Redo

Readings:
II Kings 21
John 21:15-19

Focus:
John 21:17a:"A third time he said, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?'"

In this famous passage, John recounts how Jesus gives Peter (Simon Peter) a chance to start over. Earlier, before the crucifixion, as Christ had predicted, Peter had denied three times that he knew Jesus. When he realized that he had done this, he had been miserably disappointed in himself, and had gone out and wept bitterly. After doing such a thing, he must have felt that Jesus could never trust him again.

But when he sees Jesus several days after the Resurrection (having plunged enthusiastically through the water to greet him), when the two of them have a moment to themselves, Jesus asks Peter three times, "Do you love me?" By the time Jesus asks him a third time, Peter feels hurt; why would Jesus ask him three times? Wasn't once good enough? It must not have been until later that it dawned on Peter that Jesus had given him three chances to undo Peter's three denials. And Peter did; he affirmed three times that he loved Jesus.

This is the kind of Savior, the kind of God, that we have. Even after we have done the worst that we can do, he is willing to give us a chance to undo that, to erase our past misdeeds and start over again. All we have to do is turn to him, be sorry, and ask for help making a new start. It's an awfully good deal.