’s program.
Peter learned the hard way what it means to love Jesus. Peter was the one who directly expressed how much he loved Jesus more than once.
Where I am going you cannot come… I give you a new commandment, ‘Love one another’. Love one another as I have loved you. By the love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” Let’s go back a little further to the incident where Jesus said. Unable to bear Jesus’ saying that he could not follow now, Peter said, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus looked at him and said, “Will you lay down my life for me? I assure you that the rooster will not crow before you deny me three times.
Let’s compare these two cases, that is, the rejection and the asking if you love. Love is the main theme here and there. When Jesus said he would deny it three times, the three times asking the same question here are related to each other. Jesus reminds us that Peter denied Jesus three times. There was a reason for that. Because Jesus wants to publicly demonstrate Peter’s determination and love for the leader, as he realizes that the question will be raised as to how he who rejected his leader out of fear of his life can be the leader of the new movement. Not only that, Jesus is anxious to get Peter out of that guilt, who was crying because of this betrayal. This is Jesus’ second call to Peter, who after his death has returned to his fishing business. That’s why at the end, he says follow me. This event gives new encouragement to the leader of the disciple who was confused and did not know what to do now, i.e. went back to his old business.
The disciple who was truly willing to lay down his life for his master, is not only rejected three times, but is also turned back by his master. The Lord turned and looked closely at Peter who had denied Him three times: “Today before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter remembered what the Lord said to him, and we read in Luke 22 that he went out and wept bitterly.
Here is the meaning of Jesus asking Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Because Jesus knew that Peter loved Jesus, and Peter knew. However, if Jesus is asking this question, it is for Peter’s benefit. As we have already said, it was to confirm him before the disciples he was about to lead, to free him from his guilt, and to prove to the disciples that he was the old Peter who loved him. We can even take it that he asked Peter the same question three times to show that he had forgiven him. We should also note a similarity between these two events of repudiation and forgiveness. When Peter denied Jesus there was a fire lit with cold charcoal. Here too, the disciples find a fire lit with charcoal and a fish on it after disembarking from the boat. Peter must have been overcome with emotion when he saw this burning. Where the fire was kindled that day, Jesus was a suffering servant, and today he stands as a redeeming leader. Also, in today’s event we can see the void that Jesus’ death created in the disciples, the first empty net without fish.
As Jesus asked Peter again and again whether he loved, a real, self-realized response eventually emerged from Peter: “Lord, you know everything! Do you not know that I love you?” He says. After this response, we find Jesus confirming Peter as an apostle. Here the Lord is not leaving his sheep under Peter’s authority or sole care, but making it clear that to love Jesus is to care for his sheep. Finally, Jesus calls Peter to ‘follow me’. Jesus calls the first disciples with the same word he called them in the synoptic gospels. This is Peter’s second call.
Peter, who stopped Jesus from washing his feet, learned a lesson about holiness through that act. The lesson is that the wounded woman should have her wounds washed away and go to work for the wounded human society. Next, he cries and learns a lesson through his rejection of God. Now and again, he learns another lesson by asking if he loves you. It took many trials for the chieftain to turn into gilded gold. Now a lesson on loving is being taught. Peter loved Jesus more than anyone and anything else. It was that expression of love that fed his sheep and laid down his life for Jesus.
If our work and dedication is to make this world a nobler world, we are called to love God first and His creation, human beings. The manifestation of our love for God is to do well in the tasks He has entrusted to us. Because Jesus himself said, “Whoever keeps my commandments loves me” (John 14:21).
It is said that love is everything here and love is Shiva. All of us living in this world are living on the basis of an understanding. That understanding is love. Love is love based on understanding between a lover and a beloved. We refer to the understanding within family relationships as affection and affection. Bhakti is the love that arises on the basis of understanding between God and us. In this way understanding is basically love everywhere and blossoms into love. But perfect love, that is, love that transcends all, loving God more than others and more than anything else, is born in the understanding between our soul and God. This is what Jesus helps to make public through the mouth of Peter. The love we have for God is selfless, unconditional, infinite and unchanging. Because a loving heart is where the Lord resides. Let us realize that true love has life.
#QUESTIONS #ANSWERED #love