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The last time we met for a devotional time we talked about Peter’s Eagerness for the Lord. Today we discuss John 21:15-19.
15 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.” 16 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.” 17 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. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
I start this paragraph remembering how eager Peter was to not only see Jesus, but to get him whatever he wanted. Now breakfast is over. Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Peter’s response was, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”
Then Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus asks, this time adding his lineage, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Again Peter said, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”
Jesus changed his response, saying, “Tend my sheep.”
A third time Jesus asks the question, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter is hurt, his feelings are sad, Jesus just asked him for the third time if Peter loved him. Peter’s answer was longer this time, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus’ response was longer as well starting with, “Feed my sheep. Then continues with additional commentary: Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”
That commentary was to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.
He closed this time telling Peter to, “Follow me.”
Questions
I do not understand how this statement: Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”
I wonder why Jesus changed his statements : feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep and ending with follow me.
Would Peter have understood Jesus’ truly, truly statement?
Do I love Jesus more?
Answering My Questions
Okay, I was reading Bible.ca and they said that Jesus was telling Peter that he would die for the sake of the gospel. That makes sense. I hadn’t thought of that. That Jesus would be telling Peter that he needs to take care of the believers. I checked out Calvin’s Commentary as well.
He asked Peter three times, covering each denial that Peter made of Jesus at the time of his arrest. Now first he said “feed my lambs”… lambs are work. Did you know that? And feeding baby anything is hard work. And Jesus tells Peter to do that. To take care of the baby Christians. I remember talking with a lady who worked with brand new believers and she said “it’s a whole lot of fun, because their faith is so fresh and new, but BOY it’s a messy business.” She went on to talk about how they need to learn discernment, and to believe God’s word and to then incorporate what they now know into their lives. These are the lambs that Peter is told to feed.
Then Jesus told him “Tend my sheep”. Tending sheep is different than feeding lambs. Caring for adult anything is different than caring for babies. Adults needed to be minded, to make sure they are holding true, eating and drinking what they should be, and having the output appropriate. It takes work and time, corrections and adjustments need to be made for good health.
Which leads to the next statement: Feed my sheep. Feed them. Make sure they are getting fed. Not the sop of babies, but real food, help them grow and become what they should be. This is Jesus’ call on Peter, a leader in his church. Follow Christ as you feed the lambs, care for and feed the sheep.
And be prepared to die. Death will come, in a place not of your choosing. Nevertheless… follow me.
Love more than These
Do I’ve been thinking about Jesus’ first question. Do you love me more than these? We don’t know what the these are that Jesus is referring to. He just asks, and Peter seems to understand. His choice is Jesus.
It begs the question for me though. If Jesus asks the question, and there’s really no if, following Jesus means that question has been asked. But do we remember our answer. Do we love Jesus more than ________________?
For Peter it might have been the fear of the moment. For a moment, as Jesus’ arrest, Jesus came second to Peter’s fear. After his conversation with Jesus that was no longer the case. Jesus would not come second to anything.
Do we have the surety? How do I or How do you answer the question. Do you love me more than these? That’s my current struggle. Do I love Jesus more than food? More than my free time? More than TV? More than blogging? More than my family? Where does Jesus come on the list?
I want him to be first, but to my shame, too often he isn’t. I need to fix that you know? To continue the battle. Join me?
This was just covered in the Acts to Revelation Drive Thru History episode on the martyrdom of Peter. It was very interesting.
you need to send it to me so I can watch and learn as well! 🙂