Today’s gospel gives us yet another graphic account of an encounter between Jesus and his apostles, especially with Peter, after his resurrection. Do you ever wonder why Jesus had to ask Peter three good times if he loved him? We can see here a correspondence with Peter’s triple denial of Jesus. But that is not all. In English, when Jesus asks “Do you love me?” and Peter responds, “Yes, I love you,” it all sounds right. But in the Greek translation, we find that Peter is not exactly responding to the very question Jesus is asking him. Jesus asks Peter, “Agapas me? Do you have agape love for me?” meaning “Do you love me in such a manner as to sacrifice your life for me.”
Peter knows that he has not lived up to this standard of love. He knows that he disowned Jesus in order to save his head. So what does Peter answer? He answers, “Philô se. Yes, Lord, I have p love for you,” meaning, “Yes, Lord, you know how deeply I like and admire you.” You see why it is a confession of failure? Peter is saying to Jesus, “Yes, I like and admire you, but no, I have not been able to love you with a self-sacrificing philia love as you demand.” So, Jesus asks him a second time whether he has agape love for him and Peter again replies that he has only philia love for him. Finally, Jesus then asks him “Do you have love for me?” And Peter answers “Yes, I have philia love for you.” At the end of this conversation, Jesus accepts Peter the way he is. Even his philia love is good enough.
The Peter we see here is not the loud-mouthed, boastful man who thought he was better than the other disciples but a wiser, humbler man who would not claim more than he can deliver. In the Greek Bible, there are three different words translated by the one English word love. There is Eros, which means sensual or erotic love, the kind of love that leads to marriage. Erotic love lies in the senses and the emotions that find the object of love attractive. Then there is Philia, meaning love of the likeable, the admiration and devotion we have for a worthy person or thing, such as love for a hero, love of parents, and love of art. Likeable love dwells in the mind that judges the object of love worthy of it.
Finally there is Agape, which means self-sacrificing and unconditional love, even for a person who may not deserve it and when there is nothing tangible to be gained. Agape love is in the will. It is a decision. Dear friends in Christ, Jesus is telling us that we are to show and live out such love, that is, agape love, even to the point of giving our lives in love for others. Today’s gospel passage speaks us strongly on the importance of remaining in Jesus by being people of love. In some other parts of St. John’s gospel, Jesus says: “As the Father loves me, so I love you. Remain in my love. This is my commandment: Love one another as I love you. Lay down your life in love for your friends.”
Furthermore, Jesus reminds peter as the head of the church as this love (Agape) should be shown and reflected in his way of life and leadership role in the church. This love should also spread throughout the church and found burning and radiating amongst us. First, Jesus says to Peter: “Feed my lambs.” A lamb is delicate and defenseless and so it has to be fed and cared for like a baby like by giving food and milk in order for it to grow and become strong. In other words, Jesus wants us to love the concrete people around us, our spouses, children, parents, neighbors, relatives, co-workers and everyone in town; to be patient and kind and nonviolent with the people in our day to day lives, and love them and keep on loving them, no matter what, no matter how hard.
To love everyone we meet in our lives! One trait of a good leader, is that of being a shepherd. That is, he cares for the people that he serves like the Good Shepherd who give His life as a ransom for the many. Second, Jesus says, “tend my sheep.” When a lamb becomes a sheep, it can graze for food and so what the shepherd has to do is to tend the sheep and see to it that it does astray from the group. In other words, following Jesus, Jesus wants us to be a community of love, not just individual persons of interpersonal love but a people of communal love, a community, a parish, a town of great love. What would it take us to become a community of love as God wants? It means that as a community we have to stop any hostility, gossip, resentment, and bitterness we may have toward anyone else in a community or family or some relative who may have hurt us deeply.
We shoukd always chhose and be ready to forgive. This is the kind of love (Agape) Christ showed and gave to us on the cross when he died “Forgiveness” . We need forgive and love ( Agape) our brothers and Sisters despite human weakness and faults. St. Ignatius Loyola wrote that “love is shown in deeds, not in words,” so our love need to be concrete action. To show this unconditional and undilluted love to our fellow brethren. Another trait of a good leader is that of being a steward. A good leader is a steward because he carefully conducts, supervises and manages of something entrusted to his care. He improves the lives of those entrusted to him by using wisely God-given gifts for God’s glory. We too must do the same, that is, by using wisely God-given gifts for His glory.
Finally, Jesus says: “Feed my sheep.” The sheep will not remain forever young. The sheep becomes old and weak and so it must be kept healthy for its remaining years. In other words, Jesus wants us to be people of universal love, a love that is all-embracing, to widen our hearts and love everyone in the whole world the way he did, with a universal, all-inclusive, unconditional, nonviolent, active, selfless perfect love. We have to have an attitude of love toward everyone on the planet, including toward those who are different, people of different religions, races, nations, or whatever. Even we have to love the environment because all creatures belong to God and they have to be respected. If we are people who love like Jesus, then we love everyone everywhere.
Furthermore, God’s love for us is abundant even in the midst of worries and difficulties, in moments of darkness, fears and doubts. The Gospel reading also narrates one of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to His disciples. This time, Jesus’ appearance took place by the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1). They spent the whole night trying to catch fish but they caught nothing. At daybreak, Jesus (although they did not know that it was Jesus), told them: “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” (John 21:6) They did as the jesus told them and they were able to catch a multitude of fish. Then, they realized that it was Jesus, their Lord and Master.
They trusted in God despite all their human effort to catch a fish. They surrended themselves to the power of Christ’s resurrection even in the midst of their frustration and worries not able catch a fish. We should always trust in God’s love and providence for us. Christ lives, he is our hope and because he lives we can face tomorrow, we can conquer our battles and emerge victorious. Because Christ lives, we should not be afraid and worried about the storms of life. It will be calm and it will pass-by. Some of us are like the disciples. In times of disappointments and trials, our faith wavers and we tend to focus on our problems. Some people also depend on their own abilities because they have totally lost their faith in God. The resurrection of Jesus assures us that after all sufferings, pain, trials, and persecutions, goodness will triumph over evil and that the light will conquer darkness.
We may experience difficulties in this life, some seemingly heavier than the burdens of other people, but we are assured that these are temporary and transient. But if we are faithful to God’s will, we shall triumph like Him. If we “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29) as the First Reading tells us today, the Father who raised Jesus from the dead will also exalt us and make us share in the glory of Jesus. Let us pray for the God almighty and to his son , Jesus Christ that he will renew his spirit in us to love unconditionally despite human weakness or faults and may his grace to continue to sustain and strengthen us as we continue to uphold and live out that agape love he has called each and everyone of us to live, to forgive and to be good and better Christian so at end of earthly journey, heaven will be our reward. We ask this through Christ our lord. Amen.
• Rev. Fr. Kizito Emenalo is Associate Parish Priest of St. Peter Catholic Church, Ejigbo.
