"The Coward and the Bully"

If you were a corporate recruiter, looking for people to lead a movement that had the potential to change the world, what qualities would you look for?

A proven track record of leadership? Courage? Intelligence? The ability to inspire others? Maybe empathy, compassion, insight? Someone who shared the same values and beliefs as the movement?

On this third Sunday of Easter, we hear stories of two men chosen by the risen Christ to lead his followers after he is gone, to continue his teaching and work, to transform the world.

The people he chooses would probably be overlooked by every corporate recruiter on earth.

Today we hear the stories of Jesus’ commissioning of the coward and the bully.

First, the coward, the disciple Peter.

Peter has been with Jesus since the beginning of his public ministry. At times he has shown great insight. He was the first to recognize that Jesus was the Messiah.

But just as frequently, he has been a bit of a blustery fool who seems to never quite understand what Jesus is saying and doing.

At one point he proclaims that he is ready to lay down his life for Jesus. The very night he makes that boast Jesus is arrested, and Peter, fearful for his own life, denies three times that he even knows Jesus.

He spends the days after Jesus’ execution locked in a room with the other disciples, huddled in fear that the authorities would come after them next. Twice the risen Christ appears in that room, letting the disciples see and touch him, breathing the Holy Spirit onto them.

Peter is uncharacteristically quiet at those encounters. John records no words from the most loquacious disciple. Perhaps he is embarrassed, ashamed of his denial of Jesus.

Now, in John’s gospel, the risen Christ appears to the disciples one last time. And although seven of the disciples are there, Jesus’ final words are directed at Peter.

“Peter, do you love me?” Jesus asks that morning after breakfast on the beach.

“Yes, Lord, you know that I love you,” Peter answers.

“Feed my lambs,” Jesus replies.

Twice more Jesus asks the same question, until scripture says that Peter is hurt at the repeated questioning. But Jesus’ repetition isn’t meant as a rebuke; it is an absolution.

Three invitations to Peter to confess his love – a chance to wipe away the three denials of that awful night of Jesus’ arrest.

In the questioning and response Peter is forgiven and redeemed.

And he is commissioned to be the chief shepherd of the flock when Jesus is gone.

The coward is given the chief responsibility of caring for God’s people.

Next, the bully – Saul, later known as Paul.

Paul is not just a bully, he is a persecutor of Christians. He makes his first appearance in scripture at the scene of the first of Jesus’ followers to be put to death.

Paul did not participate in stoning Stephen, but he watched with approval. In fact, Saul, a zealous Jew and Pharisee, was one of the most ardent persecutors of those who followed Jesus. He was harsh, arrogant, and violent.

The day of Stephen’s death “a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem,” scripture says. “Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.”

But the Gospel is also spreading beyond Jerusalem and Saul is determined to stop it. With the blessing of the high priest, he heads off to Damascus “breathing threats and murder against the disciples” of Jesus..

On his murderous way, he is suddenly knocked to the ground by a blinding light and a voice demands, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

The voice is the risen Christ, the very one whose followers Saul has dedicated his life to persecuting.

Surely Saul must have thought that his time was up, that he was about to become a victim of the very people he was victimizing. If this voice really belonged to the risen Christ, then surely it was the voice of a justifiably angry God who now was ready for retribution as he demanded, “why are you persecuting me?”

But Christ demands no apologies, repentance, or retribution. Instead he tells Saul to get up and enter the city, where he will be told what to do.

So Saul, who begins his journey with murderous resolve and strength, is led into Damascus blind and helpless as a child. There he meets a follower of Jesus named Ananais, who in a vision is instructed by God to baptize Saul.

Ananais protests, pointing out Saul’s history. God answers, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings.”

Ananias obeys; Paul’s sight is restored and he is baptized, and the bully, the persecutor of Christians, is commissioned to spread Christianity throughout the world.

So what happens to the coward and the bully after the risen Christ absolves and commissions them, after Jesus entrusts them with the care of his people and the spreading of his Gospel?

Peter, the coward, becomes the most eloquent of disciples, boldly proclaiming the good news of the Gospel, bringing thousands of people to the knowledge and love of Christ.

The man who hid in fear did not let imprisonment or threats of death stop him from the job the risen Christ commissioned him to do, until finally he was crucified.

And the bully, the persecutor of Christians? Paul became the greatest theologian and evangelist the Church has ever known, spreading the Gospel and starting churches throughout that part of the world. His writings make up much of the New Testament.

He was imprisoned numerous times, beaten, shipwrecked, and finally martyred for his unwavering faith.

The next time you find yourself fearful, wondering if you are up to the task before you, feeling that there is no way you can be of use to God, remember the coward Peter.

And the next time you look at another as beyond redemption, an enemy who cannot be trusted, remember the bully Paul.

Amen

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Readings

Jeremiah 32:36-41

Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, “It is being given into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence”: See, I am going to gather them from all the lands to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation; I will bring them back to this place, and I will settle them in safety. They shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for all time, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them, never to draw back from doing good to them; and I will put the fear of me in their hearts, so that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing good to them, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.

Acts 9:1-20

Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

John 21:1-19

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 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.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

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