Have you ever messed up so badly that you wanted to hide from everyone? That’s exactly how Peter felt after his worst night ever. This bold fisherman who loved Jesus made three terrible mistakes in one evening – he fell asleep when Jesus needed prayer, cut off someone’s ear with a sword, and then denied knowing Jesus three times when people asked. When that rooster crowed, Peter realized what he’d done and ran into the night, crying.
After Jesus came back from the dead, Peter was so ashamed he went back to his old fishing job. But Jesus wasn’t giving up on his friend. He showed up at the lake, helped them catch tons of fish (just like their first meeting), and then asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Each time Peter said yes, and each time Jesus gave him work to do: “Take care of my people.” Three questions to match the three denials – three chances to choose love over shame.
We see ourselves in Peter because we’re made of the same stuff. We mess up, feel ashamed, and want to run away. But here’s the amazing part – Jesus doesn’t chase us down to punish us. He comes looking for us because he wants us back. When we fail, he’s already taken the first step toward making things right.
The next time we mess up, we can learn from Peter’s story. Instead of running away from Jesus, we should run toward him – shame and all. Because in God’s kingdom, there’s always a second chance. Just ask Peter, who went from denying Jesus to becoming one of the most important leaders in the early church. If Jesus can use someone who failed that badly, he can definitely use us too.