18th April 2010 - "The love that accepts failures"

ColinHull - St Mary's
John 21:1-19

Introduction

Today we baptise Mia Rose, Ryan and Lucas. We welcome them in to the community of those who believe in the Jesus Christ and who believe in his special love for people. But what is this love of Jesus like? What is the kind of love that we hope that Mia Rose, Ryan and Lucas will grow into and the kind of people we hope they will become?

Failures

Before I come to answer that I want you to think about failures in life. Has anyone ever let you down in a big way? Someone you trusted a lot who let you down and hurt you in a big way. Or perhaps you have been the one who has caused hurt and let other people down, and maybe you might still feel bad about it. Of course we often encounter people who fail us and if we are honest we may let down those around is quite a lot of the time.

We’re none of us what we should be or could be. Selfishness, self seeking and neglect of others are often part of who we are. Let’s be honest -We are often the failures to, quite a lot of the time. And it often hurts.

But there is hope in all this failure and it doesn’t have to be all bad forever. The gospel story we just had from John is the aftermath of a big let down, a big failure and the story of being given another chance to be better. Simon Peter had let down Jesus and Jesus now meets with him to pick up the pieces and the consequences of what Simon had done.

Charcoal fire on the beach

Jesus meets his disciples by the lakeside and then sits with them eating fish and bread. He had already provided a charcoal fire over which the fish are cooked. Sitting by a charcoal fire on the beach takes us back to another charcoal fire in the courtyard of the High Priests house. At that fire Simon had warmed himself while Jesus was being questioned inside the house.

Earlier in the evening Simon has said to Jesus he was prepared to die with him and would not desert him. But by the fire in the courtyard Simon denies three times that he has anything to do with Jesus. Later when his eyes meet Jesus he is full of remorse and goes out and weeps over his abject failure to fulfil his promise and stand by his Lord and teacher.

So now the aftermath

- a charcoal fire on a beach

The disciples have had breakfast and perhaps they have wandered off to deal with the nets.Simon is left sitting there, perhaps still burdened with the guilt of his cowardice in Jesus’ time of need. What is Simon to say to his Lord? How can he apologise? How to broach the subject that sits with them by the fire.

But it is Jesus who takes the initiative..“Simon ..do you love me?”

He asks the question three times and in three ways. Although Jesus spoke in Aramaic the sense is his words is conveyed in the Greek text with two words that bring out the difference between two different types of love.

First time

Do you love me with Agape (sacrificial) love more than the others? Jesus is asking if Simon loves him with the kind of self-sacrificing love that Jesus has himself demonstrated. Does Simon love him with that kind of love, more than all the others?

Second time

Do you really love me with this Agape (sacrificial) love?

Third time

Do you love me with Phileo love? This is the love between friends, between people who are joined by choice in religious society and a kind of “brotherly love” and have a liking for each other.

Each time Simon responds by saying yes he loves Jesus with Phileo “brotherly love”. He does not say “Yes I love you with Agape love”. Perhaps he knows he cannot yet truthfully claim that kind of love. So when Jesus in his third question asks if Simon loves him with Phileo love he is in effect asking “do you really love me even as a brother with a bond between us?”No wonder Simon feels hurt and responds “you know everything”

Yes, Jesus does know what kind of love Simon is capable of, what he did and how bad he feels about it. He knows he cannot yet say “I love you with your kind of love”

Jesus accepts the brotherly-friendship love Simon is able to give even if it is not yet the greatest sacrificial love of Jesus himself. This little love is a starting point and will be a sufficient qualification for what Jesus calls Simon to do. What has happened in the past is set aside and Jesus entrusts him with a new responsibility to lead his brethren and the flock that will grow. Simon must now be the Good Shepherd in true allegiance to His Lord, with that Phileo love he starts with. But this will lead ultimately to Simon Peter the shepherd also laying down his life. Simon will develop that sacrificial divine Agape love of Jesus that will lead him to lay down his life for the flock of the believers.

Jesus had taken a new chance with Simon. Thus we have seen Simon’s failure in his following Jesus.

And and was certain of SP’s ability to change, taking a chance on him.

Jesus takes a chance with us to!

Jesus’ love for Simon is also his love for you and me

We are given the new chances to start again afresh after we have failed him or anyone else.

He shows us that that kind of forgiving love is possible and meets our need to be someone better than we are now.

He shows us also a way of life that is so much better than the self-centred world we often seem to live in.

Jesus shows us how we can make new starts and how we can offer a new start to other people around us, at work, in our families and wherever we live.

This is the love and the faith into which a Mia Rose, Ryan and Lucas are going to be baptised.

This is the faith and love in which we pray they will learn about and learn to be part of.

We all need that kind Jesus kind of loving and we all need to show that kind of loving.

It makes our lives and the world a better place when it is seen and happens.

Lord, help us to receive your great love and forgiveness over our failures

And teach us to grow in this kind of loving

Amen