When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
The morning before Jesus was crucified, Peter denies knowing Jesus three times. (This was after bragging that he would die for Jesus.) After Peter denies Jesus for the third time Luke records that:
“The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22: 61 – 62)
It doesn’t take a big stretch of the imagination to figure out how Peter must have felt afterward. The words “wept bitterly” express his immediate reaction. How he felt in the days that followed must have been horrible. Yes, he had been with the disciples twice when Jesus appeared before. Yes, he had seen and touched the risen Lord. Yet those visits had been short. There had been no opportunity to express how he felt.
Perhaps he wanted to go fishing because he was trying to escape his demons of guilt? Maybe the work of fishing was a distraction for him? How appropriate then, if that was the case, that he caught no fish. How appropriate that he was left to think about what he had done even while he was trying to avoid doing just that.
Now, after breakfast, there is time. They have eaten their fill, and I imagine that everyone is expectantly quiet. They wait for a time and then Jesus turns to Peter and asks, “… do you love me more than these?”
Three times Jesus asks, do you love me? Three times Peter responds, “Lord… you know that I love you.”
After each response Jesus says:
Feed my lambs.
Take care of my sheep.
Feed my sheep.
Shortly after this Jesus is gone… again. Yet he has left something behind. Instead of escaping to a fishing boat to evade his demons of guilt, Peter is told to take care of Jesus’ sheep.
What does that mean? Answering this question will keep Peter busy for the rest of his life. In a sense, Jesus gives Peter a roadmap to guide him home.
Application: As Rich pointed out in his comment on yesterday’s post, Jesus did not come to earth to be served, but to serve. (Mark 10: 45) Like Peter, we need to find ways to serve as well if we want to follow Jesus.
Food for Thought: What are some ways we can help Peter feed and care for Jesus’ sheep?
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We all have different gifts and talents that are designed to edify the church – or feed His sheep. We need to be willing to use them for their intended purpose.
Thank you, Rich!
It strikes me that the first exhortation is to “feed my lambs”. A lamb is a baby sheep. The exhortations progress to feeding the sheep…a more mature status.
I’m not sure if it’s direction to care for one another through our walk, it to care for young and old.
The changing of the phrases us interesting.
Rob,
Thanks for sharing! I like your insight about the “baby sheep” and the progression through different ages.
Living our life by example. Buy following the words and footsteps of Jesus.