The Last Temptation of Peter

Sermon 2022.05.01

There’s good news and there’s bad news. Which would you like to hear first? The bad? Okay, we’ll start with the bad. Following Jesus leads to suffering and death. So what’s the good news? Following Jesus leads to resurrection, and abundant eternal life.  

Our good friend Connie Wolfe who was the Camp Director when Sheri and I met one fateful summer 22 years ago. Connie was and is a minister of youth and families, and one of her favorite Bible verses is John 10:10, “I came that you may have life, and have it abundantly.” Abundant life contains both high and lows. The alternative to abundant life is death, or an approximation to death. 

Take Peter for example. He denied Jesus three times at the time of his arrest and crucifixion. Each time that Peter did this he was closing himself off from the judgment, shame, and scorn he would receive from the crowd. He protected himself from this pain. But there was a cost to do this. The cost is that he also lost his ability to feel the profound joy and bliss of life too. He wasn’t being true to himself or God. 

You can imagine Peter in the Upper Room, pacing back and forth, locked inside going crazy like a rat in a cage. No. He wasn’t the rat, he hadn’t stooped that low, but he was a coward. Expletives; and colorful ones at that! That’s what I imagine Peter uttering in the upper room. He paces back and forth and speaking to himself out loud for everyone to hear he keeps saying over and over again: What am I going to do? What am I going to do? What am I going to do? 

Half the disciples have moved on. Peter was a coward, Jesus was dead, or not, nobody was quite sure. The other half of the disciples sat, watching Peter pace back and forth, waiting for what to do next. Peter would be in charge, they were sure of it. They were waiting for him to make a move. The rock. Petros. 

Then Peter stops in the middle of the room. He starts laughing very loudly. He grasps his head and doubles over laughing louder still. “What is it Peter?” someone asks. 

“Fishing! I need to go fishing! Yes, that’s just what I need. Some peace and quiet out on the water. Away from all these people. Away from Jerusalem. Who’s coming with me?” 

“Jesus Christ. How could he have done this?” wondered Peter. “He gets himself killed. We are all toast. They want us dead too. He shows up resurrected, walking through walls. Solid as a rock himself. He calls me a rock! He’s the rock. Did you feel his sands and his side? He was completely impenetrable. Strange. Bizarre. Unnatural. Then he breathes on us? He tells us to forgive. No surprise there. Then he’s gone. What am I supposed to do now? I don’t get it!

Fishing. That’s what we’ll do. It will be nice. To be back on the lake. To see my family; my wife; my mother in law. My kids.”

Something like that happened. So he goes back to the Lake. What did his wife say? Was she with him? Based on Peter’s sensitive temperament she was probably all for him going fishing. And he comes up with nothing.

Have you ever had a great idea that turned out to be not such a great idea? We are all scientists. We all experiment with ideas and behavior to see what happens. Peter conducts a fishing experiment and concludes that he now sucks at fishing. 

He’s back in that moment of despair and panic of the Upper Room. He won’t be able to live out a peaceful life on the lake. You know they made a movie called, “The Last Temptation of Christ.” They could make one called, “The Last Temptation or the First Temptation of Peter,” to walk away from it all and go back to fishing. But there was a dryness to this option, it seemed to be doomed; this path. Then a sinking feeling settles into his stomach if he is to follow the Way of Jesus, then what will keep him from being crucified himself?

As Peter looked into the darkness a chill fell over him, its coldest just before dawn. But it isn’t the darkest. Already the sky brightens to the east over the waters of the lake. Slowly they row to shore. Peter’s practically asleep. He here’s the disciples mumbling and feels the boat rocking. Then men are shouting, the boat is rocking wildly and Peter realizes that it’s Jesus.

He’s here! He looks to the west and there he is. It’s him. A fire burns and that’s his outline. “That’s him!” Says Peter. They all quickly start rowing to shore. Peter jumps out into the water and swims. 

The significance is that in baptism we are clothed with Christ’s righteousness. This is Jesus’ forgiveness of Peter’s sin. 

Now as for the three questions. Yes they form a symmetry to the three denials Peter committed. It is part of Jesus’ confrontational nature. But it is a very gentle conversation, and it has a specific focus. Jesus has a job for Peter to do: to feed the sheep; that is; to be a shepherd; a pastor; like Jesus was. This is Peter’s call to pastoral ministry. 

Sometimes when we commit some kind of error or have a bad habit; we think that what we need to do is the opposite. We think that repentance is about making a 180 degree return. But not necessarily. It could be only a 90 degree turn, or even a 5 degree adjustment. Repentance means to change and grow; and we all need to change and grow, but it doesn’t have to mean to do the opposite of what we are doing now. 

For Peter, Jesus’ direction wasn’t about condemning the act of cowardice and denial, but to redirect Peter toward caring for the flock. This is for the first time Peter sees that six of the 10 other disciples are following him. He needs to care for them now.

Jesus goes on to explain to Peter how he would die. Perhaps this is something that happens to the saints. Perhaps it helps one prepare. This is the bad news. Following Jesus leads to suffering and death. But before his mind can fully take hold of the reality of his own crucifixion his imagination is interrupted by shouts of laughter. He sees the disciples and the fish! So much fish the disciples are exuberant. The abundance of God. The grace of God. They will be able to do many good things with this catch. “Ha! Ha!” Peter laughs too, and gets up to go to them. And that’s the good news. The Way of Jesus is abundant life. Highs and lows. Crucifixion and Resurrection. Christ is Risen. Christ is Risen Indeed. Alleluia!