How To Treat Those Who Betray
Peter . . .jumped into the water, and headed to shore. . .a hundred yards away.. 9 When all the disciples got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. 10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 11 So Peter dragged the net to the shore with 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn . . .Then Jesus served them breakfast. John 21:7-13
Reflection:
The last time Peter stood around a charcoal fire was when he denied knowing Jesus. Now Jesus was serving him breakfast. What is it like to be served by a person you’ve wronged? I think it feels strange, even humiliating.
Actually, for a long time I’ve been served by people whom I’ve wronged. Those people are my parents. The more that I advance in years, the more that memories of the ways I disappointed, shamed and hurt my parents flood into my mind. It seems to me that there is a parallel . . . .as the disciples let down Jesus, so I let down my parents. Yet they served me, served me and served me some more. That’s what unconditional love does. That what parents do. Unconditional love just serves, swallows the disloyalty, hurt, and betrayal, and. . . . just keeps serving.
Jesus served breakfast to those who betrayed him. Would you like to shock someone? Find someone who’s hurt you, maybe even deeply and choose a meaningful way to serve them. Expect nothing. Abandon hope that your act will make any difference to them. Just do it. Do it because it’s a “Jesus act” and because they are loved by God, if not by you.
One other thing. Maybe one day, in the New Creation, my parents will serve me again and perhaps I will have the joy of experiencing “a redeemed shame” at being served by those who took up their cross, bore my ingratitude, and represented God to me during their short time on earth.
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