Jesus’ summons to ‘follow me’ may lead Peter (and us) into some very difficult places (John 21.1-19).
Context and reflection
It is fascinating to realise that when Jesus says to Peter (John 21.19, in verse 22) ‘Follow me’, this is the first time in the Gospel of John where Peter has received this commission. It is one of the differences between John and the synoptic Gospels: in the synoptics the instruction ‘Follow me’ is spoken to Peter at or near the beginning of the Gospel (Matthew 4.19; Mark 1.17; compare also Luke 5.11). Not so in John. Although in John 1 several other disciples either are told to follow or at least act out the instruction, it is not said of or to Peter. Rather, introduced as ‘Simon son of John’ he is given a new name ‘Peter’ (John 1.42).
It is interesting that here in chapter 21 Jesus reverts to addressing him as ‘Simon son of John’. In all truth he had not so far been much of a ‘Rock’ for the church to stand on! There is also an intriguing little exchange between Jesus and Peter during the Last Supper, in which Jesus tells him, ‘you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterwards’ (John 13.36-38), which reinforces the likelihood that the words ‘Follow me’ said to Peter have been deliberately held back till the end of the story.
What a world of difference lies between those two times Jesus said ‘Follow me’ to Peter: the one in the synoptics at the beginning of his ministry – the other in John at its culmination!
In the first instance Peter does not really know what he is letting himself in for. We might wonder whether he saw following Jesus as an exciting new thing to do. Perhaps the fishing had been dull or tedious that day; perhaps the family situation was difficult. Following Jesus offered a welcome change. But, when it comes to this other ‘Follow me’ in today's reading, he knows too much rather than too little. He knows the difficult paths that Jesus’ ministry has led him and his followers; he knows his own limitations and failures. And just to make things transparently clear - before Jesus makes the invitation – he utters a prediction of Peter’s own death as a martyr in Rome.
Somehow, I feel that our Christian life is lived between those two ‘Follow me’. We have heard and responded to the first: we are preparing ourselves to hear and respond to the challenge of the second, whatever precise shape that might take in our personal situation.
For many – perhaps too many – in our world today that call ‘Follow me’ can and has resulted in persecution and martyrdom – like Peter. Rightly we cannot help but remember the at least 200 Christians killed in Sri Lanka on Easter Day, killed precisely because they were celebrating the resurrection of Christ. It has added urgency to the concern which has recently been expressed by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and others that persecution on the grounds of religion or belief is not acceptable – whether it is Christians or members of other religions who are the victims. The Interim Report of the Independent Review of FCO* Support for Persecuted Christians commissioned by Jeremy Hunt has just been delivered and is widely reported on in the media.
Giles Fraser in The Guardian has noted that Christians are the most persecuted of all religions, as also reported in new figures from the 'Pew Research Centre'. Fraser rightly comments that it is important that Christians in countries like the UK do not debase the word to use it simply when some feel out of kilter with secularising trends in western societies. Christians in parts of Asia and Africa know only too well the real meaning of the word.
My own professional work in the area of interreligious relations has involved me, in particular, in supporting Christians in Iran and Nigeria. I was also privileged to be present at the Global Christian Forum gathering ‘Discrimination, Persecution, Martyrdom’ held in Albania in 2015: its excellent report is a very helpful resource.
Prayer
Drawing on the prayer of St Richard of Chichester.
God of ends and new beginnings,
of dark nights and glorious mornings,
of supper places and breakfast gatherings,
greeting us on seashores and in gardens,
your call – ‘Follow me’ – validated by your resurrection.
May we know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly,
day by day.
Amen.
Question
Christians in the UK need to pray for wisdom in supporting their fellow Christians in other parts of the world. It is important that their concern is not seen as a vestige of colonialism. It is also important that the freedom of religion and belief of adherents of other religions is respected, and that hostility to other faiths is not whipped up. What do you think your church should be doing to support Christians in parts of Asia, the Middle East and some countries in Africa?
All-age activity
Peter’s pilgrim’s progress.
Create your own ‘Snakes and Ladders’ type game, based on the ups and downs of Peter’s life and discipleship as recorded in the Gospels, Acts, Galatians 1-2, etc. Don’t forget what seems to be a clear prediction of Peter’s eventual martyrdom in today’s Gospel reading. Then play the game!
Young people
Peter was originally called ‘Simon’ and he was given the name ‘Peter’ meaning ‘Rock’ by Jesus as a sign of his importance for the Christian community. Would you like to be given a new name? What would you want your new name to be saying about you?
Dr Clare Amos is honorary Director for Lay Discipleship in the Anglican Diocese in Europe. Until her retirement last year, she was responsible for interreligious concerns at the World Council of Churches.
*Foreign and Commonwealth Office
KEY: icon indicates ways to connect faith with everyday life
Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by ROOTS for Churches Ltd.