Easter Monday, April 13, 2020
The Difference
What makes Peter different from Judas? Why is Peter “The Rock” and Judas “The Betrayer?” When we begin to reflect on this question we see how the Easter story holds so much importance for us. Looking closely we find that Peter repents and allows himself to remain open to Christ. Judas slinks away, suffers remorse, returns the money he received to the chief priests and elders and then hangs himself. (Matthew 27:3-5) He does not seek God. He is so paralyzed by the sudden truth which he sees that he takes his own life. For whatever reason unknown to us, he is unable to allow his pain to bring him to God through purification. He cannot suffer.
Peter moves through his pain back to Christ. He believes Jesus who says that when we repent we are forgiven and restored. Always. Without fail. Judas does not. Judas suspects that Jesus is false. Why? We have no way of knowing but modern psychology tells us it is likely because Judas himself is false. Judas cannot believe the words of Christ because he himself lies, so he expects that Jesus lies as well.
The restorative part of this story is found in the last chapter of this same book which we have examined all week. We may want to return once more today to read this portion of John’s Gospel as one full story for when we do it becomes more than a story. It begins to come into focus as our own story and as an expectation of all that is in store for each of us.
What have we come to understand in this week of Easter? Not only does Jesus return to sustain the weary disciples as they struggle to more fully understand the real meaning of his Easter resurrection, he returns to sustain them in this life and in the eternal next. Yet not only does Jesus restore us, he gives us each an assignment: “Feed my lambs; tend my sheep; feed my sheep.” Jesus returns to renew the promise of liberation, the assurance of salvation, and the gift of eternal love.
We may balk, as Peter did, at the requirements of our covenant with God, but God will patiently await our turning with openness.
We may be anxious about how or if we will fulfill God’s hope in us but God is waiting to restore; God wants to fulfill our heart’s desire; God asks us to live in intimacy with him.
We may worry, we may doubt, and we may fail; yet God does not reject us for God is determined to love us into goodness.
We may rest in the Lord, believe in the Christ, and remain in the Spirit.
Betrayal or return; this choice is ours to make. And this choice makes all the difference in the world.
Tomorrow, coming up with nothing . . .
Adapted from a reflection posted on April 13, 2013.
The Noontimes 