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How do you put the past behind you and move forward in a bruised relationship?
Consider how Jesus dealt with one of his closest friends who failed him miserably. I’m talking about Simon Peter, who fled and left Jesus to be arrested, and denied he ever knew him. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to Peter and made it clear that he was putting the past behind him. You remember how Jesus asked him three times: “Simon, do you truly love me?” And then he gave him a commission: “Then feed my lambs.” (John 21:15-17).
Now, Jesus could have legitimately said: “Peter, I can’t begin to tell you how painful it was to hear you deny me three times in the midst of that mockery of a trial. And why did you run away at the Garden of Gethsemane when I needed you with me?”
“Peter, I was so disappointed in you, because you promised you would never leave me even if you had to die with me. You were supposed to be my rock, the one on whom I could always depend. Yet you ran away when I needed you.”
Or he could have said, “Peter, if you want to be my disciple, you’re going to have to prove yourself to me. After the way you treated me, you can’t expect everything to be like it was, can you?”
Jesus had a right to say any of these things to Peter. But his purpose was reconciliation and restoration. He wanted to help Peter get past his terrible mistakes and move on to be the man Jesus knew he could be.
Jesus kept his eye on the big picture, knew how important it was that his relationship with Peter be fully restored, and made sure that the reconciliation took place. He leaves us a wonderful example of how we must approach our repaired relationships.
If there is someone in your life who has failed you, are you holding the hurt over their head, reminding them again and again of the harm they inflicted on you? Or can you follow the example of Jesus, who dealt so lovingly with Peter, even though Peter had failed him miserably? By God’s grace, we need to follow in the steps of Jesus and lovingly restore our broken and bruised relationships as much as possible.