Two Charcoal Fires

“Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves.  Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.”     -John 18:18

After his first denial of Jesus, Peter stood outside of the court of the high priest on what must have been a chilly night.  He joined with the officers and servants in warming himself, and before long he would twice more deny that he was one of Jesus’ disciples.  Bitter sadness would follow.

“When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.”  -John 21:9

After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples many times.  Once, as seven of them were fishing, he stood on the shore and called to them.  They had been fishing all night and caught nothing, yet Jesus (though they did not yet know that it was Him) told them to cast on the right side of the boat once more.  And they could not even haul the net in, because of the amount of fish they caught.  Peter immediately knew that it was Jesus, so he jumped into the sea and swam to shore. 

But as he got to the shore, where Jesus was standing, he certainly noticed the charcoal fire.  As I meditated on this passage the other day, I tried to imagine what went through Peter’s mind at that time.  The sight of the fire undoubtedly brought back memories of what he had done not so long ago, painful memories of denying his allegiance with Jesus.  What would Jesus do?  Would He point to the fire and say, “Remember this Peter?  Well, now I want nothing to do with you!”  He certainly would have been just in doing so. 

But He didn’t do that.  In the presence of the charcoal fire, Jesus restored Peter.  He was patient with Peter.  He called Peter to care for His flock.  The Great Shepherd was calling this denier to shepherd His sheep.  How merciful Jesus is to Peter here, and to we who believe now!   Though we have denied, though we have been apathetic, though we have betrayed, through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice we may find restoration, not condemnation.  And we the restored deniers are priveleged to minister for the glory of the Chief Shepherd!

Praise God, who sent His Son to bear the fires of betrayal and denial in order that we may experience the fire of restoration!