~ Misericordias Domini ~
Readings: Ezekiel 34:11–16 | 1 Peter 2:21–25 | John 10:11–16
Text: Ezekiel 34:11-16
Remember Peter, who was so promising? “18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18) This Peter denied 3 times that he knew the Lord. If that weren’t enough, it was after he had vehemently promised that he would not deny Jesus, even if it meant death (Matt. 26:35).
As it happened, it was more like what the Lord describes in the Gospel:
“12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”
What to do with such a fleeting shepherd?
15When 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.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved 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. 18Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
The Lord takes Peter through a process to restore him. Sins we commit against one another break relationships and uproot trust. Nevertheless, when the Lord says He forgives us all our sins, He means it. Not one is left, but “as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us” and “If you forgive the sins if any, they are forgiven them.” (Psalm 103:12; John 20:23)
Nonetheless, there is a process to restoration, even from the Lord’s perspective. We see that at work with Peter. He will be tried and thus strengthened all the more because of his denial. Even Peter’s wretched unfaithfulness, the Lord will use for His good purpose. But this is not something that can be immediately be imbued. Neither can it be summed up in one great day of confession (a la Confirmation Day). For all of us who are here to hear this message, Confirmation was only one milestone along the journey of your faith. The example of St. Peter shows us that the life of a follower of Jesus is more of a marathon than a sprint (although we don’t know when the finish line is).
Peter was grieved because Jesus’ questioning is a needed rebuke of his ineptitude and ability to claim any merit before the Lord. It’s a painful thing to be faced with your failures. We would just as well put them behind us and forget about them. But is that what we really need? Peter needed to face the vanity of his promise and the weakness of his self-serving flesh. He needed to learn that following Jesus is not fueled by human choice and determination. The lives of Abraham, Moses, and Solomon are all prime examples of this. Yes, they all made deliberate choices to follow and obey the Lord’s call. However, all the adversity and long years of waiting on Him also show that we remember them not because they were superheroes of the faith. They were noble examples of the Lord at work through them, and ones that we can aspire toward.
That’s how we can appreciate the Lord’s message through Ezekiel:
11“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.
The only place to look for certainty and faithfulness is in the Lord Himself. It’s His heart which is always pure. He will not be self-seeking or fail when put to the test.
He does use human instruments such as Peter and pastors today. They must love Him and also fulfill their duty to feed the Lord’s flock. In all that they do, they must deliver the Lord’s good gifts and point to Him alone as Shepherd of the Church. Nevertheless, they too are never more than followers of Jesus with you. Peter himself, matured and molded by his Lord, would write to later generations of pastors:
1I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:1-4)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
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