0329 PETE’S ORDINATION

PETE’S ORDINATION

 

by now it prob’ly ain’t no surprise that the first pope weren’t elected by a congress a Card’nals, with pomp n circomefrence, announced to the cheers of thousands in St. Peter’s Square. Fact, he shore had no idea at the time that he was “Saint Peter” himself. He was back to bein Sy Johnson, local fisherman, fallen failure of a follower a Jesus.

 

Jesus had showed Himself twice—both times on Sundays—n toad us to head on back to Gal’lee n wait for Him there.

 

now, Gal’lee ain’t a big place, unless’n you’s lookin for a Man what only shows up about once a week. where would He be? Capernaum? on the hillside near Bethsaida where Jesus gave that famous sermon a His’n? maybe the hill where the 5000 was fed? Naz’reth? Mount Tabor, where He was transfiggered? near the shore, where we first got callt to be fishers a men?

 

since Pete had the boat, we all went where he did. N he went back home to Capernaum. After a couple a long, awkward days, Pete up n says, “I’m goin back to fishin.” like a line a little ducklings, we all say, “we’ll go, too.” n we all waddle down to the water n pack in the boat early in the mornin, then head out into the fog.

 

Pete ain’t been talking much ever since the whole denial incident, n none of us knows how to snap him outa his funk. But out here, in this familiar place, the quiet of the early morning fog in his boat on Lake Gal’lee, the words begin to come out.

 

i ask him, “whatcha thinking, Pete?”

 

“dont call me Pete no more, Boomer John. Jesus callt me that when He trusted me to be a Rock. I ain’t no rock. I denied Him. Call me Sy.”

 

i let that have some soak time, then quiet-like, I say, “whatcha thinking, Sy?”

 

“I’m thinking how much this is like the day He first called me. Remember how we’d been fishin all night? nothin.” 

 

(let me add here that it ain’t a proud moment to admit you been outsmarted by a fish. Specially when your livin depends on me bein able to outsmart something with a brain no bigger’n you’re thumbnail.)  

 

Pete—Sy—slowly unfolds the story. How Jesus borrowed the boat to preach. How when he was done, he told Sy to push out to the deep n let down the nets. How Sy (always quick to speak up) started to argue with Him. Clearly, Jesus don’t know nothin about fish. Fish ain’t close enuff to the surface to catch em out there in mid-day. 

 

Sy says, “but there was sumthin authoritative in Jesus’ eyes. I stopped in mid-complaint, and says, ‘but if you say so.’  seems so long ago, when I last done what He said.”

 

he sorta faded out for a spell, reflectin on that day, how in the most unlikely of places, we all had the biggest catch of our lives. I know what he’s thinking, though. While Boomer Jim n me is heppin Andy with the fish, Sy stops his work to fall at Jesus’ feet and says, “depart from me, Lord, for I is a sinful man.” (guilt n shame ain’t never been far below the surface in ol Pete’s life.)

 

Sy picks up the story again:  “He told me not to fear. Told me i’ll larn to catch men. Changed my name right then n there to Pete. Like i’d be somebody solid. Yeah.” 

 

“I’m Rocky, al’right. My walk is rocky, at best. Inconsistent. Impulsive. Poor leader. Worse foll’wer.”

 

wellsir, the whole while Pete’s talking, the boys is silently castin nets, gatherin nets, castin n gatherin, castin n gath’rin, real quiet. N never once do they catch a thing. Sumthin’s beginning to feel familiar about this.

 

the fog’s beginning to clear, n we see a man on the shore, with a little fire built nearby. We’re a ways out, so it’s hard to make out much, but over the expanse a water, the Man calls out, “got any fish, boys?”

 

we-all take stock of one annuther. All thinking the same thing:  everybody’s a comedian. Pete uses his polite, sarcastic voice: “no, we ain’t ‘got any fish!’ 

 

then the tiny Man in the distance shouts a suggestion: “try the right side of the boat. You’ll find you sum!” that’s just crazy. Nobody from that far away can see no fish to . . . Hold on. Sumthin about His confidence. Could it be . . . ?

 

we drop the nets off the stern side, n instant-lack our nets is full of one of the biggest catches, since . . . 

 

i says, “it’s the Lord!” I was always quicker to see stuff than Pete was. But Pete was always better at bein impetuous. He throws on his cloak n before I can say, “Pete, you can’t swim worth a lick!” he jumps outa the boat. N sinks like a rock. Then he sputters to the surface, n somehow manages to swim—yep, I said Pete done swum—all the way to the shore, which was about 200 cubits away. Outa sheer willpow’r n stubbornness, or miraculous healin, i’ll never know. The rest of us stay n struggle with the net. 

 

shore nough, it’s Jesus. Already cooked some fish for us all. He don’t even know how to fish!  He don’t NEED to know—the fish come to Him. 

 

Pete heps us drag the net ashore, n then he comes back to Jesus. I can tell he wants to say it all again: “depart from me, Lord, for I’m a sinful man.” stead, he sits down to eat in awkward silence.

 

now, we’re all thinking how important this moment is for Pete. What’s Jesus gonna say to the man who denied Him three times? what will Jesus do to the friend who so confidently had boasted, “even if all the others desert you, I never will.” (Pete always was the competitive one. Not me. That’s why Jesus likes me best.)  

 

Pete sits n nibbles, and waits for the hammer to drop on his sorry head.

 

at last, the Lord breaks the silence. Jesus says, “Simon Johnson? (d’ya want Me to call you by your ol fisherman name, Pete? hey, how’s that goin for you on your own, by the way?) 

 

“I have a simple question for ya, Sy:  D’ya still think that’cha love me more’n all of these others? more’n John? more’n all them that fled into the night? more’n you’re nets, n family, n boat, n job? would you lay down you’re life for Me? you got that kinda love for Me?”

 

the man formerly known as Pete pauses. What can he answer honestly? he can’t say an unqualified yes to any a them questions. He swallers hard. “yes, Lord. You know that You’re my friend. I love You like a brother.”

 

Jesus replies simply. “if I’m you’re friend, then take care of my lambs.”

 

we-all hear this conversation, n know it’s the most important thing bein said in Jesus’ whole time. Pete’s hanging in the balance here. A reflective silence hangs over all of us’n. 

 

after a time, Jesus come back with a even more basic question: “Simon Johnson, d’ya love Me sacrificially?”

 

more quickly, Pete replies this time: “yep, Lord. You know I’m of You’re friend.”

 

“shepherd my sheep.”

 

in the long silence, Pete’s tryin to solve this puzzle. Jesus calling him by his old fisherman name. Yit he just showed him that Simon weren’t even good at doingthat job. Not compared to the Lord of the universe. Jesus can control nature, n Jesus had offered to teach him how to fish after men.