Some of you, I’m guessing, read yesterday’s post and said, “What do you mean about Peter and Thomas being competitive?”

I hadn’t ever thought about it until I was writing the sentence.

We tend to think about the disciples of Jesus as punchlines, as memes.

Doubting Thomas. Denying Peter. Peter, James, and John. Matthew the tax collector. Andrew the loaves and fishes guy. James and John, the sons of Thunder, with a mom wanting them to get good seats.

But these were people, with personalities and relationships that had to be interesting as they traveled with Jesus.

Peter is often the outspoken one, answering questions first, making bold statements of faith. And yet, when Lazarus was sick and the disciples were debating the safety of traveling so close to Jerusalem to see him, Thomas says, “We might be killed, but let’s go with Jesus.”

At the last supper, Jesus is talking to the disciples. Peter says, “But where are you going?” Jesus says, “You can’t follow me.” Peter pushes back and Jesus predicts his denial. And talks a bit more. And in that awkward moment, where the last group member to speak got shut down, Thomas says, “But we don’t know where you are going.” Jesus answers him.

That’s what I meant about them being a little competitive. I looked at the text and thought about how humans human. And about the command to love being harder, more human, than we think. I’m called to love the people who annoy me. Which is annoying.

Right?

Have a loving weekend.

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For the record, the photo does not mean that my friend, Robbie, annoys me.