When God Says …
“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.” (John 21:15 KJV).
The resurrected Lord Jesus Christ dined with Seven of the remaining Eleven apostles, minus Judas the traitor. Why Seven and not all? is amazing to reflect on - knowing that Seven is God’s perfect number. As soon as they finished breakfast, the Lord Jesus started Peter’s restoration process by calling him “Simon, son of Jonas”. This suggests that what follows could be another chastisement. The Lord called Peter by his old name when he was acting like his old self. The Lord’s sharp question, “Do you love Me more than these (the gang, boat, nets, and other joys of fishing or whatever pasts that we tend to fall back to)?” went right to the heart of the matter, as for Peter and all of us, this is a matter of the heart.
Peter’s reply, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” is an interesting semantics play. In the original Greek text, the word used by the Lord for love is 'agape', the highest form of love, love that conveys total devotion (1 Corinthians 13:4–8). Painfully conscious of his failures and deficiencies, Peter felt too ashamed to claim such type of love. Hence, he answered by using the Greek word for love: 'phileo', an inferior term signifying family and friendship affection. He added to plead to the Lord’s omniscience, and yielded: “You know that I love ('phileo') You.”
Full of grace, the risen Lord Jesus, commissioned Peter, by directing him, “Tend My lambs.” He metaphorically described believers, like you and I, as His lambs, emphasizing not only our immaturity, vulnerability and need while still in this physical realm, but also that we are cared for as we belong to His flock (Matt. 18:5–10). Each of us, who are saved by grace through faith and who belong to His flock, like Peter, are commissioned to feed the Lambs (fellow believers must tend to each others’ needs) within our domain, as the Lord’s under-shepherd.
Hence, in this context, Apostle Paul instructed the young Timothy with the means to do this, which is to “preach the word”. This instruction is for us too being recipients of God’s grace by faith in Christ Jesus. We are instructed to feed the lambs in our domain of contact. Along with Timothy, he exhorts us with these words: “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:1-4 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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