Listen to the Discouraged

Listen to the Discouraged

10:30 am, Sunday, April 14, 2013, Windsor UBC, J G White

(Jeremiah 8:20-22; John 21:15-19)

Anyone discouraged?  This can be an age of discouragement. I thought I was going to preach today about how we can listen to the discouraged around us - which is important to our calling - but I've been turned to looking for how God deals with us when discouraged.  We need to start here.  And, to have a ministry of listening, we must know how we are heard by our Lord in our own discouragements.  

Bette read for us a scene with Jesus, recently raised from the dead.  After meeting some disciples on a beach in Galilee, as he has fish for breakfast with them, He has that conversation with Peter.  Peter, the one who had stayed nearby, hiding on the sidelines while Jesus was on trial and tortured before his execution.  Peter, who had denied three times that he knew or was associated with Jesus, while Christ was undergoing his last torturous day.  

Now, just a matter of days, or weeks, later, Jesus is alive, with Peter and the others again.  And he asks Peter, three times, "Do you love me?"  The connection of the love question asked of Peter three times, after Peter's denial three times, always seems to stand out.  How desperately discouraging those moments of denying Jesus and protecting himself must have been, especially after the rooster crowed.  Jesus had forecasted all this for Peter.  And how discouraging those three questions from Jesus must have been for Peter.  We read that after Jesus asks the third time, "Do you love me?" Peter is hurt, grieved.  

Notice the whole picture here, as recorded in John 21.  There are three things I want to point out.  There is more to the words in these questions and answers than we can see in most of our English translations.  As Peter answers, Jesus keeps giving him a mission; He doesn't punish or judge Peter.  And, Christ gives again the amazing invitation that started it all, "Follow me."

First, the word "love" in Jesus's questions and Peter's answers are not just one word, in the Greek New Testament.  This Greek language actually has four words for what we call "love."  Storge, which we could call affection, like that in families.  Eros, or erotic love, between a loving couple.  Philia, which is deep friendship love.  And agape, which is the profound love of God.  One of C. S. Lewis' latter books is all about these four loves.  Two of these words are in John 21.  Some English translations express this and try to get at the subtle language.  I'll read the conversation again now, so we notice all that's happening.

Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others?"

"Yes," said Peter,"You know I am your friend."

"Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him.  

Jesus repeated the question: "Simon, son of John, do you really love me?"

"Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know that I am your friend."

"Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said.  

Once more he asked him, "Simon, son of John, are you [even] my friend?"  

Peter was grieved at they way Jesus asked the question this third time.  "Lord, you know my heart; you know I am," he said.

Jesus said, "Then feed my little sheep." (New Living Translation)

I've been reading and rereading this passage, looking for how Christ listens to Peter and his answers to the questions.  I find my Lord taking time in His conversation with Peter, and moving from asking about Love/Agape, His word, to Friendship/Philia which was Peter's word.  To me it's as if Jesus comes down to speak Peter's language, his heart language, what Peter was ready for at that moment.  Christ takes the time and attention to know Peter and what his answer is.  Jesus accepts Peter's heart.  Peter was ready to be a deep friend, but not ready to speak of steadfast-love.

I wonder if Jesus was tempted to be discouraged about Peter, tempted but not discouraged.  And we see that Peter felt some hurt or grief with these three questions.  

I know we have times when we are tempted to try to fix someone who is discouraged.  Or we want to correct someone whom we think doesn't quite have the right attitude.  Or we get impatient for someone to understand something.  We become like Job's comforters, who should have kept their mouths shut, instead of giving long speeches to set tormented Job on the right path.  

God, whom we see in Jesus so well, is the God who comes to us and can deal rightly with who we are, as is, today.  God acts to bring us along, bring us up, bring us ahead.  Yet God comes to us where we are, and is amazingly accepting.  Jesus models this for us, and gives the Holy Spirit to grow a generous spirit in us.  Generous enough to walk with those who are discouraged and let them be, love them.  

The second thing in this Jesus-Peter conversation is the continual commissioning of Peter, even though he might be judged to give the wrong answers.  "Do you LOVE me?"  "Yes, I'm your Friend."  Jesus doesn't scold or correct Peter; He gives a mission!  "Feed my lambs."  The second time, "Tend my sheep."  The third time, "Feed my sheep."  

What do ya think of that?  To the discouraged, to the less-than-perfect heart Christ says: go and care for others in My Name.  "Lord, I pray, yes, some, but not every day like I should; and not with that joy and longing for Your presence that our songs talk about."  "OK, my child," says the Lord, "you shall care for those who don't know My song."

"God, I want to get others to believe in You and be saved, but I really am embarrassed by the conversation, and I'm not confident at all to talk about You."  "Go, dear one, and you shall love those whom I love."

"Father, I just have these problems now, my body, my emotions, my mind is not strong, and I don't think I can do a lot to help right now."  "Dear one, My grace will be enough, and in your weakness I will be strong," says The Lord.

Isn't that how God so kindly deals with us?  We have beautiful things to do for God, just when we are still weak, discouraged, ourselves hurting.  We can become wounded healers, as Henri Nouwen put it.

The third thing I see in Jesus' chat with Peter that day on the Galilean beach: a fresh invitation to follow Him.  That's how it had all started three years before, or whenever.  By the sea, with the old boats and nets and the smell of fishing gear.  To James and John, Peter and Andrew, Jesus came along and said, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people."  Now, at the end of Jesus's time with them, again, "Follow me."  And so Peter did.  Without saying, "I Love you" the way Jesus first asked it.  Peter and the others follow, with the best yet to come.  

Jesus' open invitation is just that: still open.  Perhaps you are discouraged, maybe after decades of life in the Church, about what we really will accomplish.  Perhaps you are down about this stage in your life, harder and emptier than you ever wanted it.  Perhaps you are downhearted about this troubled world we live in, and must raise our children and grandchildren in.  But where we are today, in our hearts, Jesus knows.  And he still sends us - US - to feed and tend His sheep.  He doesn't shut the door and give up on us; He says today, "follow Me."  And O how He means it!

Today you may be glimpsing a new light from God, a glow that tells you there is a new beginning for you.  The mission of love the Lord has for your life can begin again, despite any failure up to this point, despite any weakness of faith or mediocre devotion.  Perhaps you have been a cultural Christian all your life, churchgoing, supporting things, coming but not committed.  And you may not know how this can change.  But our incredible Saviour knows, and he invites you, "Follow me."  He said to Peter more than once in his life, "Come, follow me," and Peter said yes both times.  So can you.  It's the second Sunday of the month, my usual time to be available after serviced here for prayer.  You may want to come to the Saviour in a new way.  The invitation is open.

Our mission, when we accept it, and accept His love, is to hear the cries of the distressed and discouraged around us.  People cry out in so many ways, as The Lord helps us hear.  And we can respond, because we know what it is like when He responds to us.  This is the Good News in action!