Do You Love Me?

Today's Sunday reading from the Gospel of John (21:15-19) is very personal to me.  It is the time when the risen Jesus spoke to Peter, confirming Peter's love and willingness to follow Jesus.  Jesus asked for Peter's commitment three times, identical to the number of times Peter denied Jesus prior to the Crucifixion.

“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

He then said to Simon Peter a second time,

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

Jesus said to him the third time,

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a 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."

A couple of years ago I had a dream about this passage except Jesus was sitting across from me saying these words.  Previously when I heard this passage, I thought Jesus was chiding Peter, making him feel guilty for hurting and denying Him.  However, in my dream another Jesus was speaking.  He said the same words, but tenderly, with a slight smile and gentle eyes.  His eyes looked right through me.  He knew the answer to the question better than I did; in fact, He didn't need to know I love Him, He needed me to know.  That's what Peter meant when he said "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."  How can you not love someone who knows you more intimately than you know yourself and still loves you - enough to die for you?

How many times did Peter remember this conversation with Jesus?  Jesus entrusted to Peter the most weak and helpless thing Jesus had - us - His sheep.  In every hardship and frustration Peter endured in those early years of the Church, this one conversation - and the look in Jesus' eyes - must have sustained him.  And with that same look of love and tenderness, Jesus gently told Peter:

"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.”

He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.

And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

These are disturbing words, but Peter knew they were delivered with love.  He had to know that Jesus would be with him through it all.  The Acts of the Apostles demonstrates that Peter was a changed man; no longer a man who would cower in fear and deny Jesus, but a man who would boldly stand before the authorities and proclaim his intent to do all that Jesus asked him to do.  Acts 5: 27-32. What changed him?

The look in Jesus' eyes: "Do you love me?"

cc

Advent Calendar - Day 18

Wow - Advent can take a sharp right turn these days!  It did for me over the last week when my posts have been conspicuously absent.  No, you didn't miss them - they weren't done.  Like many people, I was caught up in the business of the season - multiple rehearsals, concerts, events, kid finals, etc.  This is always the hardest for me as a musician - Advent is a very busy season!  I try to use the opportunities to pray while singing.  (Doesn't it count twice?)

Today I want to show you a new way of thinking about Isaiah 61: 1-3; 10-11:

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me;
He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;
To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn;
To provide for those who mourn in Zion -to give them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My whole being shall exult in my God;
For he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots, 
And as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

In Luke, chapter 4, Jesus reveals that he is the person spoken about in Isaiah 61.

This is a different Messiah that is in other passages described as the Prince of Peace.  This is someone who is more counter-cultural, more revolutionary.  He will deliver God's justice in a spirit of righteousness.  Not everyone is getting peace.  This is consistent with what Jesus tells us we should expect when he comes again.  Perhaps this is why we should have at least some penitential attitude toward Advent.  Jesus comes to bring peace and joy, but he also comes to bring "the day of vengeance of our God."  Things will change.  Are we ready for change?  Are we ready to be revolutionaries?

It seems to me that given what is happening in the world and our own country, the time is coming soon or might already be here.  We need to be ready to espouse joy, but with a sense of righteous change.

CC

Advent Calendar - Day 11

Listen to the words - I bet you'll never hear this Mumford & Sons' song the same way again:

Keeping it simple.

CC

Epiphany

This Sunday is Epiphany, a celebration of the coming of the Magi, the three kings, to worship the baby Jesus.  I think, well of course they came to worship Him!  After all, He was predicted by prophesies, astrological signs and born of a virgin.

Well isn't that a nice Monday morning quarterback version?  The Magi were wealthy, royal men from the far East, not Jews, who studied the signs FOR YEARS in an effort to find a personage of epic proportions.  They brought gifts of great value fit for a king.  They studied the stars and followed one a great distance.  What did they find?

They found a baby in a little backwater town born in a dirty cave to a young poor couple.  Did that deter them?  Nope, they laid down these expensive gifts on the dirty cave floor and worshiped a baby lying I'm an animal feed bin.  Talk about counter-cultural!

Why are we surprised when Pope Francis serves juvenile delinquents in prison on Holy Thursday or kisses a horribly deformed man in a crowd of "normal" people?  He gets it.  Jesus can be found in the most unlikely places, even though I expect Him in the actions of the powerful.

My expectations are unrealistic.  I need to pay closer attention to all people, not just the rich, powerful or important.  I think I also to keep my eye on that guy who, like the Magi, "gets it". 

Epiphany isn't about the rich guys who showed up in Bethlehem, it's about the poor newborn baby they found.

CC