Forgiveness and Redemption

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. –Colossians 3:12-13

Burt Parker, youth minister at Grace Church in Avon, had everyone's attention when he spoke in Chapel on Wednesday morning. Mr. Parker told the students that one of the reasons he enjoys working with teens is because of the way God feels about them. "God does not put kids on a waiting list," he said. "He uses them to change the world."

Moving on to his topic of grace and forgiveness, Mr. Parker asked, "How do we live grace-filled lives and give grace to others?" He directed attention to a passage from the gospel of John. Reminding everyone that the New Testament was originally written in Greek, he spoke a little about the specificity of the Greek language. There is a Greek word that is used only twice in the entire New Testament. "When a word is used only two times," he said, "you should pay attention." That word, he continued, is "charcoal."            

Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest's courtyard with Jesus. Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. The woman asked Peter, "You're not one of that man's disciples, are you?"

"No," he said, "I am not."

 Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself.

–John 18:12-18

 

Jesus had just been arrested, and Peter and John had followed to where Jesus was taken. Because he was not known to the high priest, Peter had to wait outside the courtyard gate, where there was a fire going for warmth. The Romans, Mr. Parker explained, used charcoal rather than wood for fires, and charcoal fires were for heat, not for cooking. Peter is keeping warm at this fire, and while Jesus is on the other side of the gate being questioned, Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times.

 

Mr. Parker then referred to a second passage from John:

Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing."

"We'll come, too," they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.

At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn't see who he was....

Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Lord!" ...  When they got [to the shore], they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.

After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you."

"Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him.

Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

"Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you."

"Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said.

A third time he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep."  –John 21:1-9, 15-19

 

Jesus had prepared breakfast over a charcoal fire. Using charcoal was a Roman practice, not a Jewish one, and again, charcoal was not used for cooking. Peter had "messed up" three times, and at the same kind of fire, had been forgiven three times. The fire of denial had become a fire of redemption. "There is always grace. We are forgiven," Mr. Parker said. "God doesn't hold grudges."

 

"The grace Jesus has for you can forgive everything you have ever done wrong," he concluded. "The clearest mark of being a Christian is not just receiving grace, but being someone who can give grace."