Sunday Sermon: "In Peter's Shoes"

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PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION: Please pray with me: Holy Spirit, as the Scripture is read, open our hearts and minds to hear the truth; shine your light into our dark places; convict us where our hearts have been hardened; and call us to respond with joy to your Word to us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

SERMON-INTRO
As I have been trying to catch up on my “Year of the Bible” reading, I’ve been reading big chunks of the books of the Bible at one time. For instance, I’ve been reading A LOT of John’s gospel. And as I’ve been reading, Peter has caught my attention, time after time.

Peter just may be my favorite disciple. Peter says the things everyone is thinking but no one else wants to stay, you know what I mean? Most of us have a filter in our brains that we use to sort out what things we should say and what we shouldn’t say. But it seems like Peter’s is broken. He is impulsive and spontaneous, often acting first and thinking later, but generally well-intentioned and well-meaning.

Mind you, none of these are behaviors that I recommend. But, put all these flaws together and you get a very down-to-earth, very relatable kind of disciple. And that’s why I think I like Peter so much, because I can relate to the scrapes that he gets himself into. I feel like I have actually walked a mile in his shoes before.

So this morning, we’re going to take a little trip through John’s gospel and read about Peter, particularly how he is involved in the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus.

#1
I’d like to start by reading from John 13:33-38: Jesus and the disciples are gathered around the Last Supper table and Jesus begins to explain about his coming death: Jesus says, 33 "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

36 Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." 37 Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."

38 Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!”

Impetuous Peter declares his undying devotion to Jesus . . . “I will lay down my life for you.” And Jesus responds not only by doubting the sincerity of Peter’s devotion but also warns that Peter will disown, or deny, him three times before the rooster crows.

Impetuous but well-meaning Peter must have been crushed. He thought his faith was strong; he thought his love was sure. Then the very man he worshiped and believed in devastates him with this prophecy. Peter probably wondered how he could possibly deny Jesus. He thinks he’s willing to lay down his life for Jesus—how could he possibly do something so sinful as to deny Jesus?

Ah, but isn’t that the way it goes for all of us? We think our faith is strong; we think our love is sure. And the next thing we know, we too are denying Jesus.
It’s not hard to put ourselves in Peter’s shoes, is it? We know how easy it is to deny Jesus with our actions and our priorities. We all have been in Peter’s shoes before.

#2
Our second glimpse into Peter’s life comes from John 18:15-18: 15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, 16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

17 "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, "I am not." 18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.

John 18:25-27 25 As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am not."

26 One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?" 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

We know that feeling, don’t we? We’ve all stood in Peter’s shoes in this situation. No sooner do the words leave our mouth than we have that sinking feeling. We have that realization that we just did the thing we promised ourselves we would never do, or that we said the things we vowed we would never say. We have all heard the rooster crow; we have all seen the light bulb go on.

The serving girl asks Peter, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” It sounds like she’s EXPECTING him to say no. And he plays right into her hands with his first denial.

Someone else standing next to him, as they warm themselves around the fire, asks him, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” Again, a question that sounds like it expects “no” for an answer. And that is the answer Peter gives.

But the third question is a little different. The person who asks the third question actually saw Peter with Jesus in the garden just a few hours earlier. He’s related to the guy whose ear Peter cut off. He KNOWS Peter was with Jesus. And he says, “Didn’t I see you with him in the olive grove?” THAT is a question expecting a “yes” answer because the person asking the question is an eyewitness. But again, Peter denies being with Jesus.

Three times Peter is asked the same question. Three times Peter gives the same answer, “No, I don’t know Jesus.” After the third denial, the rooster crows. And the gravity of what Peter has done begins to sink in. We all know how THAT feels.

#3
The final glimpse into Peter’s life, at least for today, is found in John 21:15-17: 15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.”

It’s not a coincidence that Jesus asks Peter the same question three times. For each denial, Jesus gives Peter a chance to repent. With each question, Jesus issues Peter another invitation back into relationship with him.

Jesus is not mad at Peter. Jesus does not hold a grudge against him; just the opposite, in fact. Jesus invites Peter back into the community of faith.

Though Peter seems to be insulted by Jesus’ repetition, I don’t think he means to be insulting. It’s like when you tell someone “I love you.” Saying it only once doesn’t mean much. But saying it again and again and again . . . repeating it gives it meaning.

With each question, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Jesus erases each of Peter’s denials. Jesus is calling Peter again to be a disciple. Peter is restored. Once again, his faith is strong and his love is sure.

CONCLUSION
I wonder how many people don’t come to church because they are stuck in Peter’s shoes as the rooster crows. I wonder how many people in our community don’t come to church, here or anywhere, because they think they are too bad, too sinful, too far gone for Jesus to take them back.

I wonder how many of us gathered here this morning are still stuck in Peter’s shoes as the rooster crows. I wonder how many of US, come faithfully, but don’t really believe that God has forgiven them for something they have done.

I’m willing to bet we all know someone who is stuck in that place, honestly believing that he or she is too sinful for God to love him or her. Maybe you are the one stuck in Peter’s shoes hearing the rooster crow over and over again, thinking God will never take you back again.

With three simple questions, Jesus invited Peter back into the family. Because of those three little questions, Peter knew what it meant to be forgiven and embraced by the very person he have sinned against; he knew what it was like to be received back into relationship with the One who died for him and rose again.

This is the good news for all of us: Peter is a lesson in grace. Peter didn’t deserve it; he didn’t earn it; he wasn’t good enough for it. But God offered him grace anyway, just as God offers grace to each one of us . . . no matter how bad we think we are . . . no matter how long it’s been since we were in church.

So the next time you, or someone you know, feels like you have strayed so far off the path that not even a GPS is going to get you back on it, remember impetuous, bumbling Peter. Put yourself in his shoes, and know that just as Jesus welcomed him back, so too Jesus welcomes you back into the family of faith.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.