Facebook 
Twitter Not domineering [as arrogant, dictatorial, and overbearing persons] over those in your charge, but being examples (patterns and models of Christian living) to the flock (the congregation). –1 Peter 5:3, Amplified Bible
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” –John 21:15-18, NIV
Photo credit: George Chua
One quiet night, during which my fourteen-month-old daughter lay blissfully asleep, I fell into a certain reverie. It had something to do with the fact that our women’s Bible study was on the first letter of Peter, and the way I meditated in a different strand from usual. By usual surprise, there was the divine jolt based on the concoction of homework and reflection.
The version was simple enough — New Living Translation, one that my husband frowned inwardly upon because it was not NKJV, a “proper” one, but relented because I was me. The meditation was the one that veered. I was more conscious of the history of Peter’s transformation than a verse, a chapter memory or socio-historical background reading; all three did converge at some point because you cannot think of someone in the bible apart from what he says or how he lived, but that was not what I was conscious about. This time, I really imagined Peter the man writing the letter (via Silvanus), and his change moved me to want to be like him.
Peter, at this point, was walking in a wholehearted devotion to Christ, based simply on obedience and in reference to Jesus’ last words to him to feed his sheep. I understood, for the first time in my life (revelation in the sense of a light bulb or settled dust) that obedience to Christ is maturity in Christ.
As I related to someone yesterday, “I enjoy aging.” (This kind of talk is foolish for small group conversations among ladies because so many things can come out that you don’t have time for, therefore, I should not reiterate this statement too often in a year because my patience wears thin, ha ha…). In one aspect, “aging” refers to chronologically accumulated experiences and discerning reflections of oneself, that is, I love the process of becoming wiser. However, this is also silly because age is never more powerful than agelessness. Therefore, I much prefer conversations that potentially look forward to just how I’ve grown in Christ as stated in the doubled edged sword. A good measurement of sagacity should tear down whatever value we’ve made of man-made garlands, like praise, honour, wealth, glory etc. Then again, am I opening myself to Insidious pride maybe, at a growing humility? That is why I am humbled by Peter’s change.
In light of Christ’s last words and his own, Peter had overcome – the younger self of anger, prejudice, and shame, and influential, prophetic personality and leadership — these stages being most popular over the pulpit for a ‘swashbuckling fool made good’ (my paraphrase) when preachers bring up lessons on Peter.
Peter has matured because he has grown simpler… so simple that any layperson still fighting for social justice (or struggling to believe that entire Scripture is inspired by God) can pluck faults from the kind of attitude Peter wants believers to have. Because this letter was before martyrdom under Nero and the second letter, the anti-Christian sentiments in Rome, and in reference to some world governments today, make the exhortations to follow authorities difficult to follow. When I was too young, I remembered arguing the fine balance of submission to authority in the contexts of world and church history. The argumentation for “balance” is academically sound but terribly misplaced if that is how we try to read the Bible. In my discerning mind, I cannot yet accept that being at peace with each other in marriage means what Peter said it means in the letter. How I react to church leaders being measured against that famous sermon to look after the sheep, according by example as an elder, is clearly more by intellectual judgment than Peter, who by the first letter, has become the blooming fruit of the Spirit.
So how grating is the word of God against our truer selves, the souls, because true simplicity is unadorned and untainted obedience to Christ! Peter had grown to feed the sheep by yielding to Christian authority and boundaries on earth, as it is in heaven. I repent of a stupid idealism, that the apex of Peter’s reputation is in sermons like Acts 2:14-41 and signs and wonders. Could it be that man, drawn to the same glitter of gold is also prone to salivating at kingdom demonstration than character? My fault lies against the reflection of the word of God. If the Word says the kingdom should grow to be a huge mustard tree, then Peter’s kingdom growth in Acts was powerful but a display of young shoots then; the tree burst at its branches nearer the end of his life than at the beginning of the Pentecost. (If we learn from example, we should see signs and wonders in our young Christian walk!)
I am foolishly insecure when I think my life’s works should be accounted by the performance of some kingdom demonstration, when true obedience stretches longer and deeper than one generation’s opinion or rejection. Peter’s change from fiery passion to the gentleness and lowliness of Christ comes by example via following his Lord. Our fiery passion must be tempered towards Christlike character and not simply demonstrations for fireworks. Because Christlikeness can only be gotten from a true worship of God in spirit and in truth (see John 4:23-24) — permeating all parts of our selves, the body, soul and mind, this kind of worship is exemplified by Peter’s fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7) as compared to fear of man, which belies our convictions when we honestly assess how much we believe and follow what Peter says about relationships and authority.
Mentoring is leading by example because wisdom is powerful when embodied. Christ is the walking model of wisdom. “What you value, shows”, said the ex-youth pastor Steven of Trinity Christian Centre. I heard this during his exposition of the Ten Commandments. Jesus Christ fulfilled the Ten Commandments (see note 3), and it obviously takes a perfect person to do so. The perfect person is perfect in wisdom. To be wise is to follow true wisdom, not earthly education. I cannot see how I can (begin to) do so without knowing the perfection that is Jesus Christ. What helps in the analysis of daily living according to wisdom, are the people who live by following Christ’s example.
Peter, down the generations, to Christians of today, show by example the fruit of that wisdom which is Christ. I am grateful for the mentors who have invested in my life — Kimberly Creasman, Stuart Gurnea, David Johnson and their spouses. These people modelled for me “discipleship into the kingdom”. When I think about leading my girls at Bible Study or at lifegroup, I often think, “What would Kim, Stuart or Dave say or do?” and follow a logical conclusion. If the sheep does not understand, you did not teach well. And if you did not teach well, you did not show it well. You are not yet understanding the simple devotion to Christ by obedience. If you are not choosing to obey Christ who is the head of all things, you are unwise.
The Bible is clear about who the head of the church is. The apostle Paul said, “imitate me as I imitate Christ” (1 Cor 11:1) whereby the trickle-down effect of the Christlikeness of a mentor is a good gauge of progress — in the sense, my own progress — so that I am following a divine strand that has not been compromised. These pilgrims who go before me are lighting the way through their examples as they see examples before them, and in the culminating authority of Jesus Christ.
Mentoring begins with an oath of discipleship to Jesus Christ because although the cost is great, the change is tremendous. Peter’s commitment to Christ had settled to a certain, blind to worldly trust, obedience that I can identify but not comprehend, because I have not fully yielded. I see now that basic boundaries of commitment like punctuality and accountability are weak medicine. The maturity of Peter the disciple is so simple that it stumbles my intellect, which is just as well.
Leave a Reply