At dawn today, I watched this Sunbird in its morning hopping flights between flight stations in search of nectar. The jasmine flowers and the Rambutan flowers offer Sunbirds drops of nectar. But it did not seem to find flowers- there were buds in the jasmine plant and the Rambutan flowers have become fruits.
The Sunbird did not find its nectar from it usual plants.
Peter and John had gone to the tomb on the third day and found the empty grave. Mary and other women reported to Peter and the other disciples that they saw the risen Jesus.
I remembered what happened to Peter and other disciples who went to the sea for fishing after Jesus had risen! (John. 21:1-11). They toiled through the night and caught no fish. It is strange that Peter even after knowing that Jesus had risen returned to fishing and led the other disciples due to his influence.
It was to this Peter Jesus asked to cast the net when He appeared to them in the shore. They had a big catch of fish. Following the breakfast Jesus had prepared for them, Jesus had a conversation with Peter three time , 'Simon, son of John do you love me' to which Peter said, ' I love you' (John 21:12-17).
It was the same Peter who denied Jesus three times during the trial of Jesus before His crucifixion.
It was the same Peter who wrote two epistles, which to me are two seminal passages in the Scripture about conduct required of a follower of Jesus of Nazareth during difficult times. The first epistle elaborated
on the joyful hope in the midst of suffering and the second epistle was a call to be faithful in the midst of falsehood.
While reading the two chapters of the first epistle of Peter, I found three words Peter used, chosen (1 pet 1.10), aliens (I Pet 1.1; 2.11) and strangers (1 Pet2:11). He described the aliens and strangers as chosen! He urged the aliens and strangers 'to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul' (I Pet 2;11).
What a reflection of a truth from his own personal life while following Jesus as a disciple!
I found Peter's admonition to honour authority (I Pet 2:13-20), and respectful behaviour as husbands and wives (I Pet 3:1-9) as messages with abounding clarity. In fact, the admonition on husband-wife relationship when read with Paul's admonition in Ephesians 5:22-33 on the same topic, offers a completeness and all-roundedness that is needed on this topic. If one reads only Ephesians on this subject, one might be left with some unresolved questions. But when read with Peter's version, there is clarification that Paul left unaddressed.
I like Peter's statement in I Pet 4: 8-11 as a golden rule in personal conduct: 'Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so in all things God may be glorified..'
Peter denied Jesus, led other disciples back to fishing, and needed a personal exhortation from Jesus to 'feed the sheep' ! Finally Peter became inwardly changed to become soulful in his orientation to the calling he pursued.
Peter was the one who brought Paul after his conversion from Tarsus to Antioch. It was through their joint ministry the followers of Jesus were called for the first time as 'Christians' (Acts 11:25-26).
It was Peter who diffused the reluctance of even St Paul to welcome gentiles to the faith without dragging them through the process of circumcision (Acts 15: 1-12), following Peter's experience of leading Cornelius to faith (Acts 10: 1-33). It was Peter who was the peace maker and reconciler when there was a dissension between the followers of Jesus from the jewish origins and gentile origin!
The defence that Peter made in Jerusalem, when the followers of Jesus of jewish origin said to Peter, 'You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them', Peter 'began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence...(Acts 11;2-4)! We encounter here a sober Peter and not an impulsive Peter.
What is fascinating here is that the 'cross and resurrection' was not enough to make Peter a 'new creation' who advocated: '...let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind hearted, and humble in spirit, not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead..' (I pet 3:8-9).
The cross and the resurrection initiate us into a pilgrimage journey after Jesus of Nazareth; our inner formation is an on-going experience of awareness of truths that will gradually illuminate our inner person to make us more and more 'conformed to the likeness of Jesus' (Romans 8:29).
God was at work in Peter's life to lead him in the journey of metanoia, openness to God's transforming presence in his life!
I feel surprised myself how seeing the Sun bird in our garden, not finding nectar, reminded me of Peter and other disciples finding no fish after toiling at night. It was that led me on to trace the journey of Peter from being a faltering disciple of Jesus to becoming a gracious person radiating the essence of the Sermon on the Mount in his life and vocation!
Yes, each of us is a becomer !
That makes us like an infant of one year, who would fall several times while he or she attempts to walk! Every fall becomes an inspiration to continue attempting to walk!
The becoming process is such a journey of inward change where love becomes the ambience as we read in I corinthians chapter 13: ' When I was a child, I used too speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child: when I became a man, I did away with childish things...'(v 11).
Peter was such a person who moved beyond himself to be renewed in his inner person!
This Mynah above is looking out from the summit of a tree to move to the next flight station! It spends the day moving to new flight stations!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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