The Third Time

A beach at dawn, a fire already burning with fish on it, seven men who caught nothing all night. Nobody says much. None of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. They eat.

Then the conversation, worth hearing as three separate exchanges. Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. Feed my lambs. Again: Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. Feed my sheep. A third time, the same question, and Peter's answer changes shape. He stops asserting anything about himself and appeals to what the other man already knows. Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.

You will have heard the sermon about the two Greek words for love here. Handle it carefully. John swaps vocabulary all through these three lines, lambs and sheep, feed and tend, two different words for knowing, and the text gives its own reason for the grief without mentioning any of that: Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time.

Three is the number doing the work, and John has told you why. Chapters earlier, in the high priest's courtyard, the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself. Two of his three denials are made standing at it. The phrase fire of coals occurs twice in the whole Bible, both in this Gospel, and the second one is on this beach.

Peter is never asked to explain the courtyard. He is asked one question, three times, by somebody who already had the answer, and then handed a job with other people's lives in it. What would it take out of you to be asked your question three times, in front of your friends, by the one person who cannot be lied to?

Daily Manna runs on a two-year cycle. The year one reading for day 357 is Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

All 365 readings in Daily Manna, Year Two