Here’s a reflection on Jesus and Peter by my favorite triad of current spiritual writers, Richard Rohr, Brennan Manning, and Robert Barron.
Today, Rohr’s Daily Meditation mentions the connection between the charcoal fire at which Peter warmed himself in the courtyard as he denied Jesus thrice before the crowing at dawn (John 18:18), and Peter’s post-resurrection encounter with Jesus cooking breakfast on the lake shore over a charcoal fire (John 21:9), when Jesus asks Peter three times whether he loves him, to link and complete the symmetry of the triple denial. Rohr condenses this well-known, triply repetitive interrogation, paraphrasing Jesus’ forgiveness:
“He says, in effect, ‘Peter, it’s okay. Forget it.'”
Though I appreciate Rohr’s point, I’m unsatisfied with that simplification. We all know from human experience that, despite best efforts, “forgive and forget” is impossible. Below I share Bishop Barron’s solution to the problem of forgetting, but it too leaves me unsatisfied. Both miss the opportunity to put love first. I’ll explain, but first, Barron’s solution:
“… How in the world did Peter ever forget his terrible sin and move forward … Here’s the truth: Peter never forgot the fact that he denied Jesus… What happened to Peter was that although he knew he was a great sinner, he also knew that Jesus loved him completely, as he was — a sinner… [W]henever Peter thought back…, he didn’t think about it as *sin committed*, but *sin confessed and forgiven*…
Close, but still I’m unsatisfied. Peter doesn’t confess, nor does Yeshua mention forgiveness. Instead, we get the sense Peter was actually annoyed at being questioned 3 times about his love for his Lord. Thrice. No confession, no forgiveness. Love. Three times.
Note that Peter is the one being asked if he loves the Lord. Clearly, Yeshua is messing with Peter’s mind here. I don’t think that’s questionable. The gospels seem bent on presenting Peter as a little dense. He has to be asked three times not because it’s important that he love his rabbi and messiah. No. Yeshua is sarcastically reminding Peter why Peter should be unconcerned with Peter’s failing! Of COURSE I forgive you Peter, and now you remember what’s primary here. This is no interrogation about proclaiming your love for me. This is a reminder that I first love you.
We are forgiven because we are first loved.
How could Peter ever move on, forgetting this stinging reminder not to be obsessed by his shame. Not to make anything about himself primary – except one truth. Above all, he is beloved.
Peter’s belovedness does not depend on his confession, nor his forgiveness. It has no dependencies. No conditions! When love is first, all flows FROM it. There’s no sense to grasping to achieve to receive. From the highest mountain to the deepest sea, love of us is inescapable because it is unconditional.
Neither the psyche of God nor of the one sent from the father is like ours. We are created out of love in his image; he is not made in ours. And that leaves my favorite third author with the final word in this short mash-up, where the question to Peter is NOT how well his love for his lord is proved, but instead:
.
Neil D. 2025-06-06
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