Feeding Jesus' Lambs
After they'd eaten, Jesus spent a bit of time with Peter and famously restored him. Remember, he had denied Jesus three times when they were leading Him off to be crucified, and in a beautiful reversal, Jesus restored him three times.
We read it in John 21:15: Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” Probably meaning more than these other disciples love Me. Peter said, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” Jesus replied, “Feed My lambs.”
Then again, Jesus asked him the same question and then said to him, “Take care of My sheep.” Then it happened a third time — the same question, the same answer, and then the same words from Jesus: “Feed My sheep.”
Our Call to Care
This is significant stuff for us, friends. We are all called, in some sense, to feed Jesus’ lambs and to feed His sheep.
If you remember earlier in the story when Jesus first called Peter, He said, “I’m going to make you fishers of men.” You're going to go and catch people, make them followers of Me.
But now He talks about Peter caring for those same people who have come to Jesus — fetching them early in his life and now caring for them once they have come.
Feeding His Sheep
Perhaps we can take a moment today to hear Jesus saying, “Do you love Me?” I suspect that most of us listening to these messages would say, “Yes, of course.” Well then, hear Jesus again saying to you: “Feed My lambs.”
Feed people. Feed their stomachs — absolutely. Do all you can to feed those who are hungry, and also feed their souls. Be the type of person who graciously reaches out to people in need and cares for them.
Who has God put into your life to care for? A child? A spouse? A friend? A parent? A grandparent? A co-worker, perhaps?
Feed these people by loving them like Christ loved. Because friends, if we do love Jesus as we claim to, our call is to care for and tend to His sheep.
