Peter, Good Intentions, and Missing the Point

Peter is an interesting guy. (Peter, like the apostle. In the Bible.)

I mean, he's so rash, and bold and...passionate. He doesn't do things halfway. I picture him a bit like Sergeant George in Dickens' Bleak House: a bit rough, but warm-hearted and fiercely loyal, and ready to fight immediately if he sees a wrong. I picture him laughing hugely and growling hugely and just generally throwing himself into life. (The stories of him, you know, jumping out of a boat to walk on water, sassing Jesus at their first meeting, cutting off a guy's ear in the brawl he started at Jesus' arrest, swearing in impatience and loudly weeping in shame come to mind, among others.)

And he gets ahead of himself sometimes.

This morning I was reading the story in John of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, and was intrigued by the interaction between Peter and Jesus there. At first Peter recoils from Jesus' posture of humility at his feet: never! Never will he allow Jesus--the great Teacher and Master--to wash his feet.

But then, as soon as Jesus tells him, "If I don't wash you, you have no share with me", Peter does this 360 and not only wants Jesus to wash his feet but is eager for him to wash his head and his hands as well.

In some ways, this reaction of Peter's is beautiful, I think. I think it shows how whole-heartedly he wanted to have a share with Jesus, and to be with him, and to follow closely after him. Was there pride in there? Perhaps. Probably, even. But I think a great deal of his reaction was motivated by love.

Jesus doesn't wash his hands and head, though. "A person who has bathed does not need to wash, except his feet." Apparently Peter is missing the whole point of the foot-washing exercise. He's off on his own track all of the sudden.

Now, I'm no scholar here, and maybe I'm missing the point, too. But when I read this one thing I see is Peter doing something I very often do myself. He genuinely wants to be close to Jesus, and to love him, and show him that love. And he's not a hundred percent sure how to do that. And so as soon as he has some clue, some inkling of how it's to be done--"let me wash you, and you can have a share in me"--it's like he seizes on that and runs with it, throwing himself into the thing (as he was wont to do). I can almost see the thought-progression: if washing my feet gets me a share, then washing my feet and head and hands must be even better and bring me even closer and show my love even more.

Jesus is in front of him revolutionizing the whole concept of leadership and service, but Peter is missing it. He's making the exchange about the "how"--the means of getting to know Jesus--and missing the person of Jesus, who is standing right there, wanting to teach him. He's frantically trying to follow by his own efforts, instead of listening, and waiting.

A very easy thing to do sometimes, I think.

One of my favorite parts, though? How gently Jesus rebukes him. It's not, "Hey brainless, I'm trying to show you something here! Would you pay attention?!" It was more like, "No, no, friend, you don't need your head and hands washed. You're already clean. I know this doesn't make sense to you now, but it will eventually. Trust me. Now let's get back to this whole part where I'm revolutionizing the concept of leadership, shall we?"

Thank God for his patience with us.