Do You Love Me?
Simon Peter was one of Jesus’ most LOVED
DISCIPLES but, when the CHIPS WERE DOWN, HE STUMBLED. On the night that
Jesus was ARRESTED, Peter DENIED Jesus THREE times . He had GOOD
REASON, of course. He had SEEN the POWER of Jesus’ ENEMIES. He had
SEEN Jesus TAKEN AWAY by the SOLDIERS. Jesus had NOT EVEN RESISTED.
Everyone had EXPECTED Jesus to DRIVE OUT the hated ROMANS but, when push
came to shove, Jesus had not even PUT UP A FIGHT. As one of Jesus’
DISCIPLES, Peter was at RISK. What happened to Jesus could happen to
Peter too. And so Peter said, "NOT ME! I am not Jesus’ disciple!
Never heard of the man!"
But then the story took a TURN that Peter could NEVER have IMAGINED.
There had been a CROSS, of course, but there was also an OPEN
TOMB. Peter had seen the RISEN CHRIST! God had turned the DEFEAT into
VICTORY! Jesus had WON, but Peter had LOST! Peter was glad for Jesus,
of course,– but he could not FORGET his night of SHAME.
AFTER the RESURECTION, Jesus gave Peter a CHANCE to REDEEM HIMSELF.
During his night of SHAME, Peter had DENIED Jesus THREE TIMES. Each
time,– someone had thought that Peter was one of Jesus’ DISCIPLES, and
each time Peter had said, "I am not."
But then JESUS came asking THREE TIMES if Peter LOVED HIM. He looked
at Peter and said, "Peter, do you love me more than these?" It must
have been EXCRUCIATING for Peter to be put in the SPOTLIGHT like that
EVERYONE knew his SHAME.
But Peter answered, "Yes, Lord; you know
that I love you."
Jesus REPEATED the question THREE TIMES, and Peter ANSWERED THREE
TIMES.
For Peter, EACH ANSWER must have been a little more
FRUSTRATING than the LAST. But with each answer HEALING was TAKING
PLACE. Peter said AGAIN and AGAIN, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love
you." With each answer, a bit of Peter’s GUILT MELTED AWAY and a bit of
HIS RELATIONSHIP with Jesus was RESTORED.
Christ WORKS THAT WAY. He DOES NOT come to EMBRASS US, but he won’t
let us OFF THE HOOK either. He won’t MINIMIZE OUR SINS,– and he WON’T
ENCOURAGE US to do so. He won’t say, "It makes no difference." He
won’t say, "Forget it."
o Instead, Jesus asks us, "Do you love me
MORE THAN THESE?"
o He asks, "Do you love me enough to really
COMMIT YOURSELF TO ME?"
o He asks, "Do you love me enough to be
FAITHFUL to your HUSBAND or your WIFE?"
o He asks, "Do you love me
enough to set a NEW STANDARD of HONESTY at WORK?"
o He asks, "Do
you love me enough to TALK ABOUT ME with your NEIGHBORS?"
Each time that Peter said that HE LOVED JESUS, Jesus responded, "FEED
my lambs."
He was saying, "If you love me, Peter, TEND my sheep."
He was saying, "If you want a chance to fully REDEEM YOURSELF, FEED my
sheep."
Christ COMES TO US, TOO, saying, "Do you LOVE ME?" "Do you love me
MORE THAN THESE?" "Do you REALLY love me?" Each time that we TELL HIM
that WE LOVE HIM,– he says, "FEED my sheep."
In every important RELATIONSHIP, we start with WORDS.
We PROMISE
that WE WILL. But those WORDS are NOT THE END OF IT.
Our WORDS
are ONLY THE BEGINNING. With those WORDS, we BEGIN A JOURNEY of
PROMISE-KEEPING that goes on YEAR after YEAR. We BEGIN with WORDS. We
FINISH with DEEDS.
Christ says to us, "Do you love me?" We say, "Lord, you know that I
love you."
Christ responds, "Feed my sheep." WHAT DOES THAT MEAN
TO US 2000 YEARS LATER? It means DIFFERENT THINGS for EACH OF US,– but
it means the SAME THING for ALL OF US. It means that we START with
WORDS, but FINISH with DEEDS.
"FEED MY SHEEP!" At the very least,– it means that we TEACH our
CHILDREN to LOVE CHRIST. It means that we give Christ a CENTRAL PLACE in
our FAMILY. It means that we BRING our children to SUNDAY SCHOOL and
CHURCH REGULARLY. It means that we take their SPIRITUAL FEEDING as
SERIOUSLY as we take their DINNER MENU. It means that we SET THE
EXAMPLE that we show them by OUR LIVES what it MEANS to be a CHRISTIAN.
"FEED MY SHEEP!" It means that we SHARE OUR FAITH with our
NEIGHBORS. Again, it means that we SET THE EXAMPLE — that we show them
by OUR LIVES what it MEANS to be a CHRISTIAN. It means that WE CARE
ABOUT THEM that we INVITE THEM to CHURCH that we SHARE our FAITH.
"FEED MY SHEEP!" It means that we CARE for THOSE IN NEED. It means
that we FEED the HUNGRY. It means that we GIVE the THIRSTY something to
DRINK. It means that we WELCOME the STRANGER — and CLOTH the NAKED
and TAKE CARE of the SICK and VISIT those in PRISON. It means we give
money for MISSIONS and help PREGNANT teenagers in our own TOWN. .
When Jesus asks today, "Do YOU love me?" That is the question. You
can answer with a RESOUNDING YES! And If you do…… THEN FEED HIS
SHEEP!
God Loves You And So Do I……Happy Mother’s Day!