Forgiveness
We have almost no information for this snapshot. And so I have to do some "supposing":Somewhere between Simon Peter running to the tomb, finding it empty and "wondering to himself what had happened" and the Sunday night (when Jesus appeared to all of the disciples,) Jesus appeared to Simon Peter alone.
Simon Peter had failed. He had denied Jesus and called down curses to prove his point. We know the details of the later encounter that Peter has when Jesus walks with him on the shores of Galilee: In that encounter Peter gets three opportunities to express love for Jesus to atone for his denials.
So this first encounter is not about sorting out the denials.I wonder if there was even a lot said. I wonder if Peter didn't just fall down in worship and relief. Relief? Yes relief! He walked away from the empty tomb wondering what had happened. Now he knew! Hope was rekindled, faith had been revitalised.
Sometimes we are also in the trap of doubt and failure. We find it hard to believe in God's goodness and forgiveness. We are painfully aware of our own darkness and failure and doubt that God is interested in us. We have a long list of failures that we need to "sort out" before we can "crawl back to God." (which is what we think we have to do...) We make coming back to God a very complicated business.
I think this first encounter between Jesus and Peter just cuts past all of Peter's "ifs and buts." He just needs to experience God's presence and love. (After all, isn't that what the story of the Prodigal Son is all about?)
FLASHBULB: "Peter, you think coming back to me is a complicated business, but here I am!!! I will specially come to you!! No need to say anything or do anything, just experience my presence and my love!"
| They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." (Luke24:33-34) |
