We Can Work With That

Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew. Sometimes we promise more than we can deliver. Take this story about Jesus' follower Peter from the gospel of John. 

In John chapter 14, Jesus is in Jerusalem teaching his disciples about how they should carry on his work when he is gone.

Peter, often a spokesman for the disciples, asks, "Where are you going?" To which Jesus replies, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but your time will come." 

Peter, connecting the dots on a number of similar statements Jesus had made, figured out Jesus was talking about his death. So he said, "I am with you all the way! Even if it costs me my life!" Jesus, crushing Peter's enthusiasm, says, "Will you really? I tell you straight, before this is over you will deny that you even know me; and not once, but three times!" 

Sure enough at Jesus' trial, Peter is asked by three separate people if he knows Jesus and all three times he denies it (Jn 18.17, 25-7). Peter realizes what he has done and runs out from the trial bitterly weeping - no doubt questioning if the last three years of his life spent with Jesus were a complete waste.

Jesus' trial doesn't go so well and he ends up being convicted of treason and is sentenced to death. He is crucified, buried and then three days later the craziest thing happens: he comes back to life. After appearing to a number of people he finds some time to connect with Peter (Jn 21.15ff).

Jesus asks him, "Peter do you love (Gk. agape) me?" John records Jesus using a very powerful word for love here: agape, which the early Christians thought of as the name for the highest and purest form of love.

Peter responds, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love (Gk. phileo) you." Peter uses a different word for love. Phileo love connoted friendship or brotherhood. 

Jesus asks him a second time, "Do you agape me?" Peter again states, "Yes, Lord; you know that I phileo you." 

Jesus asks Peter a third time, but this time it's different: "Peter, do you phileo me?" Peter is broken. He knows exactly why Jesus has asked him three times. He responds, "You know everything about me and so you know that I phileo you." 

Jesus met Peter right where he was. Jesus pushed him, asking him if he loved him on a level that was deeper than that of friends or brothers, and Peter wasn't ready. So he asks again, but Peter just wasn't there yet. 

John exposes something about Jesus here that is extremely profound: instead of saying to Peter, "Ok, well, I guess our relationship is over because you don't love me in the way I love you" Jesus changes his language and uses the same word Peter had been using. As if to say, "Alright Peter, that's ok, we can work with that."

I think when we over promise to God and don't deliver, our tendency is self doubt. We wonder if God could love us in our broken state. We wonder if we can still be used. This is exactly where God comes down, meets us face to face and says, "That's alright, we can work with that."