John 21:15-17
So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
We often hear the cliche these days that we are to
be Christ to others. Is this really
possible? It is a bit of rhetorical
exaggeration with an important truth in it.
We do need to represent Christ well to the world, to our families, to
each other. Elders do this in this
church and here at this table. Jesus
feeds us. He is the host of this
table. But he sets up this meal so that
the elders take His place, stand in His stead, represent Him. To be Christ to others, we first must receive
Christ from others. When Jesus restores
Peter by the sea after the resurrection, Jesus first goes back to basics. Do you love Me? If so, then you can, you are called, to feed
His sheep. Or, Paul tells Timothy, what
you received from me, pass on to other faithful men who can teach more.
Communion takes us to the touchstone of our faith:
being with Jesus, loving Him, seeing His sacrifice for us, seeing Him
represented in others, strengthened in the grace He gives us.
These are gifts of God for the people of God
Receive Him, rest on Him
alone today. 8/14/16
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