Have you all ever seen videos of pictures of dogs that have been caught doing something they aren’t supposed to? The look on their faces? Shame. Even dogs seem to feel it. That moment when you know you’ve done something you shouldn’t have and, ugh, worse than that, you’ve been caught. It’s such a terrible, awful, no good, very bad feeling.

In I John 4:16-18 we read, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

In this portion of Scripture, John is pointing out three things:

1.     God’s love is present, active, and available to us. It’s not hidden. It’s not confusing. It’s very much in our midst and very much available for us to experience, share, and notice.

2.     We, followers of Jesus when in right relationship with God, embody His love in our interactions with one another and our community.

3.     Fear and shame endeavor to keep us from experiencing that love.

Let’s look at the story of Peter. At this point in Peter’s story, the following things have happened. Peter was with Jesus at the Passover meal we now know as the Last Supper. During that meal, Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him three times that night. Peter passionately disagrees, vowing that he would die for Jesus if need by. Later that night, Jesus is arrested, Peter runs away, and then eventually denies knowing Jesus three times just as Jesus shared. We don’t hear much from Peter during the crucifixion time but after Mary tells the disciples that Jesus has risen, Peter runs to the tomb. It is indeed empty and later Jesus appears to Peter and the disciples, but there’s no specific interaction there.  

That brings us to John 21:1-10 (The Message)

Simon Peter announced, “I’m going fishing.” The rest of the disciples replied, “We’re going with you.” They went out and got in the boat. They caught nothing that night. When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn’t recognize him. Jesus spoke to them: “Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?” They answered, “No.” He said, “Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens.”

They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren’t strong enough to pull it in. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Master!” When Simon Peter realized that it was the Master, he threw on some clothes, for he was stripped for work, and dove into the sea. The other disciples came in by boat for they weren’t far from land, a hundred yards or so, pulling along the net full of fish. When they got out of the boat, they saw a fire laid, with fish and bread cooking on it.

 Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught.” Simon Peter joined them and pulled the net to shore—153 big fish! And even with all those fish, the net didn’t rip.

For those who have read this Scripture before, you know that this reading ends with Peter’s restoration of ministry. We will get back to this. For now, I want to focus on verse 7. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.

I’ve always thought this was an odd story. Why would Peter put his clothes on to jump in the water? And why did Peter immediately jump in after John said that it was Jesus on shore?  All the interpretations I’ve seen say that Peter was so excited to see Jesus that he wanted to get to shore before everyone else. But recently, I read this differently.

What if the reason Peter gathered up all his belongings and jumped in the water before the boat made it to shore wasn’t because he was excited to see Jesus but because he was ashamed? What if he wasn’t rushing to be by Jesus’ side but he was running away to hide in his shame?  What if the second John said, “It is the Lord” his first thought was “Oh no! I’m not ready. There’s only a few of us, I can’t hid this time. I am out of here!”

I realize that this is just my reading of the situation, although I do find it interesting that John records Peter joining them later, not them joining Peter and Jesus. But regardless, I think we can see of a picture of what shame can do to us. Just like Adam in the garden of Eden, whose immediate thought when shame hit him was to hide, that’s exactly what Peter might have been doing. Hiding. Presumably from God, but that hiding also removed him from the community.

Shame is a liar. It says, “If you hide, you won’t need to address this thing. If God finds out or if your friends find out, you will be punished. They will reject you. You will be found out. Seen. On display. Hated.”

But, there is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love

How are we made perfect in love? If you would like to finish reading John 21, I think you will get a picture of that. Jesus restores Peter. He doesn’t even bring up the denial.  Jesus addresses Peter’s shame head on with LOVE and does it in the midst of community (John is sitting right there). He doesn’t parade Peter’s shame around and allow for ridicule and punishment. He doesn’t ignore it either. He knows that Peter’s shame was less about the actual denial and more about his love of Jesus. So he gently and lovingly addresses that without shaming him and without punishment.

Many Christians define grace as being treated better than what we deserve or being shown God’s favor. I think it is so much more than that. I think grace is the action through which love is perfected. Grace sees the image of God in each person and speaks directly to that. Grace “teaches us” to say no to things that keep us from experiencing the love of God through Christ and in community (the body of Christ).

In this case, grace spoke directly to Peter’s soul. It said “I see your shame. I see who you really are. I love you. And you love me.”

If that’s not a word that so many of us need to hear, I don’t know what is! Shame tells us to gather up our things, to leave the community, to run and hide. Grace tells us to bring all that we are, to lay down all our things, to lean in and love.

Peter’s denial of Jesus took place outside the court of the high priest. Three times denying he knew the man that hours before he pledged to die with. Three times and the rooster crowed and Jesus turned and looked at him.

In Acts, Luke records that just a few weeks later, Peter in the same location, but instead of watching from a distance in a courtyard, he’s the one standing before Ciaphas and the other priests. In his place of greatest failure, deepest humiliation, and darkest despair, he stands a changed man. He stood where Christ had stood not with shame but with courage.

There’s only one explanation for this transformation. Peter encountered the risen Lord. The one he had denied and rejected, extended grace and mercy, and Peter, despite what I can only imagine was the worst shame of his life, accepted it. He accepted forgiveness. And in doing so, he accepted his own resurrection to new life.

This is the utterly human way to practice resurrection. To accept grace offered in our greatest failings, to find courageous humility in our deepest humiliation, to encounter new life in the places we have previously only experienced death and sorrow.

Resources

Open Door Value - We are Broken but Becoming Whole

Sin is a real thing. We can all relate to what Paul the apostle says, “I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” All have sinned. We are broken by sin, not yet the person we wish we were. The good news is Jesus did not come to call perfect people, but sinners. So, the first step to becoming whole is knowing we’re broken. It’s not hopeless. As we repent and believe, the Spirit grows us in love little by little, until we become wholly loving like Jesus one day. (Romans 3&7, 1 John 1-4, Luke 5) 

Brethren in Christ U.S. Core Value – Experiencing God’s Love and Grace

We value the free gift of salvation in Christ Jesus and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Bible Passages:

• I John 4

• John 21

• Acts 4-7

• Titus 2:11-12

Books & Bible Studies

• Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus Through the Spiritual Disciplines. by David Mathas. https://www.wtsbooks.com/products/habits-of-grace-enjoying-jesus-through-the-spiritual-disciplines-david-mathis-9781433550478

• Abide: Grace-Fueled Practices of Spiritual Discipline by Thea Rosenburg, https://www.deeplyrootedmag.com/blogs/blog/abide-grace-fueled-practices-of-spiritual-discipline

• Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. https://www.amazon.com/Celebration-Discipline-Richard-Foster/dp/0340979267

For Kids & Families:

• The Peace Table: A Storybook Bible. (Herald Press, 2023): Peter’s stories are told throughout the New Testament

• You are Special. By Max Lucado, https://www.amazon.com/Special-Board-Book-Lucados-Wemmicks/dp/1581342195

Videos & Other Resources

• The Character of God: Grace by The Bible Project. Available at: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/character-of-god-grace/

• The Uniquely Biblical View of Grace by The Bible Project Podcast. Available at: https://bibleproject.com/podcast/the-uniquely-biblical-view-of-grace/