阅读经文 

在今天的经文中，耶稣再次呼召彼得回来侍奉，可见祂已宽恕了彼得在祂受审时轻率地否认祂的罪。在那个晚上，尽管彼得是与耶稣最亲近的门徒之一，（参路 22:54-62）他却曾经三次否认他认识耶稣。

或许我们认为彼得的罪是不可赦免的，然而耶稣却不计前嫌，祂不但赦免了彼得，祂更恢复他的领导地位。我们看见耶稣不只一次、两次，而是三次叫彼得重申他的爱和忠诚。耶稣随后给彼得一个使命，就是要忠心跟从祂，有必要时甚至至死忠心。历史告诉我们，彼得果真是这样做的。

在这个鼓吹“裁员文化”的时代，彼得的职份大有可能被罢免，而他的名字或许也会从圣经中消失了。然而，我们看到彼得以基督使徒身份所作的很多事，其中有好也有坏的，我们也看到他负起领导教会的责任。（参看马太福音到使徒行传和彼得前后书）他的错失和罪过不能定义他的为人，神反而使用那些经历来塑造彼得成为一个领袖。

我们的基督徒领袖和朋友们也可能会辜负我们和令我们失望，他们似乎不值得原谅。然而，我们中间没有任何人是神的恩典所不能及的，祂必施恩给像我和你那样的罪人。

In our reading today, Jesus is calling Peter back into service, showing that he has forgiven Peter for his hasty denials when Jesus was arrested. That night, Peter had denied three times that he even knew Jesus, even though he was one of Jesus’ closest disciples (Luke 22:54-62).

We might think that Peter’s sin was unforgivable, but Jesus turned the other cheek and not only forgave Peter but also restored him as a leader. We witness Jesus inviting Peter not once, not twice, but three times to reaffirm his love and allegiance. Then Jesus commissions Peter to follow him faithfully, all the way to death if necessary. And history shows that is what Peter did.

In a time of “cancel culture,” Peter’s role would likely have ended and his name might have been erased from Scripture. But we read of his many actions as a disciple of Christ, both good and bad, and of his leadership in the church (see Matthew–Acts and 1-2 Peter). His mistakes and sins did not define him, but instead God used those experiences to shape Peter as a leader.

Our Christian leaders and friends can let us down and disappoint us too. Forgiveness may seem undeserved. Yet none of us is beyond the reach of God’s grace for wretches like me or you.