Favorites XVI

One of the biggest characters in the New Testament story is Simon Peter.  He is a character who evolves from a fiery hothead to a man with a disciplined spirit, from a man fearful for his own life to one who takes no thought for it, and from a broken man overcome with failure to one full of confidence in himself and the Christ.  The sermons which have been preached and the lessons taught are lessons about the power of fear and the power of faith.  When Simon Peter steps on center stage of the Biblical story, we can be sure there is going to be some kind of drama.  

One of my favorite stories about this disciple and Apostle is found in the 21st chapter of John.  With the light of the resurrection still shining brightly, Simon Peter does a surprising thing as he says to the others, "I am going fishing,"  and they all go with him.  (John 21:3). We can only wonder what Peter was thinking.  Did he need that moment of working with his hands to figure out what was happening in his heart?  Was he making a retreat to the past?  Had he decided that he was such a failure as a disciple that all he could do was to go back to the familiarity of the nets and the smell of the fish?  What we do know is that it was a morning of new beginnings.  

The resurrected Christ appeared on the beach cooking fish over a charcoal fire.  Perhaps, the smell of the fire on the beach reminded Peter of the smell of the fire in the courtyard of denial.  However, it is not a morning, nor a story centered on failure, but one centered on forgiveness.  As Peter walked alongside Jesus that morning on the beach, he knew the forgiveness of the Christ he loved and he also knew he could now live without looking over his shoulder and seeing himself as a man overcome by his failure.  Christ set him free from the past in such a way that he could look ahead to the plans Christ had for him in places still unseen.