Few characters are more relatable in the Bible than Peter. He spent three entire years in the company of Jesus. He spoke to Him face to face. He witnessed Jesus’ miracles, probably vastly more than we read about in the Gospel accounts. Peter was even invited to witness the Transfiguration, when Jesus revealed His divinity in a tangible way. There is no chance that Peter did not know the truth of who Jesus was. Yet he is so human.
Peter fails time and time again. And time and time again, Jesus calls Peter to great work. When Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, Jesus is restoring Peter’s station in His church. During Jesus’ Passion, Peter denied Him three times. Three times in a row, Peter sought his own personal safety rather than proclaim the truth of Jesus. Peter knew that proclaiming Jesus as Lord might get him arrested and crucified.
Peter was either too scared or too ashamed to be present at Jesus’ death. After Jesus’ Resurrection, the weight of his denial continued to stifle him. Peter felt he had fallen too far, to a place beyond redemption. It’s possible that Peter was fishing again because he felt he had no option but to return to his old way of life. He believed he had disqualified himself from the Kingdom of God.
Jesus, in His infinite mercy, had other plans for Peter. Jesus asks him three times if he loves Him, granting Peter the opportunity to counteract his thrice denial. Peter affirms three times, even though he’s a broken, imperfect sinner, he does love Jesus. In return, Jesus installs Him as the first pope, the head of the Church Jesus had come to establish. Peter is asked to feed His sheep.
Jesus makes the same request of our lives. We are asked to feed the sheep in our care. This might be our families, coworkers, or neighbors. We know that He is Lord. We intend to live holy, virtuous lives. Our reality often falls short of our ideal. Jesus knows this. He knows we’re not perfect. He doesn’t expect that from us. He simply asks that we repent and return to him as many times as we fail.
Peter shows us that knowing Jesus is no guarantee that we’ll never mess up. He also shows us that no matter how big our mess up is, Jesus will always invite us back to Him. When we lose our patience over and over with our loved one. When we tell lies to fit in or make ourselves look better. When we gossip. When we overindulge in food and drink. When we feel the pang of jealousy at the blessings of another. When we hold onto a grudge instead of seeking forgiveness.
Even then—and even when we do it over and over like Peter—Jesus will come to us and give us the chance to counteract our wrongs. We’re offered forgiveness, and in return, we are asked to go and feed His sheep.
Pedro es uno de los pocos personajes bíblicos con el cual podemos identificarnos bastante. Pasó tres años enteros en compañía de Jesús. Habló con Él cara a cara. Fue testigo de los milagros de Jesús, probablemente muchos más de los que se narran en los Evangelios. Incluso fue invitado a presenciar la Transfiguración, cuando Jesús reveló su divinidad de una manera tangible. No cabe duda de que Pedro conocía la verdad sobre quién era Jesús. Sin embargo, es tan humano.
Pedro falla una y otra vez. Y una y otra vez, Jesús lo llama a realizar grandes obras. Cuando Jesús le pregunta a Pedro si lo ama, está restaurando su posición en su Iglesia. Durante la Pasión de Jesús, Pedro lo negó tres veces. Tres veces seguidas, Pedro buscó su propia seguridad en lugar de proclamar la verdad sobre Jesús. Pedro sabía que proclamar a Jesús como Señor podría llevarlo a ser arrestado y crucificado.
Pedro estaba demasiado asustado o avergonzado para estar presente en la muerte de Jesús. Después de la Resurrección, el peso de su negación seguía oprimiéndolo. Sentía que había caído demasiado bajo, a un lugar sin redención. Es posible que Pedro estuviera pescando de nuevo porque sentía que no tenía otra opción que regresar a su antigua vida. Creía que se había descalificado a sí mismo del Reino de Dios.
Jesús, en su infinita misericordia, tenía otros planes para Pedro. Le pregunta tres veces si lo ama, dándole la oportunidad de contrarrestar sus tres negaciones. Pedro afirma tres veces que, a pesar de ser un pecador imperfecto y quebrantado, ama a Jesús. A cambio, Jesús lo nombra el primer papa, cabeza de la Iglesia que había venido a establecer. A Pedro se le pide que apaciente a sus ovejas.
Jesús nos hace la misma petición a nosotros. Se nos pide que apacentemos a las ovejas a nuestro cargo. Estas pueden ser nuestras familias, compañeros de trabajo o vecinos. Sabemos que Él es el Señor. Intentamos vivir vidas santas y virtuosas. Nuestra realidad a menudo cae muy lejos de nuestro ideal. Jesús lo sabe. Sabe que no somos perfectos. No espera eso de nosotros. Simplemente nos pide que nos arrepintamos y volvamos a Él cada vez que fallemos.
Pedro nos muestra que conocer a Jesús no garantiza que nunca nos equivoquemos. También nos muestra que, por grande que sea nuestro error, Jesús siempre nos invitará a regresar a Él. Cuando perdemos la paciencia una y otra vez con nuestros seres queridos. Cuando mentimos para adaptarnos al grupo o para quedar bien. Cuando chismeamos. Cuando nos excedemos con la comida y la bebida. Cuando sentimos la punzada de la envidia ante las bendiciones de los demás. Cuando guardamos rencor en lugar de buscar el perdón.
Incluso entonces, e incluso cuando lo hacemos una y otra vez, como Pedro, Jesús vendrá a nosotros y nos dará la oportunidad de enmendar nuestros errores. Se nos ofrece el perdón y, a cambio, se nos pide que vayamos y apacentemos a sus ovejas.
Maria Riley is a passionate Catholic author and speaker who loves volunteering or playing board games when she’s not writing or mom-ing around with her four daughters. Her award-winning Catholic children’s chapter book series, Adventures with the Saints, is endorsed by her bishop. Visit her at MariaRileyAuthor.com or on social media @mariarileyauthor. She and her family live in Kansas.
Feature Image Credit: cottonbro studio, pexels.com/photo/woman-feeding-a-herd-of-sheep-9906542/
The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.
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