What's in a name

Yesterday's gospel, John 21:1-19, is the story of Jesus last appearance to the disciples in John after his resurrection.  It is almost two stories in one, the first half about Jesus again appearing to the disciples and their excitement over seeing him again.  The second half is a very poignant conversation between Jesus and Peter when Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him.  This second half of the text is a prime example of what comes out during biblical storytelling.  During a normal reading of the gospel, the emotion can be lost and it just sounds like a repetitive conversation.  But by pausing, after each question, putting a sigh before Peter's response and asking the question of stating the reply slowing while looking people in the eye, you convey emotions that are so often missed.  Juliana Rowe, a biblical storyteller, does a good job conveying the emotions of the text here just in how she uses her voice.  And this is whyI LOVE biblical storytelling!!!  Can I say that again? I LOVE biblical storytelling!!!

It has been such an eye opening experience for me to step down into the aisle and tell the gospel story as I look into people's eyes and say phrases like "Do you love me?" or "Yes Lord you know that I love you."  To see the emotions in their eyes as they realize just how much emotion occurred during the original conversation between Peter and Jesus.  Or by using hand gestures or voice tone or even moving forward or backward I can convey distance, size, anxiety, fear, love, joy, hope, a secret, which make the scripture not just be something that we read but something that we experience. 

Over the course of the last two months I have seen people put down their Celebrates (the bulletin insert with the texts written on them) and listen to the Bible.  And not just for the gospel but also for the 1st and 2nd lessons as well.   A variety of people have complimented me on my memorization skills but the comments that I really appreciate, that really make the difference for me is when people talk about how meaningful the scripture was to them or that they were almost in tears hearing the gospel.  Those comments are the reason why I continue to memorize the gospel in order to tell the story.  And they are the reason why I don't think I could ever go back to just reading the gospel, even if I have a busy week and don't find time to memorize the text, I would still read it very dramatically.

Below is my sermon from yesterday which also played with the idea of what emotions were going through Simon Peter's mind as Jesus asked him three times if he loved him.

Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him.  Three times!  Peter must have been heartbroken.  Not only did Jesus ask him three time if he loved him, Jesus was also no longer calling him by the nickname that Jesus gave to him.  Jesus doesn’t call Peter, Peter, the nickname Jesus gave him meaning Rock.  He calls him Simon his given name.  He even addresses the question with more formality calling him Simon son of John. 

Imagine the heartbreak in Peter’s eyes as with each question “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” as he is once again called by his formal name and not his nickname.  Imagine the heartbreak in Peter’s voice with each answer “Yes Lord; you know that I love you” as Peter remembers the three times he denied Jesus during Jesus’ trial.  Peter must have thought that Jesus no longer cared for him.  That he was putting Peter to a test, keeping him at a distance.  For here is Jesus, the person who gave Peter his nickname, who gave him a new identity, calling him by his old name.  In the Gospel of John, Jesus gives Simon his new name the moment they meet.  In John 1:42, Jesus’ first words to Simon Peter are “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter^*).” 

And from that moment on Peter is called Peter or Simon Peter in every reference in John until this conversation.  15 times in John he is called only Peter.  17 times he is called Simon Peter, but he is only called Simon 6 times, three times before Jesus gives him his new name and then these three times here. 

Did Jesus forget his name?  In all the trauma of dying and rising again did Jesus get a bump on his head and now forgot what Peter was called?  But maybe Jesus calls Peter, Simon as a term of endearment, as a sign that Jesus knows who Peter really is.   That Peter can become the leader of the church, the rock on which it is built but he is still at the core Simon son of John.

Now I’m not big on formality, or even my given name.  Very few people in this world call me Rebecca.  Normally the only people who call me Rebecca are people who do not know me but have only seen my name on official forms.  In fact when I go to the doctor’s office or the mechanic and somebody calls for Rebecca it always takes me a moment to realize that they are referring to me.  And one of the first things I say is “call me Becca.”

But think about when our formal names are used.  Yes I was called Rebecca Elizabeth a few times by my parents when I was really in trouble growing up.  But more importantly that name is the name that is on our marriage license, it is the name that was said at my high school, college and seminary graduations, it is the name that was used at my ordination and it was the name that was called when I was baptized.  Our formal names are used during the important moments of our lives.  Our formal names are used during the milestones moments, during moments when we want to take everything in and remember every detail for the rest of our lives.

So Jesus does not call Peter, Simon son of John as a way of insulting him, as a way of reminding him that “hey a few weeks ago you denied even knowing me three times”.  No he uses that name that formal name so Simon Peter realizes that this is an important moment.  That this is a moment that Peter will want to take everything in and remember every detail for the rest of his life.  And Jesus is recalling his words when they first met: “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter^*).” 

And with each question “Simon son of John do you love me?” and each answer “Yes Lord you know that I love you” Jesus gives Peter a task.  Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep.  With each question, with each formality, Jesus is giving Peter a task.  He is calling on Peter to lead the church, to care for the church, to tend to the church.  Jesus trusts Peter. 

Even after denying Jesus, even after all the idiotic things that Peter said to Jesus, even after confession his faith in Jesus then question if Jesus is the messiah, Jesus is still trusting Peter.  Jesus is still putting Peter in charge of the church, in charge of the people whom Jesus cares about, in charge of Jesus’ ministry.

And just like when they first met, Jesus ends the conversation with two simple words: Follow me!  Even with the trust, authority and power Jesus gave Peter, even after predicting the kind of death Peter was to die, he still lets Peter know that he is to follow Jesus.

Jesus too has trusted us, he has given us the authority to feed the lambs, tend the sheep and feed the sheep, but we are also still sheep.  We are also to still to follow Jesus to go where Jesus goes, to allow Jesus to be the one who ultimately lead us, to be the one who we follow.  For Jesus loves us and trusts us, and calls us by name. And we are like Peter saying, confessing, “yes lord you know that I love you.” And that love comes from the Easter message Alleluia Christ is Risen!