Aristotle defines peripeteia (περιπέτεια) as “a change by which the action veers round to its opposite, and that “the finest form of insight is one attended by peripeteia.” Peripeteia, then, despite having no precise English equivalent, can be conceived as a “reversal” or a “turning.” Today, angelic choirs rejoice and raise their voices in song and trumpets bray out the triumph of the Resurrection. It is precisely the idea of “turning” that I would like to sound as the keynote for the this contemplation in hopes that it may contribute a small strain to the divine jubilation.
In two days time we have something coming up which is called, "Thomas Sunday", in which the disciple Thomas is brought in with the second Resurrection appearance of Christ to the disciples:
Jesus among His Disciples
19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” John 20
This was the second time that the Docetic Christ appeared to the disciples, and the last time was some 32 days later on the Sea of Tiberius, when Thomas readily and willingly got into the boat, ref. John 21.
The Resurrection activities over the forty days in which the Risen Christ was working rather in a kind of sub rosa manner over the entire earth, and maybe especially in America, come to a kind of concrete conclusion in chapter 21 of John. Peter is shown here in a very unique fashion. Max, you have written these very interesting observations about Peter:
"Peter “upon-this-rock-I-will-build-my-church” is beloved for his impetuousness and ardent desire to follow his Lord in spite of the impediments of his psychology and temperament. But over the course of Jesus’ ministry, Peter is progressively reformed and fortified in faith and love, often through shock and through remorse, as, for instance, after his denial of Christ on the Eve of the Crucifixion: “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.”⁴ Perhaps the most salient demonstration of Peter’s progressive conversion by Christ is recounted at the very end of the Gospel of John. Three times, Christ poses the question, “lovest thou me?” and three times Peter answers. These three affirmations of his love can be seen as a sort of repentance and redemption for his three denials of only a few days before."
This is true, and exactly why Christ asks these three times if Simon loves Him. Simon/Cepheus has been put through an ordeal, which was predicted before the entry into the Garden of Gethsemane, and maybe most presciently with this verse from the Gospel of Luke:
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” 34 And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”
Luke 22
Then, Christ says to get swords for his defense, even if it means to sell your coat. One of the disciples says, "here are two swords", and Christ says, "that is enough". Then, they proceed into the Garden. So, why is Peter called impetuous because he draws a sword to protect Christ, ref. John 18? Does he not demonstrate what he said about protecting Christ, even unto death?
I'm not sure I understand your question. Peter is obviously an ardent follower of Christ but it seems just as obvious that his psychology interposes itself between him and his Lord in critical moments.
What psychology are you referring to? I find nothing of any such deficiency in a man who was told just a year before that he "gets the keys to the Kingdom":
Peter’s Confession of Christ
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 I also say to you that you are Cepheus, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ. Matthew 16
These are the very words that stand behind the encouragement of Simon on the Sea of Tiberius. Nothing has changed. Only the forgiveness needed to overcome Simon's denial complex, which has a reason for having taken place. It has to do with the strange inability of Peter, James and John to stay awake and stand guard at the critical hour in the Garden of Gethsemane.
When Mary goes to the tomb early on the first day in order to anoint the body and finds it empty she immediately rushes to where the disciples are and tells this to Simon Peter and the other Disciple Whom Jesus Loved. They rush to the tomb and the other disciple outruns Peter, and looks in first, but defers to Peter to enter the tomb and then follows in. They both find the wrappings that contained the body cast aside, and the face cloth folded up. They both leave amazed that what Christ had said to them is to be fulfilled.
Now, it is Mary who looks in the tomb and sees two angels, one at the head and one at foot of the grave. They ask her why she weeps and she tells them that the body of her Lord has been taken away and she does not know where they have laid Him. Thus, it is Mary that begins to have a completely occult experience. This is designed to bring her to a further realization that even Peter and the other disciple do not yet know about.
So, when we come to the final scene of the Resurrection, which occurs on the Sea of Tiberius after forty days, it is most important that the Risen Christ asks Simon (Peter) if he loves Him? Three times He asks this, and then tells him more about his own life, and even how he will come to glorify God. Then, Christ says, "You follow Me", which means He is placing the successorship in the hands of Simon, as previously indicated in Matthew 16.
This chapter concludes the Gospel of John, which leads rather directly to Acts of the Apostles, and wherein the Ascension of Christ is described in chapter 1. Then, Simon begins to demonstrate his successorship.
There are many factors here for discussion, and the main one is how Peter is characterized for his failures and apparent deficiencies. Yet, these are scholarly notations that lack the knowledge of the real circumstances that caused the three denials to be predicted by Christ, and then the redemption of Peter by the Docetic Christ on the Sea of Tiberius in the last chapter of the Gospel of John. This chapter represents the summation of the resurrection activities of Christ, and the naming of His successor, who is Peter.
In looking at chapter 20, which the important verses have been annotated, in which in the early morning of the first day Mary Magdalene finds the tomb empty and goes running to the disciples who come and inspect the tomb, we have a clearly supersensible event. Yet, this supersensible event is reserved for Mary to experience alone and separate from the disciples. First, as indicated, she sees two angels at the head and the foot of the empty tomb, who ask her why she weeps. She tells them, and then "turns" to see Jesus, who asks her the same question. She does not recognize him, and thinks he is the gardener. Then, a familiar voice says, "Mary", and she "turns" a second time, and says, Rabboni! So, what could this all mean? Why does she turn twice?
Now, this is all part of my own rather close analysis dating back to 2011, in which the thesis of Mary Magdalene's experience at the empty tomb led to an important revelation. Her experience involves the two Jesus children, now having become men. Yet, they are both by now in spiritual-etheric form only. The Jesus that she does not know is the Master Jesus, who is Zarathustra, who had incorporated into the Nazarene when he was twelve years old. And, of course, the familiar voice that she calls, "Rabboni", is Jesus of Nazareth, who she had an especially close relationship with over the three years.
Now, the really paradoxical matter is shown here with these verses of Chapter 20:
17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.
Hi Max,
In two days time we have something coming up which is called, "Thomas Sunday", in which the disciple Thomas is brought in with the second Resurrection appearance of Christ to the disciples:
Jesus among His Disciples
19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” John 20
This was the second time that the Docetic Christ appeared to the disciples, and the last time was some 32 days later on the Sea of Tiberius, when Thomas readily and willingly got into the boat, ref. John 21.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incredulity_of_Saint_Thomas_(Caravaggio)
The Resurrection activities over the forty days in which the Risen Christ was working rather in a kind of sub rosa manner over the entire earth, and maybe especially in America, come to a kind of concrete conclusion in chapter 21 of John. Peter is shown here in a very unique fashion. Max, you have written these very interesting observations about Peter:
"Peter “upon-this-rock-I-will-build-my-church” is beloved for his impetuousness and ardent desire to follow his Lord in spite of the impediments of his psychology and temperament. But over the course of Jesus’ ministry, Peter is progressively reformed and fortified in faith and love, often through shock and through remorse, as, for instance, after his denial of Christ on the Eve of the Crucifixion: “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.”⁴ Perhaps the most salient demonstration of Peter’s progressive conversion by Christ is recounted at the very end of the Gospel of John. Three times, Christ poses the question, “lovest thou me?” and three times Peter answers. These three affirmations of his love can be seen as a sort of repentance and redemption for his three denials of only a few days before."
This is true, and exactly why Christ asks these three times if Simon loves Him. Simon/Cepheus has been put through an ordeal, which was predicted before the entry into the Garden of Gethsemane, and maybe most presciently with this verse from the Gospel of Luke:
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” 34 And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”
Luke 22
Then, Christ says to get swords for his defense, even if it means to sell your coat. One of the disciples says, "here are two swords", and Christ says, "that is enough". Then, they proceed into the Garden. So, why is Peter called impetuous because he draws a sword to protect Christ, ref. John 18? Does he not demonstrate what he said about protecting Christ, even unto death?
I'm not sure I understand your question. Peter is obviously an ardent follower of Christ but it seems just as obvious that his psychology interposes itself between him and his Lord in critical moments.
What psychology are you referring to? I find nothing of any such deficiency in a man who was told just a year before that he "gets the keys to the Kingdom":
Peter’s Confession of Christ
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 I also say to you that you are Cepheus, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ. Matthew 16
These are the very words that stand behind the encouragement of Simon on the Sea of Tiberius. Nothing has changed. Only the forgiveness needed to overcome Simon's denial complex, which has a reason for having taken place. It has to do with the strange inability of Peter, James and John to stay awake and stand guard at the critical hour in the Garden of Gethsemane.
When Mary goes to the tomb early on the first day in order to anoint the body and finds it empty she immediately rushes to where the disciples are and tells this to Simon Peter and the other Disciple Whom Jesus Loved. They rush to the tomb and the other disciple outruns Peter, and looks in first, but defers to Peter to enter the tomb and then follows in. They both find the wrappings that contained the body cast aside, and the face cloth folded up. They both leave amazed that what Christ had said to them is to be fulfilled.
Now, it is Mary who looks in the tomb and sees two angels, one at the head and one at foot of the grave. They ask her why she weeps and she tells them that the body of her Lord has been taken away and she does not know where they have laid Him. Thus, it is Mary that begins to have a completely occult experience. This is designed to bring her to a further realization that even Peter and the other disciple do not yet know about.
So, when we come to the final scene of the Resurrection, which occurs on the Sea of Tiberius after forty days, it is most important that the Risen Christ asks Simon (Peter) if he loves Him? Three times He asks this, and then tells him more about his own life, and even how he will come to glorify God. Then, Christ says, "You follow Me", which means He is placing the successorship in the hands of Simon, as previously indicated in Matthew 16.
This chapter concludes the Gospel of John, which leads rather directly to Acts of the Apostles, and wherein the Ascension of Christ is described in chapter 1. Then, Simon begins to demonstrate his successorship.
There are many factors here for discussion, and the main one is how Peter is characterized for his failures and apparent deficiencies. Yet, these are scholarly notations that lack the knowledge of the real circumstances that caused the three denials to be predicted by Christ, and then the redemption of Peter by the Docetic Christ on the Sea of Tiberius in the last chapter of the Gospel of John. This chapter represents the summation of the resurrection activities of Christ, and the naming of His successor, who is Peter.
In looking at chapter 20, which the important verses have been annotated, in which in the early morning of the first day Mary Magdalene finds the tomb empty and goes running to the disciples who come and inspect the tomb, we have a clearly supersensible event. Yet, this supersensible event is reserved for Mary to experience alone and separate from the disciples. First, as indicated, she sees two angels at the head and the foot of the empty tomb, who ask her why she weeps. She tells them, and then "turns" to see Jesus, who asks her the same question. She does not recognize him, and thinks he is the gardener. Then, a familiar voice says, "Mary", and she "turns" a second time, and says, Rabboni! So, what could this all mean? Why does she turn twice?
Now, this is all part of my own rather close analysis dating back to 2011, in which the thesis of Mary Magdalene's experience at the empty tomb led to an important revelation. Her experience involves the two Jesus children, now having become men. Yet, they are both by now in spiritual-etheric form only. The Jesus that she does not know is the Master Jesus, who is Zarathustra, who had incorporated into the Nazarene when he was twelve years old. And, of course, the familiar voice that she calls, "Rabboni", is Jesus of Nazareth, who she had an especially close relationship with over the three years.
Now, the really paradoxical matter is shown here with these verses of Chapter 20:
17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.