Healing for Yesterday, Assignment for Tomorrow

John 21:15 “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.'”

Everyone makes mistakes! Sometimes it is a lapse of judgment. Other times it is a deliberate choice. But each person has moments that he would like to forget.

One of Jesus’ disciples, Peter, had numerous times when he probably wished he had stuck his foot in his mouth. He was a boisterous, loud, opinionated fisherman and it often got him into trouble. Probably the most excruciating experience for Peter was right before Jesus’ death.

Jesus predicted that all of His followers would fall away at the time of His death. He stated that the Old Testament foretold this in Zechariah 13:7. “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” Big mouth Peter felt confident that even if everyone else would fall away, he would be faithful to the end. He insisted that even if he had to die with Jesus, he would never disown Him. Jesus gently informed Peter of the painful truth. That very night, before the rooster would crow twice ,Peter would deny that he even knew the Lord.

I wonder what Peter thought and felt when Jesus told him that? Did he think about it or disregard it as an impossibility? We will never know, but as the horrible evening progressed, we read that Peter did just as Jesus predicted. As he heard the cock crow for the second time that night his heart was broken with his disloyalty and cowardice.

After Jesus’ resurrection He appeared to many of the disciples. I especially love how Jesus made a special effort to speak to Peter. Three times he asked the heartbroken disciple if he loved Him ,allowing the opportunity for healing to take place. Then Jesus gave Him three assignments – feed His lambs, take care of His sheep, and feed His sheep.

Peter was a fisherman, so I wondered why Jesus told him to take care of sheep. As I studied more, I concluded it has something to do with the fact that when Peter had made His erroneous boast about following Jesus even to death, it was right after the Old Testament statement in Zechariah. “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.”

This made even more sense to me when I looked at the first verse of the first letter that Peter wrote some years later. It says, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia . . .” (1 Peter 1:1). Peter’s letters were written to encourage all of “God’s sheep” scattered throughout the world and suffering for their faith. Even today Peter’s inspired words have comforted many Christ-followers throughout the world who are enduring trials because of their faith.

As I looked at the progression of this disciple’s very colorful life I was encouraged. Yes, we will all make mistakes. We will all say and do stupid things once in a while. But

Love,

Mama