In our Gospel reading today, we are presented with Peter’s rehabilitation. He left in shame after denying Christ three times but was then given an opportunity to redeem himself. Jesus asked him to witness to his love for Him three times, countering each denial from before the Crucifixion. At the end of the exchange, He told Peter that “when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18). As John pointed out, Jesus was foretelling Peter’s own crucifixion. He then looked at him and said, “Follow me.”
This must have been an intense interaction for Peter, ashamed as he had been to deny Christ at such a pivotal moment. He had to face that shame directly each time Jesus asked him if he loved Him. Then, after that difficult exchange, Peter was told of his martyrdom. And as if that weren’t trying enough, Jesus closed by commanding Peter, despite all that He had just foretold, to follow Him.
But this remained a redemptive experience, and Peter understood that the Lord did not ask these things in vain. He followed Jesus in fits and starts from the beginning, but was convinced that Jesus is the God-Man. Peter was being sincere when he told Jesus that he loved Him more than all the rest. And he was willing to follow Jesus wherever He went, even to martyrdom.
Paul was similar as we see him awaiting his trial and eventual execution. He too had betrayed Jesus, and he too had been rehabilitated. Jesus called Paul to follow Him even to death, and Paul was nearing the end of his journey. As for Peter, so too for Paul: they understand what following Jesus entails and love Him enough to endure the suffering of martyrdom.
These saints followed Jesus unto death not because of what they could expect from Him if they did. That was part of the picture, eternal life, but it was not the main focus. Peter and Paul loved Jesus above all else. They wanted to give their lives for Him because they knew His surpassing value. They had experienced the God-Man firsthand, and they could not do otherwise than follow Him. They trusted Jesus and strove to do whatever He told them.
The examples of Peter and Paul give us courage for the sufferings in our own lives. God has great things in store for us, but the important thing is that we love Him for Himself and not solely because of the advantages we can expect from following Him. God will always do what is best, and the sufferings He calls us to endure are foreseen from eternity as necessary for His glory and for our peace.
En la lectura del Evangelio de hoy, se nos presenta la rehabilitación de Pedro. Se fue avergonzado después de negar a Cristo tres veces, pero luego se le dio la oportunidad de redimirse. Jesús le pidió que expresara su amor por Él tres veces, contrarrestando cada negación de antes de la Crucifixión. Al final del intercambio, le dijo a Pedro que “cuando eras joven, tú mismo te ceñías la ropa e ibas a donde querías; pero cuando seas viejo, extenderás los brazos y otro te ceñirá y te llevará a donde no quieras” (Juan 21,18). Como señaló Juan, Jesús estaba prediciendo la propia crucifixión de Pedro. Luego lo miró y le dijo: “Sígueme”.
Debe haber sido una interacción intensa para Pedro, avergonzado de haber negado a Cristo en un momento tan crucial. Tuvo que enfrentar esa vergüenza directamente cada vez que Jesús le preguntó si lo amaba. Luego, después de ese difícil intercambio, le cuenta a Pedro de su martirio a futuro. Y como si eso no fuera suficiente, Jesús concluyó ordenando a Pedro, a pesar de todo lo que acababa de predecir, que lo siguiera.
Pero siguió siendo una experiencia redentora, y Pedro entendió que el Señor no le pedía estas cosas en vano. Siguió a Jesús a tropezones desde el principio, pero estaba convencido de que Jesús es el Dios-Hombre. Pedro estaba siendo sincero cuando le dijo a Jesús que lo amaba más que a todos los demás. Y estaba dispuesto a seguir a Jesús dondequiera que fuera, incluso hasta el martirio.
Pablo era semejante, como lo vemos esperando su juicio y su eventual ejecución. Él también había traicionado a Jesús, y también había sido rehabilitado. Jesús llamó a Pablo a seguirlo hasta la muerte, y Pablo se acercaba al final de su jornada. Es lo mismo para Pedro que para Pablo: entienden lo que implica seguir a Jesús y lo aman lo suficiente como para soportar el sufrimiento del martirio.
Estos santos siguieron a Jesús hasta la muerte no por lo que podrían esperar de Él si lo hicieran. Eso formaba parte del cuadro, la vida eterna, pero no era el centro de atención. Pedro y Pablo amaban a Jesús por encima de todo. Querían dar su vida por Él porque conocían su valor incomparable. Habían experimentado al Dios-Hombre de primera mano y no podían hacer otra cosa que seguirlo. Confiaban en Jesús y se esforzaban por hacer todo lo que Él les decía.
Los ejemplos de Pedro y Pablo nos dan valor para afrontar los sufrimientos de nuestra propia vida. Dios tiene grandes cosas reservadas para nosotros, pero lo importante es que lo amemos por Él mismo y no solo por las ventajas que podemos esperar de seguirlo. Dios siempre hará lo que es mejor, y los sufrimientos que Él nos llama a soportar están previstos desde la eternidad como necesarios para Su gloria y para nuestra paz.
David Dashiell is a freelance author and editor in the Nashville, Tennessee area. He has three children, a degree in theology, and enjoys writing about philosophy, theology, culture, music, and comedy. You can find his personal blog, Serious Daydreams, on Substack. He is also the editor of the anthology Ever Ancient, Ever New: Why Younger Generations Are Embracing Traditional Catholicism, available through TAN Books.
Feature Image Credit: Luca Giordano, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Accademia_-_Crucifixion_of_St._Peter_by_Luca_Giordano.jpg
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