The morning chill has begun to burn off, with bellies full of fish and bread and hearts brimming with hope because Jesus is alive and with them for the third time since His resurrection, the disciples must be full of joy.
I would imagine the conversation around that beach fire pit was that of wonder regarding all that these seven men had heard and seen, over the past three years. Perhaps they each reflected on when Jesus first called them individually to follow Him.
So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him (Luke 5:1-11).
For Peter, the miraculous catch of fish must have brought him back to the day he was called to follow Jesus, as he witnessed a similar miracle on the shores of Galilee years ago. Peter needed to know he was still called to follow Jesus and that Jesus loved Peter, in spite of his denial of knowing Jesus, at His greatest time of need. Jesus prepared way to restore Peter’s heart and relationship, by setting the stage for His conversation with him.
So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me”, (John 21:16-19).
Peter, for years, had watched Love in action. He knew that the greatest commandment was to, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’”, (Matthew 22:34-40).
Jesus had shared intimately with His disciples the following words, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another” (John 15).
Peter failed Jesus, but Jesus did not fail Peter. Jesus came for the failed Peter, to show him unconditional love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, reconciliation and restoration. We are all Peter. We all fall short of the glory of God. We all fail to love as Christ loved, an agape love, which means, according to the Strong’s Greek Concordance: “With the believer, 25 /agapáō (“to love”) means actively doing what the Lord prefers, with Him (by His power and direction). True 25 /agapáō(“loving”) is always defined by God – a “discriminating affection which involves choice and selection” (WS, 477). 1 Jn 4:8,16,17 for example convey how loving (“preferring,” 25 /agapáō) is Christ living His life through the believer.” We all fail to live a life of agape’.
We are all Peter, failing to love Jesus as He has loved us, but also choosing to follow Jesus, in spite of our failures. Peter was honest with himself and Jesus by responding that he dearly loved Jesus, but struggled to ἀγαπάω Him. He, in remorse, told Jesus, “You know all things… you know I love you dearly.” We need to be like Peter in our own personal reflection and confess to the Lord where we find ourselves in our relationship with Him. He knows all things. He died for all things. He will empower us for all things. Without Jesus, it is impossible to please God, to ἀγαπάω Him, to follow Him, and to feed His sheep.
Reflect today on where you were when Jesus called you to follow Him. If your love for the Lord needs restoring, today is a new day, His mercies are new every morning, His faithfulness is great and His love abounds.