When You've Failed: Love Remains | Trinity Sermons

Today's reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter

John 21 · chapter mention

21, beginning at the 15th verse. When they had

finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon,

son of John, do you love me more than these?

Yes, Lord, he said. You know I love you. Jesus

said, Again Jesus said, Simon, son of John, do

you love me? He answered, Yes, Lord, you know

that I love you. Jesus said, Take care of my

sheep. The third time he said to him, Simon,

son of John, do you love me? Peter was hurt because

Jesus asked him the third time, Do you love me?

He said, Lord, you know all things. You know

that I love you. Jesus said, Feed my sheep. Very

truly I tell you, when you were younger, you

dressed yourself and went where you wanted. But

when you are old, you will stretch out your hands

and someone else will dress you and lead you

where you do not want to go. Jesus said this

to indicate the kind of death by which Peter

would glorify God. Then he said to him, follow

me. The word of the Lord. Rob mentioned that

I was one of the ministers here. That was a few

years ago. I was a lot younger. I do remember

a few of you. It's good to see folks again. But

more than that, it's just such a privilege to

be with you and to be able to worship together,

to stand before God's word and to listen to what

it is that God might have to say today. Rob said

in the announcement that this is the third week

of the series Faith. hope, and love, and the

question is, what remains? And one of the ways

to think about that question is, what remains

when everything else is peeled back? And so I

want to speak particularly today to those who

feel that they've perhaps failed in one way or

another, to those who carry regrets for things

that they have done in the past, and maybe feel

as though they can't be forgiven for something

that they've done. And finally, I want to speak

just to those who are feeling worn out and discouraged.

Let's pray. Gracious God, we thank you so much

for the gift of your word. And we pray as we

sit before your word and come with hearts expecting

to hear your voice that you will indeed speak

your word into our lives. in a way that liberates

us to follow you more closely. We pray this in

the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. So

faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these

is love. That's what Paul says in 1 Corinthians.

And so the question really is, what is the love

that Paul is talking about? You know, love is

such a difficult thing to talk about sometimes,

in part because of the way that it's celebrated

in our culture. where it's this romantic love

that seems to be primarily about our feelings

for another person. Well, Paul has something

that is far more profound and also far more demanding

in mind. This is not a love that is just reflected

in the way that we feel, but it's actually a

love that is reflected in how we act, how we

treat one another, how we live. And it's marked

by a commitment to one another through thick

and thin, in good times and in bad. It's a love

that is willing to sacrifice for the sake of

another, even when misunderstood or rejected.

It is a demanding love. And it's Jesus who actually

shows us this love most clearly throughout the

whole of his life. In fact, this love is finally

and fully revealed for you and I. On the cross.

That's where this love is expressed. Most clearly.

And so the greatest of these is love. Indeed.

Now Paul. Is able to speak about this. Because

he knows this love. Personally and intimately.

He knows that Jesus. Has forgiven him. And accepted

him. Even after Paul. Attacked Jesus followers.

Put some of them in jail. and was seeking to

have others killed. And yet Jesus forgives him.

And so Paul knows this love. And of course, Peter

knows this love as well. The passage that Karen

read for us this morning reminds us that Peter

actually understands or came to understand this

love at a gut level. So what does the story today

tell us about love? Well, I'm going to actually

suggest three things. That this story tells us

about the love that we see in Jesus. The first

is that this is a love that forgives. It forgives.

The second is that this is a love that dares

to trust. And finally that this is a love that

persists. A love that remains faithful. Now this

story of Peter. And Jesus on the beach is a compelling

story. You might know the background. We didn't

read all of it. But a little bit comes before

where Peter and his friends are out fishing.

They haven't caught anything. Well, someone on

the beach calls out and says, well, put your

net out on the other side. Now, these are fishermen.

How many fishermen you know would actually listen

to advice from a stranger on the beach? Not very

many. But they do. And maybe that's partially

because they're actually a little bit desperate.

They haven't caught anything. They're ready to

pack it in. But when they follow the advice of

this stranger on the beach, they have a net full

of fish. That's the story, the background to

the part that Karen read for us today. Peter

realizes there's only one person who could make

that happen. That's Jesus. And so the word actually

says he throws himself out of the boat. Doesn't

that sound just like Peter, what we know about

Peter? Impulsive, ready to leap back into action,

throwing all caution to the wind. Peter jumps

out and heads straight towards Jesus. A little

later on, after he's dried off and warmed himself

up by the fire and had a bite to eat, Jesus then

speaks directly to him. Three times he says to

him, Peter, do you love me? And three times,

Jesus answers, you know that I love you, Jesus.

And three times, Jesus says, feed my sheep, tend

my lambs. Now, these three times is not Jesus

just being repetitive. You saw that in the reading.

Peter gets a bit confused and impatient with

him. But Jesus is not being repetitive. He's

being intentional. He's being intentional. You

see, it was only a few days before. In fact,

it was the night before Jesus was crucified that

Peter had denied Jesus three times. And to make

matters worse, Jesus had predicted that Peter

was going to deny him. And now Jesus is coming

to him. And in some senses, he's reminding him

about it. You see, Peter, bold and brash, refused

to accept the fact that he could possibly deny

Jesus. But then he does. He lies. And then he

denies and, in fact, betrays Jesus. Now, Jesus

is not trying to bring up that denial. He doesn't

bring it up in the conversation. And Peter doesn't

want to bring it up either. I mean, Peter wants

to forget it ever happened. He's ashamed. He's

embarrassed by what he's done. In fact, he knows

in his heart that what he's done is a deep betrayal.

Almost unforgivable to abandon his friend, his

mentor, in his hour of need. Peter would prefer

that this has never happened. And that's what

makes this encounter with Jesus. So tender. Peter

is so attentive to Peter's. Jesus is so attentive

to Peter's heart. Now he doesn't say to Peter.

What I would say in that situation. Which is

you betrayed me. What were you thinking? Because

Jesus is not trying to make Peter feel terrible.

For what he's done. He's not trying to rehash

that event. But he knows. that Peter's denial

needs to be addressed. See, Jesus understands

that Peter's betrayal is something that needs

forgiveness. It's almost therapeutic that Jesus

knows that in order for Peter to be liberated,

he actually needs those actions to be addressed

and forgiven. And in that, Jesus shows a forgiveness

even for the unforgivable. That's part of the

love that Jesus shows in this reading today.

It's also, though, a story of trust. Let's step

back just a little bit. We didn't read a whole

lot of the story that goes before, but I suspect

that many of you are very familiar with it because

it's the Easter story that happens just before

our reading today. It's so familiar, I think,

maybe to some of us that we kind of gloss over

the extraordinary events of the past few days.

See, the followers of Jesus have had their world

turned upside down. It's one of the most catastrophic

events in their lives. Heart -wrenching despair,

bewilderment, and pain. They watched their leader.

the one in whom they had put their confidence

in. They watched him be betrayed, be unfairly

judged, and then executed. They're now terrified

for their own lives, and they retreat into hiding.

Can you imagine the conversations that are happening

at that point in time, hidden away, expecting

a knock at the door? Expecting that... The authorities

are going to come after them as well. And then

the resurrected Jesus appears right in their

midst. Maybe at first, you know, that actually

makes things worse. They saw him die. And then

suddenly he's there right in the midst of them.

That's just as almost as overwhelming as anything

else. In the midst of this charged setting. The

disciples are still trying to make sense out

of all this. They are totally confused. But Jesus

goes right ahead. And this is right at the end

of John chapter 20. And he commissions them.

John 20 · chapter mention

He commissions them. Let's look at that just

a little bit more closely. He does three things.

The first is that he sends his followers out

into the world in his name. He makes them his

representatives so that other people can come

to know him. Through them. Second thing that

he does. He breathes the Holy Spirit on them.

Just as God breathed life into Adam. Now Jesus

breathes the new life that he has brought into

his followers. And then third, he says this.

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven.

If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.

Now that can be a bit confusing. I get confused

over that sometimes. Depending on how we read

it, does this mean that Jesus is saying, no one's

forgiven unless you decide? Unless you forgive

them? Or does it perhaps mean more that forgiveness

is right at the heart of the good news, of the

love that Jesus has brought into the world? But

in order for others to receive it, the disciples

have to learn how to forgive themselves. Forgiveness

has to begin somewhere. First it begins with

Jesus, and then after that it begins with Jesus'

followers. Jesus is putting his confidence in

his followers to continue his work, even though

it's demanding and costly work. This is not easy.

So the trust Jesus gives to his followers is

particularly clear in this little encounter that

happens on the beach. Jesus invites Peter to

look after his sheep, to tend his lamb. And in

the background, of course, is this image that

Jesus is the good shepherd, which John talks

about in chapter 10 of his gospel. Jesus says,

I am the good shepherd. And in that context,

he has critiqued the religious leaders for failing

to care for the people, and he says, I'm going

to be the one that cares for them. But now...

He passes that on to these followers, and he

entrusts the people into the hands of Peter and

others. So imagine, for those of you who are

parents, trusting your children into the hands

of another person. Trusting your children who

you love and care for into the hands of another

person. That's what's happening here. Jesus...

is trusting his followers to share God's grace

with others, to continue God's work of forgiveness

and reconciliation with others. So this is a

love that dares to trust at a really deep level.

Finally, this is a love that persists. After

the extraordinary events of the crucifixion and

resurrection and Jesus' charge to his followers,

Can you just imagine the dynamic that's happening

here? What do we expect the followers to do?

They've just seen this amazing thing. Jesus commissions

them. What are they going to do? They're going

to go out and go to work, right? They're inspired.

That's what they did in Luke chapter 10, where

Luke 10 · chapter mention

Jesus sends them out two by two, and they go

out. They're excited to go out. But that's not

what happens this time. Again, we didn't read

this, but right at the beginning of chapter 21,

we read that shortly after Jesus' commissioning

of them, Peter turns to the other followers and

says, let's go back fishing. Let's go back fishing.

How could Peter, after encountering the resurrected

Jesus, hearing this extraordinary commission,

go back to his fishing boat? I wonder if this

had more to do with Peter's lack of confidence

in himself than a lack of confidence in Jesus.

Well, whatever was going on for Peter in this

situation, this story shows us that Jesus doesn't

give up. He's consistent and he's persistent.

He keeps inviting Peter and the other disciples

to take up the work that he has for them over

and over again. In fact, throughout the whole

gospel, We see that in spite of the fact that

over and over again, these few followers mess

up. They get confused. They lose their way. They

actually betray Jesus. And yet he keeps persisting

in inviting them into his work. I don't know

about any of you that work in the business world,

but you know what would happen if we had someone

who kept messing up over and over again. We wouldn't

keep asking them to do work. We'd cut the losses

and we'd fire them. But Jesus doesn't do that.

He persists with these followers. And Jesus not

only calls them, but as he calls them, he says

and reminds them over and over again that God

provides. that God will always provide abundantly.

This is, again, another consistent theme throughout

the whole of the Gospels. In John, there's the

story way back in John chapter 2, you know, the

John 2 · chapter mention

water turned into wine. You remember that story?

Where there's an abundance of wine, overflowing

more wine than they need. John chapter 6, there's

John 6 · chapter mention

a feeding of the 5 ,000, where Jesus feeds the

crowd, if you remember, with a few fish and a

few loaves of bread. And now we have this same

image of abundance, but now it's an abundant

catch of fish. See, God is a God of abundance.

It says in the Old Testament, he owns the cattle

on a thousand hills. And here Jesus is reminding

his followers that God will provide. When we

come to the end of ourselves, when we have nothing

left, God will provide. So this is a love that

persists in spite of every possible obstacle.

A love that keeps going through thick and thin.

This is what Paul is talking about in Romans

Romans 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8 when he says this. I am sure that nothing

can separate us from the love of God in Christ

Jesus our Lord. This is a love that doesn't fail.

So in Jesus Christ, we see this love that acts,

a love that forgives, that trusts, and that persists.

And because this love comes from God, it's also

a love that is abundant. And it can't help but

keep reproducing itself because it's overflowing.

It's a love that teaches, that empowers, that

sets people free to learn how to love others

in the same way. The encounter makes this so

clear. Three times Jesus says to Peter, do you

love me? And three times Peter says, you know

that I love you. You know that I love you. And

each time Jesus responds, feed my sheep, tend

my lambs. To love Jesus is to share or to learn

how to share his love with others. See, Jesus

heals Peter. He reconciles him to God by offering

him forgiveness not once, not twice, but three

times. For every time that Peter denied him,

Jesus allows Peter to declare his love. And in

that act, he restores Peter. Jesus meets Peter's

betrayal with forgiveness. Over and over again.

So it's almost like delicately and carefully,

but with a firm hand, he's cutting the hurt,

the confusion, and the fear out of Peter's heart.

And he does that to heal him and to restore him.

And when he does that, he then sends Peter out.

It's an amazing story. So this is not a love

as a feeling or love as a theory. It's a love

that transforms, and both Peter and Paul bear

witness to this. It's because they have experienced

the forgiveness and restoration of Jesus in their

own lives that they are set free to act in the

same way. At the end of our reading, we're reminded

that both Peter and, in fact, Paul both gave

their lives. because of following Jesus and learning

how to love others. Some of you might know, when

I'm thinking about this sermon on love, one of

the things that comes to mind, of course, is

all the music about love, and one that I can't

ever stop thinking about, even though it's a

long time ago, is Paul McCartney's song about

silly love songs, right? The world has had enough

of silly love songs. Some of you remember that.

Well, this is not silly love, but it is crazy

love. It's crazy love because it demands way

more than any of us ever have hoped for, imagined,

or want. And so part of what we're doing here

today is recognizing that you and I are coming

to stand before this love again. To let it enter

into our hearts in order that it transforms us

and liberates us to be the kind of people that

can learn how to love like Jesus. See, we do

that in the confession. Where we go before God

and we let God search out our hearts. And we

have the promise of God's forgiveness for us

for anything that we've done. Where God restores

us in relationship to him. And then we have the

communion where we gather around a table that

Jesus is the host. And he feeds us just as he

fed his followers on that beach so many years

ago. He feeds us. with this food. And even though

we might only have a tiny bit of bread and a

small drop of wine, it's a promise of the abundance

of God. That God is the one who provides for

us. And so that takes us back to where we started.

As you sit here this morning, do you feel as

though you've made too many mistakes along the

way? Perhaps you think, well, you don't have

a whole lot to offer. Maybe you feel like you've

just tried and failed too many times. After all,

how is it that any of us after encountering Jesus

go back to living the way we were living before?

And yet how easily that happens, doesn't it?

Our hearts and minds are open to the truth of

Jesus. And it's something of a vision of the

life that he offers for us. But then we find

ourselves sliding back to the day -to -day grind,

reality of real life. Just like Peter, we get

discouraged, disillusioned, and maybe impatient

as well. Maybe we look at ourselves and we feel

as though we have nothing to offer. Or perhaps

we believe that we've made too many mistakes

along the way. And maybe you're feeling that

way this morning. After all, it's the most natural

thing in the world to get discouraged. to retreat

to what is familiar. Well, wherever we're at

today, this story, this encounter on the beach,

reminds us that Jesus and God meets us when we

come to the end of ourselves. Jesus is always

there before us, even in the darkest places of

our lives. The darkest places of our lives, Jesus

is there. And he doesn't just meet us there or

leave us there. He leads us out. And he calls

us to join with him in learning to love others

with forgiveness, trust, and persistence, just

as we are loved by him. The deeper we go in experiencing

God's forgiveness and love for us, the more we're

able to share his love and forgiveness with others.

The love that we're talking about always begins

with God. It's overflowing from him. It's his

initiative in our lives that enables you and

I to learn how to love. And here's the thing.

Jesus doesn't choose the best and the brightest

to do his work. He chooses us. Each one of us.

The temptation is sometimes to believe that ministry

is something for people with particular gifts.

or for people who are particularly spiritual,

or for those few who are called to be a part

of God's work in the world. But Jesus dispels

those notions by who he chooses. Our reading

today reminds us that many of his followers were

fishermen. Others were tax collectors or prostitutes.

It's not exactly the dream team. Take Peter,

for example. After his betrayal, why would anyone

in their right mind still trust him or give him

a responsible position in ministry? And what

about Paul, who is hunting people down and standing

by while they are executed? Two of the great

figures of the New Testament, heroes of the faith,

Peter and Paul, and both of them should absolutely

have been disqualified, been rejected by Jesus

for what they have done. And yet here they are,

forgiven. And Jesus entrusts them with his work

in the world. So this question for each one of

us this morning, as we gather together, do you

remember that we're coming before this crazy

love? And are we going to let that love encounter

us through what we do in our worship today? So

that it does begin to transform our hearts, change

our lives, and through us, it can change our

world. I don't know about you, but I look at

our world, it is desperately in need of the love

that forgives, that trusts, and that persists,

even in the face of great hardship. That's what

we're called to do. That's why we're here this

morning. When we look out and we pray that God

will bring healing to our broken world, and God

comes back and says, yeah, I'm going to. And

it begins with you. I'm going to do it through

you. Just like he did through Peter and through

Paul. And here's the mystery. The more clearly

we come to know who God is and what God has done,

the more we're able to share his love. But the

more we share his love, the more we also come

to know what this love is. God's inviting you

and I into that this morning. And I pray that

every part of this service together will bring

God's healing and restoration to us, set us free,

that we too might follow just like Peter and

Paul. Gracious God, we thank you so much for

the gift of your word, and we pray and ask that

as we think about your word, in particular about

the gift of love that you give to us in Jesus

Christ, that your spirit will inspire, encourage,

enable us to be those who learn to love. just

as Jesus loved. We pray this in the name of your

Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.