To Be Our Brother's Keeper

𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝟐𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏: 𝐀𝐜 𝟐𝟓:𝟏𝟑-𝟐𝟏

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟏𝟎𝟑:𝟏-𝟐, 𝟏𝟏-𝟏𝟐, 𝟏𝟗-𝟐𝟎” 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐉𝐍 𝟐𝟏:𝟏𝟓-𝟏𝟗

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞: “𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐞.” (𝐯.𝟏𝟗)

            “To each his own” is a phrase we often hear to refer to people who keep to themselves, who live in a world of their own, those who don’t care what happens to the world around him. In other words, a person like this is someone who has no concern for what happens to his neighbor.

            This scenario, however, is in total contradiction to man being created as a relational being, a person who is created to be part of a community and who is designed to interact with others.  

            And in today’s Gospel reading, we are once again treated a moving drama in this this exchange between Jesus and Peter in today’s Gospel reading, it would be advisable for you to go back to Jn 13:37 where we see Peter professing his utmost loyalty to Jesus saying: “I am ready to die for you.”

            Of the 72 disciples who regularly traveled with Jesus and even among the 12 who comprised his inner circle there was no one who was as fiercely loyal as Peter, but he was also known for being impulsive and hasty and this profession of his readiness to die for Jesus was probably borne of his impetuous nature.      

            And we can see this in Jn 18:17, 25, 27 when Peter denied any relations with Jesus and he probably could not figure out why he did what Jesus had predicted he would do. Because not all that happened in those days found their way in the Sacred Scriptures, we don’t know how Peter felt after he denied Jesus not just once but three times.

We also don’t know how he found his way back to the Upper Room and how the other disciples treated him. His denial must have reached the other disciples since there was someone with Peter when he entered the courtyard where Jesus was held.

            What we only know is what was depicted in this scenario when after partaking of their breakfast at the seashore, Jesus led Peter to an experience that would forever be engraved in his heart as this encounter practically erased the guilt of Peter.

            Not only did Peter receive forgiveness for the number of times he denied Jesus, but this encounter had spelled out what can now be viewed as the primary objective of the mission which Peter and the other disciples are to pursue.

            Why did Jesus ask Peter three times? Generally, we are often told that this was because Peter had to be forgiven for the number of times that he denied Jesus. However, this encounter was not just about Peter being forgiven but what we see here was the assurance that Jesus needed that Peter can very well live up to the role that Jesus had given him to build the church that Christ has established (Matt 16:18).

            Jesus wanted to see if Peter was prepared to give up everything he had which was why he asked him: "𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧, 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞?" (𝐯.𝟏𝟓) Jesus was probably pointing to his lucrative fishing business and the life he had with his friends and kin and Jesus wanted to know if Peter was willing to give up everything he had.

            A second time he said to him, "𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧, 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞?" (𝐯.𝟏𝟔) This was intended to draw from Peter his commitment to offer his life to serve Jesus. “𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, "𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧, 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞?" (𝐯.𝟏𝟕)

If Jesus was thinking of the agape type of love when he asked Peter twice if he loved him, this time Jesus meant the phileo type of love because he wanted to know if Peter has the heart to love others with the kind of brotherly love that Jesus had for men.

            When he said “yes” three times Jesus knew that his mission was safe in the hands of Peter who also was warned by Jesus of the persecution he would experience and the terrible death he would face (vv.18-19).

            Peter realized what the Lord meant when he told him: “but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." (v.18) when he too went to the cross in Rome and asked to be nailed to it with his head downwards because he was not worthy to die as the Lord had died.

            As disciples of Christ, we too must put ourselves in the position of Peter and we need to realize that our lives have a purpose and meaning and Our Lord Jesus Christ is calling each one of us not only to love God more than our possessions but to a life of total commitment to serve God by loving and caring for the marginalized, the poor especially those who have never known who God is.

            Like Peter, there will come a time when we must deal with our true feelings and motives when we are in a face-to-face situation with Jesus. We must be ready when Jesus will ask: “𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞?” When he was asked, Peter unequivocally said: “You know that I love you.” (v.17) and Jesus knew this was no longer a boast unlike the time when Peter once said: “I will never fall away.” (Matt 26:33)

            Jesus was so particular about love because this was what he brought to the world when he was sent down from heaven. Love was what moved him to embrace the cross to unite us with God through this supreme sacrifice.

Love is the greatest privilege in the world, and we can only prove our love for Jesus by loving others. In other words, we are all mandated to become our brother’s keeper.

            Like Peter, we can only show our love for God through Christ when we embrace the tasks that have been entrusted to us and deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. To love God is an awesome privilege but it also involves responsibility and sacrifice.

We may have our own mindsets on how to go about our tasks to proclaim the Good News to others, but all our efforts must be directed towards unity with God and with one another.

            And we should constantly review the purity of our motives by spending time in the presence of Jesus Christ because there is the danger we may already be doing the opposite such that in our zealousness to do things for God we may already be promoting disobedience to pastoral authority in the church or community under the guise of a good motive.

            Church organizations as well as communities, ministries and apostolates disintegrate, and members scatter because of the sinful pride that clouds their vision of the love of God.

What we all must remember is this – the devil is not concerned about getting between us and the work or activity that we do, but the devil’s main concern is to get between us and the love of God.

         At the end of the day, being a Christian is not about doing things for God but acknowledging that God has already done something out of love. (𝘌𝘋 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘔𝘢𝘺 22, 2026)