The Ordinary Meets The Extraordinary
Laura Miller
May 04, 2024
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The Ordinary Meets The Extraordinary
By Laura Miller
In the lead up to Jesus’ death, there was a conversation between Jesus and the disciples. He asked them who did people say he was. The answers varied. Peter’s answer was a declaration: You are the Christ. Jesus responded with a promise, to build His church on Peter’s life. He called Peter a rock. A strong, and dependable rock. A foundation for building on top of.
Up until this point, the disciples had tasted of Jesus’ ability to heal. They had experienced new teaching, strange parables, mysterious happenings. They had not yet tasted the brutality of sudden violence, torture and death of their beloved Lord.
At the Passover meal, with all the disciples gathered together, Jesus begins to talk about betrayal. In this group of men, joined together by the leader they loved, there was going to be a rift. The tension was rising. Nobody knew who was going to betray Jesus. In the familiarity of eating a meal that was routine and predictable and secure, there are doubts being sown. Jesus tells all the disciples, they will flee, they will scatter, once the shepherd is struck.
Peter declares with confidence, that he will not flee. He would rather die with Jesus. Then Jesus warns him, that Peter will deny his Lord three times.
As they enter the garden of Gethsemane, there is weariness setting in. The disciples are tired. Too tired to pray as Jesus wrestles with the destruction coming. I imagine that the disciples debated many times the cost of following Jesus. Perhaps there were heated debates in their families as this mysterious teacher caused offence with his disregard from what was expected. There must have been times they wondered if fights would break out. Following a rebel, can incite all sorts of mayhem.
Jesus is arrested, and does not fight back.
Then the accusations begin to fly. Religious leaders tear into Jesus’ character. They fling fists at his face. Peter is not far away. He is close enough to know that if his Lord is being tortured, then he could be next. His life is on the line. The words, I do not know this man, fall out his mouth, three times.
In times of extreme stress, our bodies are designed to go into shock, It is protection to keep us safe. Peter was in shock. The life he was willing to lay down, is now held tight within his chest.
More shocks follow. Death, and loss, and so much fear. How did the times of miracle turn into the horrors of loss? Even the explosion of life as Jesus’ is resurrected, is a shock. Why not get in the boat together and just go and fish? The rules are simple. Go out at night and cast the net in the water. And wait. It is only when Jesus appears that this exhausting process of casting nets and yanking them back in yields a huge catch.
On the shore there is breakfast waiting. This is Jesus, cooking and serving and hosting on the beach. The deep comfort of fire and food, and watching Jesus, is a salve. It is a healing of the senses.
Our own experiences of shock and loss, tell us the reality that we cannot predict our own responses once our world is torn apart. This is a moment that shows the tenderness of the Divine meeting very human needs. Tired and exhausted humans need comfort.
The disciples needed comfort. As Jesus served them, were their eyes playing tricks? Was this all a delusion?
How had Jesus escaped the tomb? What was the plan now?
Peter still has the taste of shame in his depths. He knows he betrayed the one he loves. He betrayed his friend, and his God. Shame is a powerful force. It closes our hearts, hides the parts of us we would rather keep secret.
What do we do when we have declared ourselves ready to follow the call of God in our lives, but our nature pulls us away. Fear can tangle us up. We can mess things up. Being a follower of Christ can cost much more than we bargained for.
Jesus cuts right to the core of the matter. He asks Peter if Peter loves him. He asks him three times. Peter is quick to say yes, of course he loves Jesus. Of course he does!
This is a conversation between brokenness and wholeness. Jesus offers Peter the chance to say three times how he feels. The intimacy desired between humanity and God, is revealed in the partnership between both. Jesus is asking Peter to do His work with him and for him.
In between the crumbs of breakfast, the ordinary meets the extraordinary. The scars on Jesus skin, are a mark on his body. He is scarred, yet he reveals perfection in those scars. The hot shame of disappointment in Peter, witnesses a transformed body in front of him. Somehow the wounds on Jesus’ can be a healing between the divine and the physical.
This is the lifting of shame from Peter. The physical refreshing of hot food, and kind words is necessary. Peter is free to declare his dedication, and to be restored into his calling.
Our partnership with God is a mystery. The times we feel so definite and so filled up with purpose can be fleeting. We are in constant battle. Something as small as an unexpected bill, or a family fight can derail our efforts. Something as huge as losing our home or our job, or our loved ones can devastate who we are.
Weariness is inevitable, when our hearts are broken. There are those of us who have known God calling us to serve others for him so clearly, who have lost that sense. When our purpose in God feels defeated, we need comfort.
Perhaps this is a time to seek comfort. As a community we can comfort one another. We can pray for each other. Our bodies need fed, and our hearts need fed, and our souls need fed. This is our hope for you, that you will be comforted, and restored.
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