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SERMON:
In
one of my favorite books, there is a story about a chipmunk who survives the
great flood aboard Noah’s ark. The story is called, “How the Chipmunk Got His
Stripes”, and it’s told from the perspective of one Jacob Chipmunk. Now, of
course, Jacob’s story isn’t found in the Biblical account of the flood, but
you’ll understand why I’m telling you about this little story in just a second.
In
the story, the ark finally runs aground on Mt. Ararat. And Jacob Chipmunk finds
that through his nervous chewing he has bored a hole clear through the ship to
the outside world. And so, before the doors are opened, and the animals set
loose, one lone chipmunk scampers down onto the soggy ground.
Jacob
Chipmunk is, of course, ecstatic to be
on land again. But he notices that there’s still a big huge ocean of water
surrounding the ark. And he realizes that this little bit of beach property
won’t be big enough for all the animals.
So,
the hyperactive chipmunk devises a plan to dry up the world. He runs to the
water’s edge, soaks his tail full of water, and then runs back up the beach to
wring it out. He figures that with enough trips, he can drain the sea away.
Back
and forth the little chipmunk races, until all of the sudden a huge hand
reaches down and scoops him up into the bright blue sky. It is, of course, the
hand of God. And in the story, God goes on to explain how silly it is that
Jacob chipmunk should try to dry up the whole world with his little chipmunk
tail. This was God’s job, and God would do it. And so with a deep and
fathomless breath, God breathes out over the waters and does in an instant,
what Jacob couldn’t have done in a million years.
Now,
here’s the part I wanted to share with you. As God sets the little chipmunk
down on the newly dried land, the author writes…
“Just before the hand was withdrawn,
however, the tips of the fingers brushed once, lightly, along Jacob’s head and
back, leaving a most profound and mysterious impression upon the little
Chipmunk. For somehow it seemed, this mystic stroke, to be a combination of two
things, two things impossibly different: In one way , it was like the long-ago
memory of his own mother’s tongue, licking him; but also it was like the claws
of a great bird of prey raking through his flesh.
The pain, however, was only for a
moment, while the delicious sensation of the tenderest of caresses remained
forever. And along with it came four beautiful white stripes, embedded in the
Chipmunk’s fur, running the length of his body and set like a crown on the top
of his head: the sign of being stroked by the Almighty’s love” (How the
Chipmunk God His Stripes, by Mike Mason).
The
tale of how the chipmunk got his stripes is fiction of course. But that
description of the Lord’s touch is sometimes quite truth. Sometimes God deals
with us in this way. Sometimes his touch is both sharp and painful, and yet at
the same time full of compassion and tenderness.
With
his Law God rakes through our conscience laying bare the reality of our sin and
guilt. He says, “Love me above all. Honor my Name. Take time for me. Honor your
parents. Don’t murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t
covet what isn’t yours to have.” And with his Law, God cuts deep down to our
true motives, to our secrets sins. He reveals that in our arrogance and
selfishness we have failed to live up to his standards time and time again.
And
yet at the same time, through the message of Christ’s gift of forgiveness, God
tenderly soothes and heals our deepest hurts. He restores our souls and
cleanses our conscience through the fact that His Son suffered and died in our
place, and now lives as our great Savior and King.
Yes,
sometimes the touch of God is both painful, and utterly soothing.
▬
In
our Scripture reading for today, Jesus applies both Law and Gospel to the
apostle Peter. And Peter feels both the deep cut of the Lord’s rebuke, and the
tender healing of his forgiveness.
John 21:15-17 (NASB)
15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon,
son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes,
Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.”
16 He
said to him again a second time, “Simon, son
of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love
You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.”
17 He
said to him the third time, “Simon, son
of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third
time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You
know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.
This
conversation between Peter and his Lord took place on a beach, on the Sea of
Galilee. It took place after the crucifixion and after the resurrection of our
Lord from the dead. John tells us this was the third time Jesus appeared to his
disciples as a group. But our Lord’s words here, were directed not to the
group, but to Simon Peter alone.
Jesus
calls Peter by his given name, Simon. And he adds, “son of John”. I was curious
about this. Why does Jesus adds this “last name” of sorts. So, I searched and
found that Jesus only callsPeter the “son of John” on three occasions—all
important ones. He called him “Simon, son of John” when they met for the first
time, after Peter had confessed him as the Son of God, and on this occasion.
It’s as if Jesus is adding weight to their interaction by calling Peter “Simon,
son of John”. Kinda like when your mom or dad use your middle name.
I
don’t know about you, but my mom would call me “Caleb John!” at two times. When
I had done something particularly bad, or when she wished to express love.
Perhaps Jesus was doing both when he called Peter, “Simon, son of John”.
▬
Peter
had indeed done something particularly bad. We remember. When pressed into a
tight corner, Peter had denied even knowing Jesus—three separate times. He even
called down curses on himself to prove that he didn’t know Jesus.
And
Peter had done this just hours after swearing to Jesus that even if all the
other disciples abandoned Jesus, Peter would remain true. Peter would die
before denying Jesus. Or so he had claimed. Sadly, the reality played out much
differently.
And
so, Jesus begins this conversation by asking, “Simon, son of John, do
you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15 NASB). That is to say, do you
still claim your love for me is so much stronger than the love of these others?
Peter
is humbled by the directness of Jesus. In his reply, Peter doesn’t even use the
same word for love that Jesus does. Instead, he affirms his love for Christ
with different word for love. Peter is through comparing himself with others.
Peter is done claiming great powers of love for himself.
And
with the first stroke of rebuke delivered, Jesus follows that blow with
tenderness. He says to Peter, “Tend by lambs” (John 21:15 NASB). He
means, of course, be a keeper of my people. An overseer of those who trust in
me. And in this gracious assignment, Jesus expresses both his love and his
forgiveness. For Jesus only calls those who have tasted his forgiveness to be
purveyors of it.
Peter’s
days of self-centered boasting were at an end. His life would now be one of
serving his Savior, and serving his Savior’s people.
▬
But
the rebuke was not at an end. And the deepest cut was yet to come.
Like
the right hook that follows the left jab, Jesus’ next question hits Peter
squarely in his pride. Jesus asks, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
(John 21:16 NASB). This time Jesus doesn’t ask if Peter love him MORE
than the others do. This time Jesus asks Peter if he loves him at all.
It
is all that Peter can do to reply. And he again uses a lesser word for love
than Jesus does. Peter repeats his claim with the same simple words that he
used the first time, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You” (John 21:16 NASB).
And
with the second stroke of rebuke delivered, Jesus follows his blow with more
tenderness. He says to Peter, “Shepherd My Sheep” (John 21:16 NASB).
Note those words well. These are JESUS’ sheep that Peter is to shepherd. It is
not PETER’s flock. He’s not the boss. He is but the under-shepherd of the Good
Shepherd. And again, by repeating this gracious assignment, Jesus is expressing
his forgiveness to Peter. For as odd as it may sound, in the Savior’s flock,
all the under-shepherds are themselves sheep. They are stumbling, bumbling
sheep, whom the Good Shepherd has claimed for eternity by his precious blood
shed on the cross.
▬
This
remarkable assignment from the Lord could have rekindled Peter’s pride. Think
about it like this, if the resurrected Jesus appeared to YOU and said, “I want
YOU to be a shepherd of My sheep” wouldn’t a tiny bit of you think, “Me? Well I
guess I do have some suitable qualities. I mean, you thought of me for the job,
right?” Pride dies hard, doesn’t it?
The
reality is that none of us have anything to offer God that has not already been
given to us by his hand. We cannot claim even a scrap of goodness apart from
the Lord’s working in us through his Word.
As
the Bible says,
“…no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’
except in the Holy Spirit”
(1 Corinthians 12:3 NASB).
And,
“…it is God who works in you both to will and to
do for His good pleasure”
(Philippians 2:13 NKJV).
▬
And
so Jesus asks Peter a third, and final question. One final cut, and the deepest
of all. One final blow to knock Peter’s sinful pride to the ground. Jesus asks,
“Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” (John 21:17 NASB). But this
time Jesus exchanges his word of high love, for Peter’s lower word for love. In
essence, Jesus says, “Peter, do you really love me, like you keep saying you
do?”
And
all that Peter can do is cling to the truth. He does love Jesus. And he knows
that Jesus must know that, for Jesus knows all things. He is the divine Son of
God, who after suffering and dying on the cross for the sins of all people,
took up the full use of his divine powers once again. And so Peter says to
Jesus, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You” (John 21:17 NASB).
And
one more time, Jesus follows the blow of rebuke, with the tender embrace of
forgiveness. He repeats the task he has given to Peter, his redeemed servant.
He says, “Tend My Sheep” (John 21:17 NASB).
Three
denials from Peter. Three questions from the Lord. Three blows of rebuke, which
cut deep. And three assurances that Peter was truly, and completely forgiven.
That is what we find here in this little exchange on the shores of Galilee’s
lake.
▬
It’s
easy to put ourselves in Peter’s shoes, isn’t it? Through arrogance and
selfishness we too have failed to love God by the things we say and do.
And
if we actually pick up the Bible to see what God has to say about it, we find
that God has some rather serious words to say about our behavior. The Bible
says…
“…all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 NIV).
“…the wages of sin is death…” (Romans
6:23 NKJV).
“All we like sheep have gone
astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;” (Isaiah 53:6 NKJV).
But
you know how those passages end, don’t you?
“…all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that came by Christ Jesus”
(Romans 3:23-24 NIV).
“…the wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus
our Lord” (Romans
6:23 NKJV).
“All we like sheep have gone
astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord
has laid on Him the iniquity of us all”
(Isaiah 53:6 NKJV).
The raking claws of God’s Law are followed by the tender
caress of his undeserved love and forgiveness. And on the heels of this
complete forgiveness comes an assignment.
▬
No, we are not all called to be apostles like Peter. No,
we are not all called to teach Bible Class on Sunday or proclaim the Gospel
from a pulpit in church. But we are all called to shepherd God’s flock. For the
shepherds are the sheep. The forgiven are the called.
And the calls is simple. Our Savior died for all. They
need to know it. And the sheep that are in the fold already, they need to stay
safely in the fold. And we need to tend them. You and me.
We need to keep each other from danger. Diligently
watching each other with love. Being present in the lives of our fellow
Christians. Praying for one another. Applying the rebuke of the Law when
needed, and the tender embrace of the Gospel.
We need to keep each other well pastured and watered.
Continually speaking the Word of the Almighty God to one another. With an
email. With a post. With a phone call. With a text. And yes, even IN PERSON.
We need to bind up the wounds of our fellow sheep and
nurse them to health with the powerful Word of God. Patiently bearing each
other’s burdens. Exercising the compassion and wisdom that our divine Savior
teaches.
▬
When God asked Cain where his brother was, the world’s
first murderer replied, “I do not know. Am
I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 NKJV).
Help us Holy Spirit, that this would NEVER be our
response to the grace and mercy we have received in Christ. Let our response
instead be, “I AM my brother’s keeper. I will go and find him. I will call him
with your Word. Your power will do the work, but I will be your humble
instrument. I will tend your sheep.”
Through God’s Law and Gospel, Peter was made a redeemed
sinner, and a shepherd of his fellow sheep. God’s cutting Law, and healing
Gospel has done the same for us. We are redeemed. Let us now be about the
business of tending the Good Shepherd’s flock, together.
Amen.
The peace of God, which surpasses
all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds, in Christ Jesus.
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