restored His poor, self-abased disciple in private, Peter had still a
necessary discipline to undergo. He had sinned in the presence of
others, it was necessary that others should know of the new
understanding between his Master and himself. Only John has preserved
the record of the conversation in which this new understanding was
declared. But Peter himself distinctly refers to it in his Second
Epistle (i., 14). John tells us in the last chapter of his Gospel that
Peter and a few of the accustomed circle went fishing on the Lake of
Tiberias. Peter's announcement, "I go a fishing," has sometimes been
taken to imply that he had determined to renounce apostleship and
return to his old life, that, in short, he was disappointed with the
reward of following Jesus and disenchanted with the vision of a Kingdom
of God. "I go a fishing," therefore, has been construed to mean "I
abandon these dreams; they have brought me no advantage; I will go back
to my fisherman's boat and my fisherman's home." It is difficult to
see what justification there is for this theory. Peter was simply
continuing habits he had never entirely renounced. Neither he nor John
had any intention of dismissing all thought of Jesus or of abandoning
His service when they entered upon this particular fishing expedition.
On the contrary, it is probable that their minds, hearts and
conversation were full of the marvels which had occurred since first
the vision of angels had informed them that Jesus was alive. No doubt
they were full of expectancy in regard to the place and time of His
next appearance. About daybreak, as they drew near to the shore, they
perceived some one standing on the beach whom presently they made out
to be the Lord. John was the first to recognise Him, and told Peter,
who instantly leaped into the sea and went to Him. Jesus had prepared
a meal for the hungry disciples, and waited till they had broken their
fast before entering upon the serious subject which occupied His mind
and, perhaps, Peter's.
Possibly Peter had some knowledge of what Jesus intended to say, though
not of the form in which it was to be said. In the previous and more
private interview the Master had most likely signified to the disciple
that the protestations he had made in the presence of others in the
upper room would have to be referred to again in the presence of some
at least of those who had first heard them. He could not, therefore,
have been surprised at the three questions now addressed to him.
"Simon, son of John," said the Master, "lovest thou Me more than these
([Greek: _agapao_])?" The now humbled Simon replied in lowly terms by
appealing to Jesus's personal knowledge of him, and in particular,
perhaps, to their previous private conversation. "Yea, Lord," said he,
"Thou knowest that I love Thee" ([Greek: _philo_]). The reference to
the upper room is distinctly seen both in question and answer. In the
former case Simon had claimed for himself a superiority in devotion.
He had offered to his Master the loyalty of a soldier to his captain or
of a friend to his friend. He had assumed that his assistance was of
importance to Jesus; he had offered to devote himself as a patriot
might to his country, or a hero to a cause. Of this Jesus now reminded
him by the use of a single word ([Greek: _agapas_]). The English New
Testament rendering of this passage fails to convey its full
significance. Peter surrendered his whole position; he had no
intention of doing more than affirming what Christ already knew, that
even in the midst of his boasting, desertion and denial, he had very
really and truly loved his Master with a deep and tender affection.
This he expressed in his careful answer by the use of the word [Greek:
_philo_].[1] In effect, he now offers the love that a child might give
to a parent. He is conscious he can confer no benefit upon Christ, nor
be of any service to Him beyond the powers of other people. Very
humbly, therefore, he asserts that his heart is true. He loves his
Master, and his Master knows it.
Three times does Jesus put the same question, on each occasion
following up the answer by giving to Peter a new and glorious
commission. He was to feed the lambs and tend the sheep. As Peter had
denied Him three times so now he is interrogated three times concerning
his loyalty. The third test was the closest. Jesus takes up Peter's
own word, and asks him "[Greek: _phileis me_]." The narrative goes on
to say that Peter was grieved because he was asked the third time
"Lovest thou Me?" Here we see, however, that the source of his sorrow
was that Jesus should appear to doubt his humble use of the humblest
word he could find to express his unchanging affection for the Master
who had restored him to his better self. Jesus had pressed the
question home by adopting Peter's word, and the earnest reply which
followed satisfied Him. "Yea, Lord," said poor Simon, "Thou knowest
all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee." Then said Jesus, "Feed my
sheep." Peter, though he hardly knew it, was now more ready for
service than he had ever been before. Christ had accepted the service
of one who now rated his own value so low. From henceforth, indeed, he
was to be a fisher of men. It had taken a long time to lead Peter to
this point, yet Jesus had foreseen it at their first meeting in
Bethabara beyond Jordan. Very patiently had He trained him from the
hour in which, with prophetic insight, He had said, "I will make you
_to become_ a fisher of men." Now indeed He could set him to work.
Now He could trust him with the sublime duty of being the rock on which
the new-born Church should rest.
[1] In whatever language they were originally spoken there is a
presumption amounting to certainty that the careful use of these words
in the Greek of John's Gospel corresponded to the shade of meaning
employed both by Jesus and Peter.
XI.
The Prince of the Apostles.
Jesus's closing words to Peter as we have them in the 21st of St. John
could only have been spoken to one who had advanced far beyond the
point at which ease, honour or riches were regarded as motives for
service in the Kingdom of God. What a contrast between the Peter who
inquired, "What shall we have therefore?" and the Peter to whom the
solemn assertion was made, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou
wast young thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest:
but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and
another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. Now
this He spake, signifying by what manner of death he should glorify
God. And when He had spoken this, He saith unto him, Follow Me." Here
again is a distinct reference to the "Lo, we have left all and followed
Thee" of an earlier day. Peter is now informed that he is to expect
stripes, imprisonment, martyrdom. He is to glorify God in sufferings
and death. He can be under no further misapprehension as to the
meaning of Christ's mission and work for and amongst men. "Follow Me!"
meant more now than it had done the first time he heard it by the Lake
of Galilee. Calvary had supplied the interpretation. Peter's new
commission began at the Cross. Prominence in the Kingdom had been
given to him, but that prominence was a prominence of suffering. He
was to be first of all, not in ease, reputation or power, but first in
the difficulties, the dangers and trials of the little community he had
now to shepherd. In the Second Epistle of Peter i. 14, there is a
pathetic confirmation in Peter's own words of the solemn charge
addressed to him by the Lake of Tiberias: "I think it right, as long as
I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle cometh swiftly, even as
our Lord Jesus Christ signified unto me. Yea, I will give diligence
that at every time ye may be able after my decease to call these things
to remembrance."
One or two instances might here be cited as evidence of the new spirit
which animated him who was now prince of the Apostles. In John xxi.
20-23 we have given to us in a few words the earliest instance of
Peter's new-found desire of self-abnegation. "Peter, turning about,
seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following.... Peter therefore
seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus
saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to
thee? Follow thou Me." Curiously enough, this incident has been
variously misinterpreted. Peter has been accused of idle curiosity or
of semi-discontent at the comparison of his own hard lot with the
probable happier fortune of the Apostle John.[1] The reply of Jesus to
the inquiry has therefore been represented as a sharp and well-deserved
rebuke. It can hardly be that any of these explanations represent the
true state of the case. The truth would rather seem to be that Peter
shrank from the new responsibility and prominence which had been
assigned to him, and would willingly have become a follower of his old
rival, now his companion and friend. John was the disciple who
understood his Master most nearly--the one "whom Jesus loved." He had
been present with Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration, in Gethsemane
and in the house of Caiaphas. Peter in old days had been jealous of
him, and this jealousy had led to strife among the disciples. He was
in no mood to strive for preference now. The disciple whom Jesus loved
had, he thought, a better right to tend the sheep and feed the lambs
than he had. John was the only one who had not entirely abandoned his
Master; he had followed Him to the midnight trial, he had been present
at the Crucifixion, and been the recipient of a pathetic commission
thereat--namely, to take care of Jesus's mother. Peter now felt that
John was a worthier leader of the Apostolic Church than he himself
could hope to be. No doubt the arrest of Jesus had drawn them more
closely together. John had done him the service of obtaining his
admission to the house of Caiaphas. He had remained with him most
likely in the dark hours before the resurrection morning; he
accompanied him to the tomb; he was with him now. How could Peter
better exemplify his humility than by his unwillingness to take
precedence of a man whose true nobility and generosity he had now
proved to the full? Jesus's answer gave in very brief terms a forecast
of John's function in the Kingdom, and re-emphasized for Peter the
importance of unquestioning obedience. He said, in effect: John's
commission will not affect yours. I have chosen. Suppose that yours
is to strive and lead, and his to stand and wait? How will his
commission affect the faithful discharge of yours?
How thoroughly both Peter and John accepted the positions allocated to
them their immediate after history shows. Peter led the van, John
served in silence. Their friendship continued and expanded. For the
future we hear much of "Peter and John." These two began a new
friendship. John shared in Peter's punishment; if Peter did the
speaking alone, John took the imprisonments with him. As they had been
together on the Mount of Transfiguration, together in Gethsemane,
together in the hall of Caiaphas, so now they remained together in
spirit until the day of Peter's martyrdom came. (Acts iii. 1-iv.)
In a certain sense we have now reached the beginning rather than the
end of the life and work of the Apostle Peter. From the point at which
most of the particulars regarding his personality cease to be afforded
in the New Testament commences the astonishing work of which he was in
a sense the leader and inspiration. A few Galilean fishermen set to
work to turn the world upside down. The vast and venerable fabric of
the Christian Church reposes upon such foundations as we have
considered. This revolution wrought in the history of the world is a
moral miracle. The task essayed was stupendous. Neither Peter nor his
companions could have estimated its magnitude or foreseen its triumph.
That he himself should come to be regarded as the first and greatest of
the long line of sovereign pontiffs of the Roman Church we may be sure
never occurred to him. He entered upon his task in faith, leaving
results to the great Master whom He served. Compared with the great
Apostle of the Gentiles he was neither wise nor learned; he was but one
of the weak things of earth chosen to confound the mighty. The Holy
Spirit rested upon him for service. He was a willing instrument whom
God could use because self-seeking was entirely banished from his
motives and desires. How this came to be so we have just seen. It was
Jesus who made Peter what he was. Jesus believed in him from the
first, knew him better than he knew himself, and looked to the Peter
that was to be rather than the Simon that was. Jesus dealt with him in
patience and love such as fills us with wonderment. Who but Jesus
would have thought it worth while to do it? What He did for Simon the
fisherman He is still able to do for all who yield themselves to Him.
There is nothing impossible with Christ. The weakest and most sinful
amongst us is of infinite value to Him. How many of us are saints in
the making! May the story of His dealings with one life lead us all to
the same experience of faithful and loving obedience. May it be ours
to respond even through stumblings and failures to His gracious
invitation, "Follow Me!" He will lead us from strength to strength, we
shall learn of Him and find rest unto our souls.
[1] Bruce, "Training of the Twelve," p. 511.
LONDON:
W. SPEAIGHT AND SONS, PRINTERS,
FETTER LANE, E.C.
End of Project Gutenberg's The Making of an Apostle, by R. J. Campbell