Jesus felt Peter's gaze upon them and he turned to face him slowly.
"Peter," he said softly, his eyes bright and piercing.
Peter squirmed at the sudden scrutiny. He felt certain that this man could read what lurked in his sinews and flowed through his veins, and that he could reach into his marrow and extract what lay hidden there.
"Yes, Lord," he answered, quickly trying to compose his face as he walked up to them.
"Do you love me?"
"You know I do, Lord!"
"Then feed my sheep."
He put his arm around him and the three walked in silence. The sun was starting its slow descent in the sky and a sudden wind arose that sent a chill over them.
After awhile Jesus said again, "Peter, do you love me?"
He didn't look at him but stared across the sea as though something of interest had suddenly appeared on the horizon.
"Lord! Lord! Please do not ask me this again! You know I do!" Peter's eyes pleaded with him to stop.
Jesus turned to him and searched his face closely. "Feed my lambs."
Peter sighed audibly, and replied, "Yes, Lord. You know I will!"
As Jesus moved away, Peter flashed Mary a look of triumph.
Jesus left them and walked down the beach alone. He stopped and seemed to shiver, and then he wrapped his arms around his body and looked up into the heavens. Sighing deeply he turned to Peter again.
"Peter, do you love me?" His voice was low and yet it carried clearly across the water and the rising wind to reach them.
Peter dropped to his knees and wept, "Lord, Lord, you are making my heart sick with pain."
He raised his hands to him saying, "Lord, you know I do!"
Jesus walked up to him, pulled him to his feet, and searched his face again. Sadness filled his eyes.
"There will come a time, Peter, when you will be blinded and led where you will not want to go. You will search to find the truth as to why this happened, but until the mirror of your heart is pure, the answer will never be revealed to you."
He stooped and wrote something in the sand and watched as a wave erased his words. He stood slowly, sighed, and said "Feed my sheep."
They resumed their walk and Mary trailed behind them absorbed in her thoughts. Her gaze strayed to Jesus and a worried frown appeared on her face.
After a time, Peter noticed that she still followed them.
He scowled at her and said to Jesus, "And what of this disciple? What will happen to her?"
Jesus turned on him in anger, saying, "Why are you so concerned about her? Why do you hate her so? Why is there enmity between you and this woman? Do you question my decision to tell her all, my complete and perfect follower? She alone understands my teachings. She alone loves me; she alone!"
Peter began to protest and Jesus waved him to silence. "Enough! If it is my will that she remain alive until my return, what is that to you? Follow me!"
And so word went out across the land that Mary Magdalene, beloved of the Christ, would not die, but would remain alive throughout the ages until he came again.
"Peter," he said softly, his eyes bright and piercing.
Peter squirmed at the sudden scrutiny. He felt certain that this man could read what lurked in his sinews and flowed through his veins, and that he could reach into his marrow and extract what lay hidden there.
"Yes, Lord," he answered, quickly trying to compose his face as he walked up to them.
"Do you love me?"
"You know I do, Lord!"
"Then feed my sheep."
He put his arm around him and the three walked in silence. The sun was starting its slow descent in the sky and a sudden wind arose that sent a chill over them.
After awhile Jesus said again, "Peter, do you love me?"
He didn't look at him but stared across the sea as though something of interest had suddenly appeared on the horizon.
"Lord! Lord! Please do not ask me this again! You know I do!" Peter's eyes pleaded with him to stop.
Jesus turned to him and searched his face closely. "Feed my lambs."
Peter sighed audibly, and replied, "Yes, Lord. You know I will!"
As Jesus moved away, Peter flashed Mary a look of triumph.
Jesus left them and walked down the beach alone. He stopped and seemed to shiver, and then he wrapped his arms around his body and looked up into the heavens. Sighing deeply he turned to Peter again.
"Peter, do you love me?" His voice was low and yet it carried clearly across the water and the rising wind to reach them.
Peter dropped to his knees and wept, "Lord, Lord, you are making my heart sick with pain."
He raised his hands to him saying, "Lord, you know I do!"
Jesus walked up to him, pulled him to his feet, and searched his face again. Sadness filled his eyes.
"There will come a time, Peter, when you will be blinded and led where you will not want to go. You will search to find the truth as to why this happened, but until the mirror of your heart is pure, the answer will never be revealed to you."
He stooped and wrote something in the sand and watched as a wave erased his words. He stood slowly, sighed, and said "Feed my sheep."
They resumed their walk and Mary trailed behind them absorbed in her thoughts. Her gaze strayed to Jesus and a worried frown appeared on her face.
After a time, Peter noticed that she still followed them.
He scowled at her and said to Jesus, "And what of this disciple? What will happen to her?"
Jesus turned on him in anger, saying, "Why are you so concerned about her? Why do you hate her so? Why is there enmity between you and this woman? Do you question my decision to tell her all, my complete and perfect follower? She alone understands my teachings. She alone loves me; she alone!"
Peter began to protest and Jesus waved him to silence. "Enough! If it is my will that she remain alive until my return, what is that to you? Follow me!"
And so word went out across the land that Mary Magdalene, beloved of the Christ, would not die, but would remain alive throughout the ages until he came again.