“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.”

Some modern scholars have suggested that this chapter was added to the end of John after his death, but the claim is as John Bergsma asserts is unfounded and improbable. But this reading of the bible is indeed unique to the Gospel of John alone. The symbolism and metaphor that is layered all throughout the passage is manifold. But I believe that there are two main messages that are being made herein. The first is that this reading speaks to the life of the disciple, and the need for reconciliation through the sacraments. And the other is that Jesus has established the primacy of Peter (the Pope) as the head of His church.

The imagery of the sacrament of reconciliation, is replete throughout this reading. First is the setting of this event. It is on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (aka. Tiberius), and calls to mind the scene of the first call of His disciples to “follow Him.” Recall how Peter and his Brother were fishing at that first call, and did not catch anything all night, and only at Jesus’s call do they put out in trust and they catch a great multitude. And after that moment they abandon their nets and follow him. What happens next is that they follow Jesus throughout his ministry and ultimately to the eve of Jesus’ Passion. But here is where their life of discipleship is broken. Because of the passion of the christ, they are all scattered, except for John, and they ultimately all abandon Him. But Peter was named the rock of the church by Jesus Himself, so how is this failure of Peter to be resolved, and the relationship restored? The answer is reconciliation.

Jesus sets up the scene perfectly. The reading starts with Peter and six other disciples going fishing. They are not fishing for men, like Jesus wanted them to do after He died, They are essentially going back to their old lives, and they are doing it without Jesus. And then Jesus arrives on the scene. He has setup a charcoal fire. This is important because it is the only other place in the bible that a gospel writer mentions a charcoal fire. The other time is at Jesus’ trial where Peter was warming himself right before he denied Jesus three times. Next Jesus calls them at dawn (out of the darkness) and calls them to make an act of faith, and that act is rewarded with a great catch of fish. This is what confession is all about. The lord knows that we will fail, he knows that we will let Him down, and even betray him, and He loves us enough to forgive us. But that forgiveness is dependent on our making an act of faith (contrition) and facing our shame (ie. the charcoal fire and denial). And then asking for forgiveness. Then and only then is the relationship restored, forgiveness granted, and you are brought back into communion with Him, this is symbolized by the sharing of the meal with the Lord on the shore.

Once theReconciliation of the relationship with Jesus is complete, Jesus moves on to the restoration of Peter as the head of His church. The primacy of Peter (aka the Pope) is crucial to the success of the Catholic church throughout the 2000 year history of it. Without a single voice that has the ultimate authority to decide disputes between members of the faithful…, the natural result is schism. That is what happened throughout the entire protestant revolution, and it is why we now have over a 100 protestant denominations, and over 80,000 non-denominational churches across the world. Primacy of Peter is key to the success of the Catholic church even today, 2,000 years later.

But to accomplish this end, peter had to be restored completely to that authority, through the act of reconciliation, and to be restored as the true rock of the church, after he had fallen so far from grace. The way that this was done with the three-fold “do you love me” questions. But there is more to these questions than just a three fold affirmation to reconcile the three fold denial. The actual words for “love” used here in greek have different meanings. The greeks had 8 words for love. And the two used here are Agape (self sacrificing love) and Philio (brotherly love). In the first two questions Jesus uses the word agape, essentially asking to you love me the way I love you, sacrificing all that I have for you. And both times Peter response I love you like a brother. But in His third question Jesus says do you love me like a brother, and Peter responds you know everything, you know that I love you like a brother. This is really important, because Jesus is asking Peter if he can love the members of the church that he is being charged with, in the same way that Jesus does? Peter in humility, because of his shame in the three denials, does not want to claim again that he will die for Jesus and instead say the best he can promise now is to love him and the whole church as a brother. And Jesus in His final question, seems to accepts that distinction, and says that I understand that you cannot make that promise now, and accepts the little that Peter can offer. But He will only accept it for a time, and instead makes a prophecy about how Peter will die. He says:

“‘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.”

The point being made here is that Jesus is not only telling Peter that He understand that Peter does not feel like he can love Jesus and the church in the self-sacrificing way the Jesus is asking of him, but further He prophesying that before Peter dies that he will indeed give up everything for that end. Peter will die as a martyr, like Jesus on a cross, and he will only be able to do this by the power of the holy spirit, and because of the restoration of Peter as the of the Rock of the church that Jesus is accomplishing in this moment on the shores of the sea. He is telling Peter that we will ultimately give everything he has to bring souls to lord and lead the church into the generations to come.

And when the reconciliation and restoration of Peter and all of the disciples is complete, Jesus leaves them with a single command, a command that sums up the entire process of confession and restoration. That is to “come follow me.” That is how it works, when you confront and confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, and then are restored, the only option is to go from that moment and sin no more. And you do that by following Jesus. And so the message is the same for us today. You will fall from grace, and when you do, the answer is NOT to go back to your old way of life, but to listen for Jesus’ call from the shoreline, and be restored through the sacrament of confession. It is the only way, and it is the call that is being made to you today. Can you hear it? Jesus is waiting for you to respond?

Oh lord, I pray that someday I can rise above my sin, and become fully reconciled with you, and live forever with you in the glory of Heaven, Amen.