16th June 2011

John 21:15-25 – Jesus Reinstates Peter.

• “Jesus is the Mirror”
• What a great story for John to end on.
• Peter who as we saw last time, had gone backwards is reinstated.
• Why did he need reinstating?
• Because He had done something that no disciple should do – left his Rabbi.
• A famous exchange of words take place where Jesus asks Peter; do agape me and Peter replies I philo you.
• Agape meaning selfless love – “I love you because I am full of love”
• Philo meaning friendship love – “I love you because we are good together”.
• This could mean that Peter is admitting to Jesus that he realizes he has not demonstrated the kind of love Jesus is looking for. And that Jesus is showing Him that He will accept Peter’s phileo love because the third time Jesus asks; do you love me, He uses phileo.
• Jesus is looking for genuine, real, authentic relationship.
• Better pure phileo than pretend agape!
• [Note however scholars disagree on the significance of the use of the Greek words here. Plus, were John and Jesus speaking Greek anyway?. No so we can never be sure.]
• I think a more certain and interesting lesson comes from a different part of the story.
• Jesus calls Peter to feed His sheep. He prophesies his death by crucifixion and then says again . . .”follow me”.
• Before answering however; Peter points to another disciple and asks Jesus: what about him?”. Peter wants some assurances. Peter wants to know if everyone else is going to have to suffer the same fate as he will should they follow Jesus.
• Jesus essentially replies by asking; “what on earth has that got to do with you?”
• Jesus wants to connect us with each other not compare us with each other.
• Peter has to decide based on Jesus’ request not on anything else.
• What happens with other disciples of Jesus should not affect our choice to follow Him. It’s not about fairness, it’s not about comparisons, it’s not about hiding behind the faults of others.
• We cannot stand before God and use other people’s actions as an excuse for our own. Jesus is leading us to compare our lives with His example not others.
• Jesus is the mirror.
• No one else.
• You are called to sacrificial love no matter whether others live one or not.
• John ends with a call to love God pure and simple.
• He tells us that lots more could be said . . . but what’s the point.
• Let’s stop looking for alternatives and accept the one way He presents to each of us . . .Jesus.