Easter 3C’25
4 May 2025
John 21.1-19
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
North Little Rock, Arkansas
The Rev. Carey Stone <+>
Oh God of second, third, fourth, and fifth chances give us the faith to get back up and to try again.
Amen.
I committed my first crime at the age of six. Back in the day when there were 5 & Dime stores, I had gone with mom to the store and quickly found my way to the toy aisle. She said she would be back shortly. As I surveyed all the toys, they had everything from Slinkys to GI Joes. But it was something fairly inexpensive that caught my eye. Back in those days smoking was much more widespread and acceptable, and they had a selection of toy pipes so little boys could pretend to smoke. I saw one that I liked, I believe it cost all of 20 cents. I wanted it so bad, but feared my mother would turn me down, so I shoplifted it! That evening after my dad got home from work, I began to walk around the house with it in my mouth. When my dad asked me where I got it, I told him mom had gotten for me. When my mom asked me where I got, I told her that dad had given it to me. I didn’t plan for them to compare notes but they did of course and approached me about it after dinner. My mom put the question to me and asked did you steal it? I started to cry an figured there was no use in telling another lie, so I admitted it. I never dreamed what the punishment would be, and sent cold chills down my 6-year-old spine. “You know what you are going to have to do, don’t you?” my mom asked. “You know you are going to have to take it back to the store and tell them that you stole it and to pay them for it.” I was taken back to the store and had to walk up to the manager and own up to my crime. I had my three dimes ready which I quickly slid onto the counter, and was thanked for my honesty. My life as a criminal was short lived thanks to the wisdom of my parents.
Peter, as we recall from Palm Sunday and Holy Week, committed one of the worst crimes imaginable by betraying Jesus, and denying him three times. One of the teenage servants had asked him the third time and he couldn’t even stick up for Jesus to them. Can you imagine how his feelings of guilt and shame made the crucifixion that much worse for him to bear.
He went off by himself and thankfully didn’t take the path of Judas of dying by his own hand but he repented and as the gospels have it, he “wept bitterly” (Luke 22.62).
While he may have been forgiven, he figured he was probably decommissioned, defrocked, and dismissed as an apostle. Not really sure what to do, he and some of the disciples went back to what they had known before meeting Jesus, fishing. Even that wasn’t working out very well, they had fished all night and hadn’t caught a single fish. A ‘stranger’ or someone they thought was a stranger asked them how it was going – they said not good; the stranger directs them to cast their net on the other side of their boat and there they caught so many fish it took Peter’s crew and the other boat crew to haul it ashore. John was the first to figure out the stranger was actually the resurrected Jesus. He had prepared a nice kosher breakfast of fish and bread over a charcoal fire. This no doubt is where the inspiration for all the church fish fries that would follow!
Jesus knew the disciples were slightly directionless. This was the third time he had appeared to them. He knew that Peter was especially discouraged and felt unworthy to serve after his great sin of betrayal; but Jesus knew that Peter was going to be the key to the future of the Church. Jesus does something that was nothing short of beautiful! He asks Peter a probing question: ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter responded “Yes Lord, You know I love you.” Jesus answered Feed my lambs” Jesus asks a second time, “tend my sheep” “Feed my sheep”
Peter gets a bit more intense “Yes Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus answers “Tend my sheep.” Jesus asks a third time if Peter loved him, and this time Peter is getting beside himself, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” What was Jesus up to? Not only had Jesus forgiven him, He also gave Peter an opportunity to make amends. For the three denials, Peter is given the chance to verbalize his faith in Jesus. Jesus’ loving questions also helped restore Peter’s confidence in himself. Finally, he was giving Peter a second chance by reminding Peter that he still had a job and a calling – and it wasn’t fishing. He no doubt must have remembered and fully and finally understood those words Jesus had spoken to him before the crucifixion, “You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt. 16.18).
Now in our day, another Bishop of Rome will be elected after the passing of Francis. No doubt their sins and crimes (if there are any) will be closely examined and found out.
What about us, where are we with God? Do we know the forgiveness of God for our mistakes? I hope so. Do we feel that forgiveness in our souls as Peter did. I hope so. Can we know that no matter what we have done, and however far short we have fallen that we are worthy, and that Jesus still has a job for us in God’s kingdom? I know so! Amen.