What Do You Do After Easter?
After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep. John 21:15-17 (NLT)
Reflection
I have always wanted to ask a certain question to anyone who would tell me they loved me, “What do you mean by that?” Actually I’ve never really asked that question, but I’ve wanted to. I think it’s a good question. Does it mean, “I feel a positive emotional response to your presence?” or “I like you”, or “I respect you”, or “I can’t live without you”, or what? Each of these possibilities has to do with the feelings of the one who claims to love.
In the musical, Fiddler on the Roof, when Tevia asks, “do you love me”, his wife answers “I clean your house, cook your food, bear your children, and wash your clothes” (or something like that). For her, love is a series of committed actions done for her husband.
Jesus asks Peter, in effect, “What do you mean when you say ‘ yes I love you”. Peter gives the “feeling answer”, the equivilant (based on the Greek verb used) of “yes I feel brotherly affection for you”. But then Jesus defines what it would mean for Peter to love Jesus. Notice that Jesus’ answer goes beyond that of Tevia’s wife. Jesus tells Peter that loving Him would entail not just feelings, not just acts of service for Jesus Himself, but acts of sacrificial service for those whom Jesus loves.... other people.
“Feed my sheep”, Jesus tells Peter. In that command every Christ follower finds his Easter commission. It’s the answer to the question, “what Do you do after Easter”
This really makes you think...this is awesome. Thanks for your reflection on this.
ReplyDeleteAs I read it came to me about the 3 Greek words used for the 3 "love" questions. Even though I am not well educated in the Greek, it is my understanding there is a deeper level of love with each question, a deeper level of commitment to Jesus with each, as it seems to me in hearing this.
ReplyDeleteCould there be a relationship to what was Peter's response, level of love, to what Jesus requested of him?
First question, Peter responded with a type of love that could only feed the lambs.
Second question, Peter responded with a type of love that could only care for the sheep.
Third question came a level of love that would be deeper, more sacrificial to feed the sheep, not lambs, but grown sheep.
Are we needing to grow in our love and respond to Jesus asking us if our love is deep enough, mature enough, sacrificial enough to help the growing, mature sheep? Is Jesus helping us understand that superficial love can only gain a certain impact on growing His Kingdom?
Just some thoughts.