Shepherds After My Own Heart (Peter’s Fresh48)
I wanted to share a little bit about who St. Peter is and why we (finally) chose to name our son after him.
Personally, I love baby names. I love hearing the ways people choose to name their children - the symbolism, the connections, the familial ties, the harmony of the sound. My husband and I wanted to name this baby after someone who inspires us, and we found there to be endless options, especially among the saints. After basically nine months of debating, we decided to embrace St. Peter because of the connection we both felt toward him.
I can’t speak for my husband, but I see so much of myself in St. Peter and his weaknesses. To me, St. Peter kind of feels like that one friend who is constantly making Jesus shake his head.
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Peter: “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother? As many as seven? That’s kind of a lot…”
Jesus: (shaking head) “No, Peter, try seventy-seven.”
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Peter: “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus: “Yes, Peter. You don’t understand now, but you will later.”
Peter: “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus: “I literally just told you -- and unless I wash your feet, you will not have any inheritance with me.”
Peter: “Okay, then wash my hands and head as well.”
Jesus: (shaking head) “No, Peter. Just your feet.”
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*Breathtaking transfiguration happens on the mountain
Peter: “Lord, it’s a good thing I’m here! I’ll build three tents and we can stay in this moment forev--”
Booming God voice: “THIS is my beloved son! LISTEN to Him!”
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There are many more circumstances, but I think they’re all best summarized in Mark 8, when Jesus begins to predict his passion, death, and resurrection. Peter rebukes him (and I’m sure it wasn’t the first or only time). Here is Peter, thinking he knows better than the son of God. Jesus says,
“GET BEHIND ME, SATAN. YOU ARE THINKING NOT AS GOD DOES, BUT AS HUMAN BEINGS DO.”
- MARK 8:33
Over and over, Peter makes the mistake of thinking in our shallow human ways -- just as I do. How many times do I think I have God’s will figured out, only to have it all come crashing down? How many times does Jesus say to me (and Peter), “My ways are not your ways”?
How many times have I said, “Lord, I am willing to die for you”, yet I turn around and deny him like Peter? How faithful and courageous I see myself in the shelter of my little bubble, and how doubtful and cowardly I am in reality! How often have I denied him by staying silent instead of speaking up, or by turning away instead of reaching out?
Peter’s weakness is shown over and over, yet so is his strength, which always comes through the grace of God.
It’s Peter who is the first to proclaim Jesus as Lord.
WHEN JESUS WENT INTO THE REGION OF CAESAREA PHILIPPI HE ASKED HIS DISCIPLES, “WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT THE SON OF MAN IS?” THEY REPLIED, “SOME SAY JOHN THE BAPTIST, OTHERS ELIJAH, STILL OTHERS JEREMIAH OR ONE OF THE PROPHETS.” HE SAID TO THEM, “BUT WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?” SIMON PETER SAID IN REPLY, “YOU ARE THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.” - MATTHEW 16:13-16
After the divisive Bread of Life Discourse in John 6, it says that “many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.” But again, Peter leads the disciples in truth and proclaims Jesus as Lord:
JESUS THEN SAID TO THE TWELVE, “DO YOU ALSO WANT TO LEAVE?” SIMON PETER ANSWERED HIM, “MASTER, TO WHOM SHALL WE GO? YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE. WE HAVE COME TO BELIEVE AND ARE CONVINCED THAT YOU ARE THE HOLY ONE OF GOD.” - JOHN 6:67-69
One of my favorite passages about Peter is John 21. In the first part of Matthew, Jesus calls Simon Peter and his brother, Andrew, who are fishing. He says, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” It says they left their nets at once and followed him. However, in John 21:3, Peter says to several other disciples:
“I AM GOING FISHING.”
Peter - after having left everything to follow Jesus, after witnessing countless miracles and being taught by the Messiah, after seeing the empty tomb and seeing Jesus in the upper room - after everything, he returns to his former way of life. This, I feel, is the real denial, the abandonment of his higher calling (to be a fisher of men). And the other disciples follow him.
THEY SAID TO HIM, “WE ALSO WILL COME WITH YOU.” SO THEY WENT OUT AND GOT INTO THE BOAT, BUT THAT NIGHT THEY CAUGHT NOTHING.
It’s not surprising that their efforts are fruitless, because they are running from God. Yet, the beautiful thing to me is that Jesus comes after him and calls him again.
WHEN IT WAS ALREADY DAWN, JESUS WAS STANDING ON THE SHORE; BUT THE DISCIPLES DID NOT REALIZE THAT IT WAS JESUS. JESUS SAID TO THEM, “CHILDREN, HAVE YOU CAUGHT ANYTHING TO EAT?” THEY ANSWERED HIM, “NO.” SO HE SAID TO THEM, “CAST THE NET OVER THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BOAT AND YOU WILL FIND SOMETHING.” SO THEY CAST IT, AND WERE NOT ABLE TO PULL IT IN BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF FISH. SO THE DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED SAID TO PETER, “IT IS THE LORD.” WHEN SIMON PETER HEARD THAT IT WAS THE LORD, HE TUCKED IN HIS GARMENT, FOR HE WAS LIGHTLY CLAD, AND JUMPED INTO THE SEA. . .
WHEN THEY HAD FINISHED BREAKFAST, JESUS SAID TO SIMON PETER, “SIMON, SON OF JOHN, DO YOU LOVE ME MORE THAN THESE?” HE SAID TO HIM, “YES, LORD, YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU.” HE SAID TO HIM, “FEED MY LAMBS.” HE THEN SAID TO HIM A SECOND TIME, “SIMON, SON OF JOHN, DO YOU LOVE ME?” HE SAID TO HIM, “YES, LORD, YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU.” HE SAID TO HIM, “TEND MY SHEEP.” HE SAID TO HIM THE THIRD TIME, “SIMON, SON OF JOHN, DO YOU LOVE ME?” PETER WAS DISTRESSED THAT HE HAD SAID TO HIM A THIRD TIME, “DO YOU LOVE ME?” AND HE SAID TO HIM, “LORD, YOU KNOW EVERYTHING; YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU.” [JESUS] SAID TO HIM, “FEED MY SHEEP. AMEN, AMEN, I SAY TO YOU, 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.” HE SAID THIS SIGNIFYING BY WHAT KIND OF DEATH HE WOULD GLORIFY GOD. AND WHEN HE HAD SAID THIS, HE SAID TO HIM, “FOLLOW ME.”
- JOHN 21:4-7, 15-19
Jesus relentlessly pursues Peter and shows him who he is meant to be - just as He does with each of us. Yet even so, Peter isn’t confident in himself or in the power of God. In the following verses, he sees the apostle John and asks Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
I feel this so many times - that others are so much better suited than I. But the gifts God has given to others do not diminish or replace the gifts He’s given to us. Jesus says to Peter, “What concern is it of yours? YOU follow me.” [John 21:22]
We see Peter live out his calling to feed Christ’s lambs and sheep throughout the Acts of the Apostles, as foreshadowed in the Old Testament when God tells Jeremiah,
“THEN I WILL GIVE YOU SHEPHERDS AFTER MY OWN HEART, WHO WILL FEED YOU ON KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING.” - JEREMIAH 3:15
St. Peter was the first shepherd (pope) whom Christ installed to lead and guide his Church. In fact, we can trace every pope and bishop back to him through apostolic succession. Most of these shepherds have been very good, but clearly there are some who have been wolves in sheep’s clothing. Part of me wants to say that we need good shepherds to cast out the wolves now more than ever, but that would be untrue. The church has always and will always need good shepherds like Peter, and this is why we chose these names for our son. They are a reminder to us of God’s goodness and His promise of protection, that the wolves may try to enter the flock but they will never destroy it.
“AND SO I SAY TO YOU, YOU ARE PETER, AND UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, AND THE GATES OF THE NETHERWORLD SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT.” - MT. 16:18
May this boy become a rock and a shepherd for Christ. May he be a leader, a protector, and a servant who learns to listen for the voice of God above his own voice. May he be courageous in the world and not of it, and may he help his brothers, his parents, and all those around him to heaven. In the end, my prayer for our Peter is the same as the Lord’s prayer for St. Peter --
“SIMON, SIMON, BEHOLD SATAN HAS DEMANDED TO SIFT ALL OF YOU LIKE WHEAT, BUT I HAVE PRAYED THAT YOUR OWN FAITH MAY NOT FAIL; AND ONCE YOU HAVE TURNED BACK, YOU MUST STRENGTHEN YOUR BROTHERS.” - LUKE 22:31-32
