The readings of this weekend encourage us to reflect on Peter and his ministry in and to the church. One of the clearest examples of this was the conversation that Jesus had with Peter after the resurrection, when he
tells Peter to feed the sheep and tend the lambs, as an outflowing or manifestation of the threefold question: do you love me? Peter’s service was a result of his love for Jesus, and a manifestation of that love.
The other responsibility given to Peter was to be the doorkeeper. Peter was given the keys of the kingdom and told that he had the power to bind and loosen, to lock or unlock. One can interpret this in a juridical, legalistic
sense, and that certainly plays into the image, sometimes lighthearted and sometimes not, of Peter standing at the pearly gate and only letting those who had “passed” to enter. This image is not rooted in scripture as we
know that the judge of the eschaton is Jesus, who separates sheep from goats, those who had served and those who had not.
The keys Peter was given was related to his pastoral ministry. The words that Jesus uses – to bind and loosen, are more related to chains than doors. Peter has been given the power and the responsibility to heal and
forgive, an obligation far more in keeping with the instruction to feed and tend lambs, than being the gatekeeper turning people away.
These different understandings of the ministry of Peter reflect our own divided hearts. We can want a strong
church that keeps the enemy at bay, who will protect us and the Church from sinners, while also wanting to be
welcomed into a community of love that heals our wounds and forgives our sins. That’s division can leave us feeling a little schizophrenic, veering between harshness and an anything goes attitude.
That is certainly not what Jesus wants for us or the church. We need to find the balance that most reflects the
Jesus we meet in the scriptures, so maybe a good parable for us to sit with is the lost sons, and the father who loved both his sons deeply and could forgive and restore lost relationships.
