Sermon 147

SERMO 147

ABOUT THE SAME WORDS OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (21:15-19):
"Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" etc.

Peter's presumption and denial.

You remember that the Apostle Peter was disturbed at the Lord's passion before all of the Apostles. Disturbed by himself, but renewed by Christ. For he was first a bold presumer, and afterwards became a fearful denier. He had promised that he would die for the Lord, while the Lord was to die first for him. Therefore, when he said: "I will be with you even unto death" and "I will lay down my life for you," the Lord replied to him: "Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, I say to you, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." The hour came; and because Christ was God, but Peter was man, the Scripture was fulfilled: "I said in my fear: Every man is a liar." The Apostle also says: "Since God is truthful, but every man is a liar." Christ was truthful, Peter was a liar.

Peter's love for Christ is true. The unity of all pastors is figured in Peter.

Now what? The Lord asks him, as you heard when the Gospel was read, and says to him: Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? He responded and said: Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. And again, the Lord asked this, and a third time, He asked this. And to the one professing love, He entrusted the flock. For at each instance the Lord Jesus was saying to Peter who stated: I love you: Feed my lambs, feed my little sheep. In one Peter, the unity of all shepherds was figured, but of good ones, who know how to feed Christ’s sheep for Christ, not for themselves. Was Peter now a liar, or was he deceitfully responding that he loved the Lord? He was responding truthfully; he was responding what he saw in his heart. However, when he had said: I will lay down my life for you, he intended to presume upon future strength. Every man knows what he is like at the moment he speaks; but who knows what he will be like on the morrow? Thus Peter was referring his eyes back to his heart when the Lord questioned him, and confidently responded with what he saw there: Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. What I tell you, you know; what I see here in my heart, you also see. However, he did not dare to say what the Lord had asked exactly. For the Lord had not simply asked: Do you love me? but had added: Do you love me more than these? meaning: Do you love me more than these others do? He was speaking of the other disciples; he could only say: I love you; he did not dare to say: More than these. He did not wish to be a liar again. It sufficed for him to testify to his own heart; it was not right for him to judge the heart of another.

Peter deserted by Christ, and afterwards strengthened.

Is Peter then truthful, or is Christ in Peter truthful? When the Lord Jesus Christ willed, He deserted Peter, and Peter was found as a mere man; but when it pleased the Lord Jesus Christ, He filled Peter, and Peter was found to be truthful. The Rock made Peter truthful; for the Rock was Christ. And what did Christ announce to him when Peter, for the third time, declared his love for Christ, and the Lord, for the third time, entrusted His sheep to Peter? He predicted his own suffering to him. "When you were younger," He said, "you girded yourself and walked where you wanted; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and lead you where you do not want to go." The Evangelist explained to us what Christ had said. "This He said," he said, "signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God"; that is, because he was to be crucified for Christ; meaning, "You will stretch out your hands." Where is the denier? Then after these things, the Lord Christ said: "Follow Me." Not as before, when He called the disciples. Indeed, even then He said: "Follow Me"; but then it was for teaching, now it is for the crown. Did he not fear death when he denied Christ? He feared to face what Christ had suffered. But now he should no longer fear. For he saw living in the flesh Him whom he had seen hanging on the wood. Christ, by rising, took away the fear of death; and because He had removed the fear of death, He rightly inquired about Peter’s love. Thrice fear denied Him, thrice love confessed Him. The trinity of denial, the abandonment of truth; the trinity of confession, the testimony of love.