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."” (John 21:15 ESV). Again, Jesus meets with his disciples, after he was raised from the dead, and after breakfast, Jesus has some specific conversation with Peter concerning his denial of him at the time of his trial. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loved him and three times Peter affirms his love, and Jesus instructs him to be a godly shepherd.

Each of the three times Jesus asks Peter if he loved him and Peter affirms his love, Jesus responds with a different instruction. His instruction was “Feed my lambs”, “Tend my sheep”, and “Feed my sheep”. When Peter was originally called to follow Jesus, Jesus promised to make him a fisher of men; to search for and find lost sheep among men, but here Jesus is instructing Peter to continue the process of caring for the sheep. We should be careful not to separate being fishers of men from making disciples. Jesus said, “Go” (being fishers of men) and make disciples (being a godly shepherd). These are not jobs to be done, but a process like raising a child in a family.

It is interesting to note that Peter denied Jesus around a charcoal fire and it is around a charcoal fire that he is restored. Jesus wants Peter, and you and I, to be a godly shepherd, and thus our command, “Feed My Sheep.”

Prayer

Father, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him more than these fish they had just caught. I believe we are being asked a similar question today, but the word fish is to be replaced by whatever draws our love. Whatever that might be, the question is do we love Jesus more? Father, it appears that our love for you is validated by our attention to being a godly shepherd. It is so easy to put forth effort to feed ourselves and ignore the needs of the sheep. Father, I pray that we will be more intentional at being godly shepherds.  

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.