Grace: The "Common" are Called

I love this skit (by the skit guys) about grace!  It refers to this scripture...

“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.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’  A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’  He said to him, ‘Yes Lord; you know that I love you.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’  He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’  Peter felt hurt because he said to him the 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...’”  -John 21:15-17


(I don’t know what the “more than these” is all about.  But as a sidenote:  That’s one of the cool things about the Bible, I think.  It captures conversations...so you don’t always get it, it’s one of those, you had to be there moments, but it reminds you that the stories are real.  They were lived by real people, like you and me!)
Anyway, this conversation went down after Jesus was raised from the dead.  Some point to it as the moment Jesus appoints Simon Peter as leader of the church.  Asking him to dedicate his life to loving His children, sharing the Good News, leading the newly formed Christian church...kinda a big deal.  It’s definitely clear that Jesus is calling Simon Peter to make some things happen.  He says it three times for Pete’s sake!  I would’ve felt like Simon Peter, I think, after answering the same question twice already, to the Lord of All.  He already knows.  He didn’t even have to ask the first time.  And here He is asking three times?  Hello?  Jesus?  Are you listening?
Do you remember this Simon Peter guy?  He was the one that denied Jesus three times.  Hmmm...maybe three times makes some sense now.  It’s true- God knows everything.  He also rarely does anything for Himself; at least, that's my impression.  His reasoning for things often find their roots in caring for us, His children.  Leading, guiding, loving, holding, reprimanding, prodding... us.  So I don’t believe Jesus asked three times for His sake.  Rather, I think He wanted Simon Peter to really think about what Jesus was asking him.  And to think about his three denials.  To feel that with each statement of love, he was being forgiven.
I love this story, along with so many others, because we see how God calls the common.  The people who aren’t anything all that special according to society- fisherman, tax collectors, shepherds.  Who make big, messy mistakes (all of them), who aren’t great at public speaking (Moses), who are young (Jeremiah), who are small (David), who have been led astray (Paul, formerly Saul), the list goes on and on.  But they all loved the Lord with all their heart and soul and mind as well as they could (which still included mistakes and sin).  Just like us!  God uses the common to make the ridiculous and amazingly uncommon happen! God uses us, regardless or maybe even because of our imperfections and mistakes, to do His good works.
"My grace is enough; it's all you need.  My strength comes into its own in your weakness."  -2 Corinthians 12:9 (MSG)

Prayer:  Thank you Father God for choosing us!  Thank you for forgiving our sins and our mistakes.  Thank you for calling the common.  For loving the outcasts.  Help us to do the same.  Amen!