Soaking in the Resurrection #5

John 21:15-17:

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.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 

 As breakfast finishes after the miraculous catch of 153 fish, Jesus asks Peter, ‘Do you love me?’ In fact, as the story continues, we learn that Jesus asked Peter this question three times. He then invites Peter to ‘feed my sheep’. Many scholars suggest this happens three times to mirror Peter’s three-fold denial during Jesus’ passion. It helps Peter to know he is forgiven and loved and helps him to look forward to where he is now being called.

As I ponder this, I wonder, who are the sheep that the Lord invites me to feed? Who is it that I am invited to reach out in love toward, to share the beautiful gift of the word of God? Who might the Lord place in my path that is hungry and searching for lasting nourishment? In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus told us how the shepherd left the ninety-nine to find the one that was lost, alone and desperate, whether it realised it or not. Am I called to seek and search out the one lost sheep or stay with the ninety-nine so they are also well-fed and nourished?

I think there are a couple of ways to answer these questions – there are the spontaneous, seemingly random encounters where God places a person unexpectedly in my path and asks me to love them and to ‘feed’ them as such. Am I open to these opportunities, whether they are with people I know well, mere acquaintances or strangers? There is also the question of where I am called in my regular ministry and what it looks like to respond to the invitation to ‘feed my sheep’ there.

And finally, are we aware of personally taking on the role of the sheep – of remembering and allowing ourselves to be fed by Jesus and by others?

Mel Edwards