Peter Felt Hurt

Sermon for 3 Pascha C RCL 4/18/2010, Offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry

Texts: Acts 9:1-20; Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19

My dear friends in Christ: each one of us is here today for a reason. God is working out a purpose in our lives that is not typically easy to see and identify.

As members of the body of Christ, each one of us is on a journey of growth and progression, moving step by step into greater glory, into closer union with God, into deeper holiness of life. Through the sacrament of baptism, Mia Rose Smith begins that journey today with intention and purpose. Unfortunately, most people in the world around us undertake this journey of life by accident. They do not have a goal for their life; they do not have a path to walk along. If they learn something or grow as a person along the way, then more often than not it is not by intention, but simply by accident.

However, those of us who are baptized into the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus are walking this path of life with clarity of purpose. The life of a Christian here on earth is a process of struggle and growth, of challenge and learning and expansion.

Our life is rarely easy, but of course God never intended it to be easy! God has called us to life so that we might push and learn and struggle and grow, and so might become more than we ever could be if left to our own devices.

Today in our lessons, we see both Peter and Saul (soon to be re-named as Paul) challenged directly by Jesus so that they might grow and develop, and become more than they were before.

When the disciples had eaten breakfast with the Lord on the shore of the sea, Jesus challenged Peter’s love and devotion by testing him, in order to see if he was ready to serve as a leader in the church.

And so “Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

Peter felt hurt.
The first parish where I served while ordained to the sacred order of the priesthood was St. George’s in Fredericksburg, Virginia. This is a grand, old colonial parish in a vibrant small city. I was blessed to have a wise mentor there in the rector who had served there for 30 years. When I came, I told him that I wanted to learn, that I was aware that I needed to grow and to be taught, that he could tell me anything, and that it would not help me at all if he coddled me or sheltered me in any way. And so, after a few months, Father Charles shared with me some of the feedback concerning me that he had received from the parish. He reported that parishioners think that I cannot sing very well at all, and the Altar Guild is offended by my body odor. To sum it up, the report was that I can’t sing and that I stink. Other than that, everyone loved me!

And right there, at that moment, God presented me with a choice: do I cower backwards with a bruised ego, sheltering my pride, allowing a root of bitterness to spring up in my heart? OR do I push forward with courage, to seek after truth alone, and embrace this as an opportunity for growth?

The Holy Spirit showed me that there was truth in these things. I had never before then had much training in music, and I had never claimed to have a good voice. Also, I have never been one who is bothered by body odor. It’s only natural after all. It’s what happens when your body is moving and active and alive, and that’s a good thing. (Besides, I attributed this problem primarily to the stifling heat and humidity of tidewater Virginia!). And so, after this meeting, I asked the music director of the parish to help me with private voice lessons. And of course I increased my deodorant usage! But most importantly of all, I refused to allow any anger or resentment to fester in me. God had used these people to give me a gift – a means to grow and develop and to improve – and for that opportunity I remain thankful.

I have said this before here in this pulpit: I am convinced that one of God’s goals for your life, for my life, (for the life of Mia Rose), is that we all grow and develop into people who are completely and utterly un-offendable.

Because if I know who I am, then I can recognize the truth about myself in whatever anyone else might say to me or about me. And if what they say is clearly false, then I can recognize that they misunderstand, or that they are afraid, or for some unknown reason, they feel the need to protect themselves. But never in any way can the words of another person pose a threat to who you are, if you know the truth about yourself.

You see: to be a Christian means that we are ruthlessly committed to the truth, whatever that might be. We are fearless in pursuing truth, because we are acutely aware of how easy it is for human beings like us to deceive ourselves.

What matters is truth, and nothing else can claim our attention.

If it is true that Jesus of Nazareth was actually – historically – put to death and raised again to life, and if he then empowered those who love and trust him to become the church that we see spread across the globe today, and if he then lives today among his people who trust in him and follow him; if all of this is true, then this is of infinitely more importance than anything else about which we human beings could think or speak. Think about it: who has ever heard of someone dying, being dead for days, and then coming back to life and being fully alive again?

But, on the other hand, if this story be false, if delusional disciples made it up to sooth their troubled minds once they say him put to death, if this resurrection story is false, then this is the greatest hoax ever played on humanity.

But what is not at all possible is for this story, this message, this baptism which we share – for all of this to be just a little bit important, or a nice tradition, or a harmless social activity.

What we are doing here together is of the utmost importance. We are receiving strength to live this challenging life, and to see in it God’s plan and purpose for us. We are learning from the Master how to live a full and complete human life. And by God’s grace, we are growing day-by-day, week-by-week as people who love Jesus more and who share his love with others.
Amen.