Jesus asks Peter for an acknowledgement of his love. That is a tough question to answer no matter who it is that is asking. But how much more so when Jesus asks? Do I really love him? Am I really that willing to accept the demands of that love? And what does true love demand anyway? These are all questions that need to be reflected upon before any of us can truly answer the question, “Do you love me?”
God bless and keep you all,
Fr. John Linden
Parochial Vicar
Gospel Reading
At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“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.
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.”
Reflection:
To grasp the exchange between Jesus and Peter in today’s gospel passage calls for us to go back to an earlier time in their relationship. There we heard Peter’s boast, “I will lay down my life for you.” Of course we all know what Jesus predicts, “Amen, Amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times.” (Jn 13:37,38) Peter, in his weakness, does just that in the courtyard of the high priest.
Therefore, it has been a constant interpretation that Peter in today’s passage is being given a chance to redeem those three denials. That seems easily enough the case, but there is much more that can be found going on in this exchange if we examine it a little deeper. In the first two instances when Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me,” the word used for love in the original Greek is “agapao”, which is a very deep love. Now, in the original exchange, of course, Jesus and Peter would more than likely have been speaking in Aramaic, but it is interesting to see the way it was translated into the Greek. Peter, in return says to Jesus “you know that I love you” but his word for love, in the Greek, is “phileo”, which is a friendly kind of affection. It is not as deep of a love as agapao.
But, in the third exchange, Jesus asks Peter, “do you love me, phileo” conceding to what Peter was answering. Peter had boasted that he would lay down his life for Jesus, which would have taken an agapao love in order to accomplish. Yet, Peter learned just how weak his love really was. It seems as if Jesus in this exchange is affording Peter an even deeper redemption than at first it appears. He is asking Peter, “do you love me with the love great enough to lay down your life for me?” just as Peter had voluntarily boasted that he would do. This time, however, Peter acknowledges what Jesus knew all along – no, he did not yet have that kind of love.
So, now that Peter was finally humble enough to see himself with honesty and could answer only the third question of Jesus in the complete affirmative, Jesus finally has a man that can lead his flock with humble acknowledgment of his own weaknesses. Peter was now ready to allow Jesus to strengthen him so that he could do the enormous task asked of him as a simple, humble, and weak man. In the end, Jesus’ strength would even lead the weak Peter into finally having that agapao love so that he would indeed lay down his life for Jesus.
We too have a call from Jesus and we also are too weak to perform it. But if we are willing to acknowledge that weakness without running from the call, we too will be strengthened enough by Jesus to meet its demands. In other words, to meet the demands of love – agapeo love.