October 1

Day 201: Feed My Sheep

Reading in the Gospels of Jesus's interactions with people, it's easy to be astounded at what Jesus says, and what He does not say.

In the four Gospel accounts, not counting duplicates, Jesus is asked 183 questions. He answers only 3 of them directly. But, Jesus Himself asks 307 questions.

Instead of people having a Q&A with Jesus, more often than not it was Q&Q. You'd expect Jesus, the greatest preacher and teacher ever, to respond to questions with undeniable truth bombs. After all, who knew His Bible better than Jesus?

Jesus seems to teach through questions. Some call this the "Socratic Method." I think Jesus knew well how people learn best by thinking through their responses to questions. (Maybe as evangelists, we could learn something here.)

I spent a little time earlier this morning looking for what was Jesus's final question. The four Gospel writers are recounting the same narrative, for sure. But what they include as being His final question is not necessarily the same.

I'll stick with what John wrote. As an eye=witness he records Jesus asking Simon Peter, "Do you love me?" In fact, Jesus asks Peter this question three times. Not to be redundant, or antagonizing. But to emphasize a point.

"Do you love me?" Responding in kind to Peter's redundant responses, even the third coming with a little exasperation, the Lord says, "Feed My sheep."

Jesus is saying that to love Him is to care for His own; His sheep. Peter was to care for the sheep, because Jesus wouldn't be with them in person much longer.

In between the lines, Jesus is telling this apostle that any love for his Master cannot be exercised in isolation. To be a follower of Jesus is to be in community with other followers.

I've heard it said, by more than one person in the past months, "God and I are good. I don't need this or any church." But when any of us are adopted by the Father, we are adopted into His family. Adopted orphans are not adopted into continuing isolation.

In any family, as the children mature, they are given more responsibility, in keeping with their maturity. Jesus was thus telling Peter that his new responsibility was to care for others, those already in the family, and those who would become family members later.

Jesus then tells Peter that his sheep feeding would require and ultimately end with his own physical demise. He even tells Peter how his life on earth would end. But, he's told to feed the sheep anyway. Feeding sheep always comes with hardship for the one doing the feeding, it seems.

All this, because Peter had said, "You know that I love you." To love the Shepherd is to love the Shepherd's sheep. To serve, to lead, to protect the Shepherd's sheep. As a faithful and trusted under-shepherd.

In these dark days of Fall, and the continuing cloud of Covid fears and restrictions, might Jesus be asking us the same question, "Do you love me?"

If we're inclined to respond as Peter did, would Jesus say anything different to us?

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau