Title: Feed my sheep / John 21:15-17
Contents Feed my sheep / John 21:15-17
Today's Bible verse records the appearance of the resurrected Lord to Peter. In the 18th chapter of John's Gospel, we see the scene where Peter was cooking coals in the courtyard of the high priest's house and denied the Lord three times. In Luke 22, there is a saying that a rooster crowed and Jesus turned his face to see Peter. As Peter's gaze met Jesus's, Peter remembered what Jesus had said, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny that you know me three times." The charcoal in the courtyard of the high priest's house was the charcoal of betrayal that symbolized Peter's weakness.
Then, in the 21st chapter of the Gospel of John, there is another story about charcoal. This time, it is the charcoal fire that the risen Lord made on the Sea of Galilee. Three times Jesus asks Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” And Peter answers three times, “You know all things, and you know that I love you.” Jesus said to Peter, “Feed my lambs. Shepherd my sheep.” Here we see Jesus confirming love in Peter, forgiving him, and giving him the great commission to feed and care for his sheep. The coals of this Sea of Galilee were the coals of forgiveness. This experience of forgiveness made Peter the bold preacher of Acts 2 and, according to the tradition of the Church, the great martyr who was crucified upside down.
Peter's story is not just about Peter. It is the story of all of us. Like Peter, we betray the Lord. But the Lord forgives us, restores broken relationships, and gives us a great mission to feed the sheep. The sheep refers to all mankind. How many sheep without a shepherd are there in this world? Lamb, lonely sheep, sick sheep, hungry sheep, stray sheep, oppressed sheep… . Who will lead these sheep to the Lord? It is our responsibility to lead these sheep.
There are two paths that man can choose in this world. One is ‘the way of death’ and the other is ‘the way of resurrection’. The way of death is a view of life that thinks that the visible world is everything and that everything ends with the death of the body. However, the gospel testifies to a new world in which doubts are transformed into confidence, despair is transformed into hope, and defeat is transformed into victory through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For those who walk the path of resurrection, life is not the end, but a race course where they run while looking at the prize in heaven. What could be a greater message than this? To convey this is evangelism. Before the end of this year, may it be the day we all decide to bring at least one person to Christ.