THE ROOT OF THE MATTER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21544, 16 January 1932, Page 19

THE ROOT OF THE MATTER

Written for the Otago Daily Times By the Rev. D. Gardner Miller. There are certain choice chapters in the Bible to which wo turn again and again—chapters whieli never cease to help and encourage. Among such chapters, the twenty-first of the Gospel of John, has, for one, a peculiar fascination. To linger over it, even for five minutes, is a delight both to my mind and heart. There are many reasons why this chapter in particular, and the Gospel of John in general, holds for me, and for many others, such joyful and strengthening qualities. One of the reasons is that the Gospel was written by an old man. His memories of Jesus are rounded off with the mellowness that comes from reflection. It is a Gospel of experience. And surely it was very natural that, when the aged writer came to the last chapter of his story he should become personal. There is a quiveringly beautiful reminiscence of a meeting with Jesus round a beach fire in the early hours of a grey morning. And then there is that intensely personal recollection of the conversation between Jesus and Peter. I somehow don’t think that that story would ever have been told had not Peter “ proved ” himself a worthy shepherd. The writer felt himself entitled to recall that scene, as though the very spirit of Peter had come in a dream to the old man with a definite request that it be included in the book of memories he was writing, so that others, reading it, might be profited. Jesus got down to the root of the matter with Peter about his future life, in that talk as they strolled along the beach. “Lovest thou Me?” “ Feed My sheep and My lambs.” y Three times did Jesus ask Peter that penetrating question ; and three times, in reply to Peter’s humble statement, did He make it clear that Peter must now, if he would become a real follower, change both his outlook and task.

I am not at all conerned whether there is any literary artifice in the record of the three-fold question as though it were meant to offset the three-fold denial of Peter on the eve of Christ’s crucifixion. For my own part I accept the statement as recorded, and feel it is so vital and real, not only for Peter but for myself and all other men and women who want to face life on the ground floor, that we but waste precious time in critically weighing the pros and cons. What was Jesus making Peter face up to when He insisted in asking him if he loved Him, and insisted on speaking about sheep and' lambs? I think you find the answer in the reiteration about feeding the sheep and the lambs. Why speak about sheep and lambs to a fisherman? Peter was a fisherman, not a shepherd. Yes, but it was a shepherd that Jesus wanted Peter to become. FROM FISHERMAN TO SHEPHERD.

Think it over quietly for a' minute or two, and you will realise that Jesus was expecting Peter to do a tremendous thing. A fisherman does not love fish, nor does he lay down his life for fish —but a shepherd is expected to do both for his sheep or else he fails as a shepherd. The change from fisherman to shepherd was a change that went to the root of Peter’s life and changed the direction of it for ever. Sheep have to be led and lambs have to be fed. In other words, Peter had to learn not only how to lead but what is infinitely harder, how to stoop. The world is not full of fish, but it is full of men and women and little children. They need leadership, but real 4 leadership, the kind that matters, must be a leadership that will stoop to help the little ones when they are tired. Men and ; Women who would he under shepherds of Christ must be prepared to bend the back and stoop as well as stride on, leading the way. Jesus never doubted that Peter loved Him, but He was terribly anxious that this old friend of His should possess that quality of love that would be prepared to leave the safety of the valley and venture among the ugly cliffs and ravines to find a stray sheep that was too spent to bleat.

“ Lovest thou Me, Peter ? ” —to that extent! It wasn’t easy for Peter to change from being a fisherman to becoming a shepherd—but lie managed it, with credit.

But when I linger a little longer over this incomparable chapter I feel that Jesus wanted to teach Peter, and you and me, if we will, the difference between SELF-ASSERTION AND SELFRENUNCIATION, If ever there was a self-assertive fellow it was Peter. He had all the defects of his fine qualities. But a shepherd of souls must learn to subdue self. Did Peter ever reach that high altitude? I believe he did, though not without struggle and pain. Look at that wonderful letter in the New Testament called the First Epistle of Peter. Read the twenty-first chapter of John, and then read the First Epistle of Peter. Only the grace of God could make the difference that emerges between the two records. The key-word of the epistle is submission. Submissive Peter! What has happened? He has become a shepherd. Read the epistle not once or twice, but repeatedly; note how often he refers to shepherding, and then note, with wonderment, how he shows that the conquering life can only be attained when Christ becomes first in the life and self is nowhere. I believe the old man who wrote the Gospel of John—his own memories of Jesus —had read this epistle of Peter’s —indeed knew Peter personally, and had witnessed the remarkable change that had come over him, and because of these things he has no scruple about recording what happened between Jesus and Peter on that grey morning. Now, self-renunciation is difficult. World renunciation is easy. It is a light matter to give up the things of the world, but it is hard and difficult to subdue yourself. But, until we learn that the self in us must not be first, wo cannot hope to know the supreme joy of following Christ. That is the root of the matter.

“ Lovest thou Me! ” “ Me,” not yourself. Only stooping in love and service can cure us of self-assertion. I hate even to appear censorious, but I am beginning to think that a great deal of the trouble in the world to-day is due to the fact that too many of us are playing at being Christian. When all who seek to follow Christ can truly say: “None of self and all of Thee,” then the day of the world’s salvation, and judgment is at hand.