Sunday December 29, 2024 | Meghan Good
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the 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. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.” Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!”
Meghan Good delivers a sermon on Jesus’ call to Peter from John 21 to help us understand how we can hear God’s call and embrace it through simple practices. These practices will shape our imagination for our journey forward.
As we enter the new year, Meghan Good invites us to engage God regarding the calling he has on our lives. She does this by looking at a post-resurrection story where Jesus encounters Peter. In this story, we find Peter fishing with five other disciples as they assume Jesus is dead. While they are failing to catch any fish, Jesus calls out and tells them to throw their nets on the other side of the boat. They catch more than their nets can handle. When they realize it was Jesus calling out to them, Peter swims to him. After eating, Jesus goes for a walk with Peter to discuss his call on Peter’s life.
Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him, corresponding with the three times that Peter denied knowing Jesus before the crucifixion. Then he tells him three times to care for the sheep, restoring Peter after his failure. Jesus affirms Peter and commissions him to lead. However, while this is going on, Peter becomes aware of another disciple (most likely John), and he asks about him. Peter is not focused on what Jesus is saying. Instead, Peter is playing the comparison game. He seems to envy or covet what this other disciple has with Jesus. At this point, Meghan says that we cannot hear God’s call on our lives when we are looking sideways. Everyone is walking a unique path with God, and therefore, we gain nothing when we are busy looking at the path of others.
To hear God’s call as we enter the new year, there are three practices that can prove especially beneficial. The first is gratitude. Instead of envy, we need to train ourselves to see the good that God has been and is doing in our lives. It is easy to play the comparison game, especially in a world dominated by social media. God embraces us for who we are. The practice of gratitude helps us embrace what God embraces. The second practice is asking boldly for what you need. God will provide for us on the journey that he has called us to. We must learn the discipline of trusting God enough to ask with confidence that he will take care of us. The third practice is fixing our gaze forward. We cannot walk the journey by looking to the left or right. We take each step with Jesus as we look ahead and refuse to get distracted by what others are doing.
May we hear God’s call upon our lives and may we lean into that calling so that the world may be blessed through it.