Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

³ When our Lord then was speaking on this occasion, He said, that He is “the Shepherd,” He said also that He is “the Door.” You find them both in that place, both “I am the Door” and “I am the Shepherd.” In the Head He is the Door, the Shepherd in the Body. For He says to Peter, in whom singly He forms the Church; “Peter, do you love Me?” He answered, “Lord, I do love You.” “Feed My sheep.” And a third time, “Peter, do you love Me?” “Peter was grieved because He asked him the third time;” as though He who saw the conscience of the denier, saw not the confessor's faith.

He had known him always, had known him even when Peter had not known himself. For he did not know himself at that time when he said, “I will be with You even unto death;” and how infirm he was he knew not. Just as it constantly happens in fact to invalids, that the sick man knows not what is going on within him, but the physician knows; when yet the former is suffering from the very sickness, and the physician is not. The physician can better tell what is going on in another, than he who is sick what is going on in himself.

Peter then was at that time the invalid, and the Lord the Physician. The former declared that he had strength, when he had not; but the Lord touching the pulse of his heart, declared that he should deny Him thrice. And so it came to pass, as the Physician foretold, not as the sick presumed. Therefore, after His resurrection the Lord questioned him, not as being ignorant with what a heart he would confess the love of Christ, but that he might by a threefold confession of love, efface the threefold denial of fear.