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Feed My Sheep

John 21

[15] When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

[16] Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

[17] 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.

Yes. This is the same text we considered yesterday. Yesterday we looked at the inquiry of Jesus concerning the love of Peter for Jesus. Today we will consider Jesus’ directives to those who profess to love Him. Jesus responded to Peter’s profession to love Him with three statements:

“Feed my lambs.”

“Take care of my sheep.”

“Feed my sheep.”

The response of Jesus tells us how we are to walk out the love we have for the Lord in a very specific way. If we love Jesus, we will love and care for His sheep. That is the command.

That makes sense. We cannot say we love Jesus and hate, despise or neglect His sheep. We are called to care for the flock, the church, the Body of Christ. Jesus' commands to Peter contain a few fine distinctions.

"Feed (pasture) my lambs" (v. 15, 17). The first and third directives of Jesus imply taking sheep to a pasture where they will be fed. We are to do all we can to make sure that those whom the Lord is saving are fed. We may not all be teachers, but we all can invite, encourage, support and lead.

Feeding is a personal ministry but also includes the provision of teaching needs from small groups to Sunday school classes to seminary training. Feeding sheep is the prime directive in loving Jesus and includes all ages. The first directive is specific to feed “lambs” or tender young sheep. The third directive is to feed mature “sheep”. Both are important.

"Take care of (shepherd) my sheep" (v. 16). The second directive implies the total guardianship that a shepherd exercised. A shepherd guarded against prowling enemies, thieves, and disease. A shepherd was concerned for the safety, diet, water and overall well-being of the sheep. A shepherd calmed the sheep in frightening times of storm or calamity. A shepherd was a medical technician who salved wounds and bound broken bones.

These are all responsibilities of believers as they grow in Christ. We often think that shepherding ministry falls only to a person in a pastoral office. There may be an over-shepherd but we are all called to love Jesus by shepherding.

Paul clarified that it is the duty of those in official positions of leadership to equip and prepare God's people for such works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:11-13). As followers of Christ, all spiritually mature disciples are called to shepherd.

This is a challenging word because we live in a culture in which Christian faith is increasingly subjective. On numerous occasions I have met vibrant people who profess to be saved and born-again yet have no relationship with the Body of Christ beyond their own family.

In our modern society, we can watch Christian television, attend conferences, read books, listen to tapes, and even read E-mail devotions and sermons! We think we are gaining all our needs but we are not.

We also have a need to love Jesus by loving His sheep. If we love Jesus, we will feed and care for His sheep. Every one of us needs a connection so that we can care for others and be cared for.

Do you love Jesus? What are you doing about it? How are you feeding His sheep? How are you tending His lambs?

Lord, show me the right connections. Equip me through Your church so that I may love You by feeding Your lambs and tending Your flock. In Jesus’ name.