Rachel Fisher, Children’s Ministries Communications Specialist

John 21:15-19 (ESV)

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, 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 a second time, “Simon, son of John, 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 John, 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 everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Reflection:

Sometimes I wish so hard for opportunities. I pray to God for just a chance to let me be remarkable: make a difference in the world, pursue a goal, and meet new people. I promise him that I will work hard and do everything I can to make him proud, if only I could just be given the right moment. Then, lo and behold, the moment comes! And…it passes…I am still exactly where I was, except I now have the self-loathing that comes with swinging and missing. Or better yet, not even leaving the bench.

I cannot comprehend why my desires and actions do not align, so I forfeit altogether. My resolution to be better turns bitter. I go back to simply “doing what I know”—what is easy—even though my heart no longer resides in that space.

Why do we have such a hard time following through on things? Even in the pursuits for which we pine personally, we always seem to let ourselves down. So often I mess up and look back on a day, a week, even a year and think, “Really? Again?”

The disciples knew this frustration all too well. Jesus had just been crucified. Their leader was gone. So they resumed their former reality. No longer were they confident and courageous enough to spread Christ’s message… All they could do was fish (quite poorly, I might add).

Jesus had been dead a mere number of days, yet his followers were already lost. However, when he appeared before them as their resurrected savior, he did not shame them or judge them. Instead, he helped them achieve a bountiful catch. Then he sat down, ate with them, and asked the most important question in any relationship: “Do you love me?”

In answering, “Yes, Lord,” Peter accepted the charge to choose God’s missions and encouragement. When we reply, “Yes, Lord,” we are accepting all that God requires: “Take care of my sheep.” By declaring our love for Christ, we are resolving that our accomplishments are not the quota on which we measure our self-worth.

Jesus knows that we are not perfect. He is fully aware that we will consistently disappoint ourselves and those around us. Yet he still wants us near. He still believes in us. Every single time we encounter a challenge, Christ empowers us to be exactly the wondrous disciples he created us to be. Even when we fail, his love allows us to never quit trying and trying…really, again.

Prayer:

Lord of light and love, thank you for never giving up on us. Thank you for filling within us the desire to hope and pursue great things on your behalf. Keep us focused on what really matters—tending to your flock—and grant us the bravery, resilience, and faith to never stop moving forward into your kingdom. Amen.