III Sunday of Easter, Cycle C

Act 5:27-32, 40B-41
Ps 30:2, 4,5-6,11-12,13
Rev 5:11-14
Jn 21:1-19

It is hard to imagine that it has been four weeks since we have celebrated Palm Sunday; it seemed so long ago.  And yet today we are bringing some closure to a little side story to what happened during the proclamation at the Gospel.  It is for me, one of the toughest parts to hear and what I am talking about is Peter’s Three Denials.  I could never get through that part of it without some sort of physiological reaction in moistening the ocular region from my lacrimal gland.  It was really tough to hear.  Peter is one of our heroes.  He was the one that was always first in line to defend our Lord, declared Him the Messiah, and was always listed first among the other Apostles.  He was one of our protagonists and when you read about how he denies Jesus THREE TIMES, pitifully at that, you can’t help but be disappointed in the hero.

However for me, it’s more than that.  If we were just spectators, we would be disappointed.  But in some sense we have to sympathize with dear Peter because his behavior and the way he followed Christ is just so human - reflecting our behavior as well.  In the good times we are "BFFE" with Christ, we are bold in our proclamation of the Gospel when we are with Christ, and we are ready to die for Him.  But when Peter’s best friend and Lord was arrested – the one whom he had sworn to protect, defend, and fight for – he denied him.  He chickened out and the rooster crowed.  That regret is incredible; it is infidelity to the highest level, probably right up there with Judas the betrayer.  As any couple who has suffered with infidelity on any level but especially with an affair, you might have an idea of what Peter was going through.   The difference with Peter though, was that he struggled forward, he had to live with it whereas Judas despaired and could not move forward, but turned inward.  I can imagine Peter being visibly shaken every time he heard a rooster crow (and back then there were lots of roosters).  It was a constant reminder of his sin, his denial and rejection of his Lord and Savior until today’s Gospel.
 
Three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?”; three times He asked him.  The first time Peter probably thought what a silly thing, “Of course I love you”, the second time he probably was getting suspicious, and the third time the distress was really there; bringing to light the sin that had been buried and had now been freed.  Can you imagine the burden of that sin being lifted off his shoulders?  What an incredible reconciliation of Peter with Christ, the one whom he had rejected and denied only weeks before!  Nothing says total forgiveness than receiving it from the one you had offended does it?

But that is not the end of the story.  After forgiveness and reconciliation comes a specific charge for Peter – a special task that was entrusted to him:  “Feed my lambs, Tend my sheep, Feed my sheep.”  Out of forgiveness comes not only healing but a strengthening to do better.  To not only do better but to be the best – the best that God has called you to be.  [The last words of the Gospel call Peter and implicitly us to Him with an even greater love and devotion and abandoning our younger immature ways:

“Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”

It is a calling of sacrifice and hardship, but one that is driven out of love for our Lord.  We can do great things out of love!]

In our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, you can see Peter now in action! What does he say to the Temple authorities? “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.  What boldness we hear from Peter – he’s not afraid to make the accusation.  But then he offers recourse: God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.” He was bold in his accusation, but also bold in proclaiming that sin could and would be forgiven if they had repented.  This would have been true regardless of whether the authorities were responsible for Jesus’ death or not.  But they were so concerned about appearing to be sinless when their real opportunity to be sinlesss was right in front of them through repentance.  Forgiveness was and is offered for the world through Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection.  All we have to do is repent and change our ways to experience that healing forgiveness.

I do not have an incredible conversion story like St. Peter or St. Paul, but I do know what it has been like to be redeemed, healed, and lifted up out of the depths of my sin to a greater purpose and that is why I stand here as a priest today.  (More on that next week!)

Peter’s journey is an incredible journey of coming to faith, failing at the faith, but also coming back to the faith, believing, and being a true Apostle of Jesus Christ.  Peter shows us by his very example of the fickleness of our humanity and the strength that comes from Jesus Christ.  This is a radical change for Peter and one that we should imitate.  Several weeks ago Peter denied Christ three times, ashamed for his association with Him and the Name and afraid of the repercussions and consequences.  Today, he is no longer ashamed and no longer afraid.  Peter and the Apostles rejoiced that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.  The name of course is Jesus Christ - the Lamb that was slain, the Lamb that received blessing, honor, glory and might, forever and ever. Amen!