Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 97
97.0 On the same words of the Gospel of John. xxi. 15, ‘Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these?’ etc PL 38, 797
[CXLVII. Ben.]
On the same words of the Gospel of John. xxi. 15, “Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these?” etc.
97.1 On the same words of the Gospel of John. xxi. 15, ‘Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these?’ etc PL 38, 797
1. Ye remember that the Apostle Peter, the first of all the Apostles, was disturbed at the Lord’s Passion. Of his own self disturbed, but by Christ renewed. For he was first a bold presumer, and became afterwards a timid denier. He had promised that he would die for the Lord, when the Lord was first to die for him. When he said then, “I will be with Thee even unto death,” and “I will lay down my life for Thee;” the Lord answered him, “Wilt thou lay down thy life for Me? Verily I say unto thee, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice.” They came to the hour; and because that Christ was God, and Peter a man, the Scripture was fulfilled, “I said in my panic, Every man is a liar.” And the Apostle says, “For God is true, and every man a liar.” Christ true, Peter a liar.
Petri praesumptio et negatio. Apostolum Petrum primum omnium Apostolorum meministis in Domini passione fuisse turbatum. A se turbatum, sed a Christo innovatum. Fuit enim prius audax praesumptor, et postea factus est timidus negator. Promiserat se pro Domino moriturum, cum prius pro illo esset Dominus moriturus. Quando ergo dicebat, Tecum ero usque ad mortem; et, Animam meam pro te ponam: respondit ei Dominus, Animam tuam pro me pones? Amen dico tibi, priusquam gallus cantet, ter me negabis . Ventum est ad horam: et quia Deus erat Christus, homo autem Petrus, impleta est Scriptura, Ego dixi in pavore meo, Omnis homo mendax . Dicit autem Apostolus, Quoniam Deus verax, omnis autem homo mendax . Verax Christus, mendax Petrus.
97.2 PL 38, 798
2. But what now? The Lord asketh him as ye heard when the Gospel was being read, and saith to him, “Simon, son of John, lovest thou Me more than these?” He answered and said, “Yea Lord Thou knowest that I love Thee.” And again the Lord asked this question, and a third time He asked it. And when he asserted in reply his love, He commended to him the flock. For each several time the Lord Jesus said to Peter, as he said, “I love thee;” “Feed My lambs,” feed My “little sheep.” In this one Peter was figured the unity of all pastors, of good pastors, that is, who know that they feed Christ’s sheep for Christ, not for themselves. Was Peter at this time a liar, or did he answer untruly that he loved the Lord? He made this answer truly; for he made answer of that which he saw in his own heart. Whereas when he said, “I will lay down my life for Thee,” he would presume on future strength. Now every man knows it may be what sort of man he is at the time when he is speaking; what he shall be on the morrow, who knows? So then Peter turned back his eyes to his own heart, when he was asked by the Lord, and in confidence made answer of what he saw there: “‘Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee.’ What I tell Thee, Thou knowest; what I see here in my heart, Thou seest also.” Nevertheless, he did not venture to say what the Lord had asked. For the Lord had not simply said, “Lovest Thou me?” but had added, “Lovest thou Me more than these?” that is, “Lovest thou Me more than these here do?” He was speaking of the other disciples; Peter could not say ought but, “I love Thee;” he did not venture to say, “more than these.” He would not be a liar a second time. It were enough for him to bear testimony to his own heart; it was no duty of his to be judge of the heart of others.
Petri amor in Christum verus. Unitas omnium pastorum in Petro figurata. Modo quid? Interrogat eum Dominus, sicut audistis cum Evangelium legeretur, et dicit ei: Simon Joannis, diligis me plus his? Respondit ille, et dixit: Etiam, Domine, tu scis quia amo te. Et iterum Dominus hoc interrogavit, et tertio hoc interrogavit. Et respondenti dilectionem, commendavit gregem. Per singula enim dicebat Dominus Jesus Petro dicenti, Amo te: Pasce agnos meos, pasce oviculas meas. In uno Petro figurabatur unitas omnium pastorum, sed bonorum, qui sciant oves Christi pascere Christo, non sibi. Numquid modo Petrus mendax erat, aut amare se Dominum mendaciter respondebat? Veraciter hoc respondebat: hoc enim respondebat, quod in corde suo videbat. Quando autem dixerat, Animam meam pro te ponam, de futuris voluit praesumere viribus. Omnis autem homo qualis sit tunc cum loquitur, forte scit; qualis crastino futurus sit, quis scit? Revocabat ergo oculos suos ad cor suum Petrus, quando interrogabatur a Domino, et fidens respondebat quod ibi videbat: Etiam, Domine, tu scis quia amo te. Quod tibi dico, tu scis: quod hic video in corde meo, vides et tu. Non ausus est tamen dicere quod Dominus interrogaverat. Non enim simpliciter Dominus dixerat, Diligis me? sed addiderat, Plus his diligis me? id est, Plus me diligis quam isti? De aliis discipulis dicebat: ille non potuit dicere nisi, Amo te: non ausus est dicere, Plus his. Noluit iterum esse mendax. Suffecerat ei testimonium perhibere cordi suo: non debuit esse judex cordis alieni.
97.3 PL 38, 798
3. Peter then was true; or rather was Christ true in Peter? Now when the Lord Jesus Christ would, He abandoned Peter, and Peter was found a man; but when it so pleased the Lord Jesus Christ, He filled Peter, and Peter was found true. The Rock (Petra) made Peter true, for the Rock was Christ. And what did He announce to him, when he answered a third time that he loved Christ, and a third time the Lord commended His little sheep to Peter? He announced to him beforehand his suffering. “When thou wast young,” saith He, “thou girdedst thyself, and wentest whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thine hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.” The Evangelist hath explained to us Christ’s meaning. “This spake He,” saith he, “signifying by what death he should glorify God;” that is that he was crucified for Christ; for this is, “Thou shalt stretch forth thine hands.” Where now is that denier? Then after this the Lord Christ said, “Follow Me.” Not in the same sense as before, when he called the disciples. For then too He said, “Follow Me;” but then to instruction, now to a crown. Was he not afraid to be put to death when he denied Christ? He was afraid to suffer that which Christ suffered. But now he must be afraid no more. For he saw Him now Alive in the Flesh, whom he had seen hanging on the Tree. By His Resurrection Christ took away the fear of death; and forasmuch as He had taken away the fear of death, with good reason did He enquire of Peter’s love. Fear had thrice denied, love thrice confessed. The threefoldness of denial, the forsaking of the Truth; the threefoldness of confession, the testimony of love.
Petrus desertus a Christo, et post roboratus. Verax ergo Petrus, an verax in Petro Christus? Quando autem voluit Dominus Jesus Christus, deseruit Petrum, et inventus est homo Petrus: quando autem placuit Domino Jesu Christo, implevit Petrum, et inventus est Petrus verax. Veracem Petrum petra fecerat: Petra enim erat Christus . Et quid ei nuntiavit, quando tertio respondit amare se Christum, et tertio Dominus Petro suas oviculas commendavit? Praenuntiavit ei passionem suam. Cum esses, inquit, junior, cingebas te, et ibas quo volebas: cum autem senueris, extendes manus tuas, et alter te cinget, et feret quo tu non vis. Evangelista nobis exposuit quid dixerit Christus. Hoc autem dicebat, inquit, significans qua morte clarificaturus esset Deum: id est, quia pro Christo fuerat crucifigendus; hoc est enim, Extendes manus tuas. Ubi est ille negator? Deinde post haec ait Dominus Christus: Sequere me . Non sic quomodo prius, quando vocavit discipulos. Nam et tunc dixit, Sequere me: sed tunc ad doctrinam, modo ad coronam, Numquid non quando negavit Christum, occidi timuit? Hoc timuit pati, quod passus est Christus. Sed jam timere non debuit. Videbat enim in carne viventem, quem viderat in ligno pendentem. Resurgendo Christus abstulit mortis timorem: et quoniam abstulerat mortis timorem, merito interrogabat Petri amorem. Ter negaverat timor, ter confessus est amor. Trinitas negationis, desertio veritatis: trinitas confessionis, testimonium dilectionis.