Feed My Sheep
“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ He said to him a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’”
Our conversations in life are usually not very deep, nor are they likely to have a lasting effect on anyone. We tend to make idle conversation regarding the news of the day, our favorite sports team, or what we might do this weekend. Rarely do our conversations dive into deeper topics or require life-altering commitments. Certainly, as believers we ought to be having such conversations with our non-believing as well as believing friends. Left to our own devices, rarely will we go deep with another person. However, this is rarely the case when reading the words of Christ. We should remember that Christ is God, and therefore His words are perfectly chosen. While we may muddle through the English vocabulary choosing words with varying levels of effectiveness, Christ’s words are so perfectly chosen that they often teach several lessons within a small set of words.
As I read this passage, I see three things that Christ does for Peter that He does for all of us. He redeems us, He demands decision from us, and He gives us a clear direction for our lives.
We see in this passage Jesus redeeming Peter. This isn’t the first time that Peter pledged his unending loyalty to Christ. Yet, all four Gospels record Peter denying any association with Christ. Three times Peter was asked about his involvement with Christ, and every time he denied it. Upon his third denial, a rooster crowed as prophesied by Christ. In this passage, Jesus formally asks Peter (by calling him Simon son of John) if he loves Him three times, to the point that it grieved Peter. Part of our redemption can be when we are reminded of what we’ve been redeemed from so that our fear of repeating the mistake of denying Christ sticks with us throughout the rest of our time on the earth. But just as Peter denied Christ and was redeemed, so are we redeemed when coming to Christ.
We also see in this passage Jesus demanding that we make a decision regarding our pursuit of Him. While it grieved Peter to be asked three times whether or not he loved Christ, it was important for Peter to know he was still called by Christ even after his denial. In the same way, it is important for us to know that we are called by Christ and no matter what we’ve done there is always forgiveness through Christ. Furthermore, our answer to Christ is not to be answered only a single time in our lives. We should ask ourselves daily if we love Christ. Just like we need to show daily affirmation to our families of our love for them, so we should do this with Christ. In our families, showing our love usually looks like spending time together in the evenings after a long day of work. It might be playing video games, playing basketball, discussing the events of the day, or spending some time together outdoors. Our weekends usually include these events as well as time for rest. So, just as we must make time in our day for family, we also must make time for Christ. We should spend time in Scripture and prayer with our families, but we should also do so individually.
Lastly, Jesus gives us commands about what we ought to do once we have been set free, through a saving faith in Christ's work on the cross, from the consequences of eternal punishment and separation from God's presence. Christ is very clear about what Peter should do if he truly loves Him. Christ tells Peter to “feed my sheep,” to “tend my sheep,” and to “feed my sheep.” As Christians, we should also feed and tend to believers (sheep). The first takeaway is focused on us as individuals and what we need to do with Christ, which must always be addressed first. But once a believer has committed to Christ, and to regular times with Him, the focus must then shift outward to Christ’s sheep. This is the reason we have been given the Church, which is a means to not only gather but to tend and feed sheep.
Prayer
Jesus, we thank You for calling us into Your kingdom and for redeeming us by forgiving us when we acknowledge and repent of our sins and rebellion to You. Continue to send Your Spirit to challenge and underpin what we spend our time on and where we focus. Please guide us as we seek to tend to and feed Your sheep. Amen.
