"Feed My Sheep" - But Who Are They?

   

John 21:1-14

I have often wondered what it would have been like to have been in that boat and experienced the risen Christ calling from the shore.  I wonder, when it was pointed out to Peter that the voice calling belonged to the One he'd denied knowing only a short time ago, about the rush of emotion - elation, disbelief, conviction, hope - he, Peter, would have felt.  It had to be extreme because the author of the Gospel tells us that Peter threw on some clothes and jumped into the water to swim ashore.  The others rowed the boat ashore, so close were they.  And I can't even imagine the exchange of those first glances between Peter and Jesus - the recognition, the guilt, the acknowledgement of his failure to stand by his Lord at the early morning trial, and on and on.  All of that playing out in a matter of moments, as they stood there speechless, probably, taking it all in oblivious to the others laboring to make their way in with their amazing catch of fish.
   And then, the conversation around the fire while they watched in astonishment as Jesus, whom they knew had died a horrible death yet whom they knew was right there in front of them, ate with them, laughed with them, talked about the future with them, and then asked Peter those three haunting questions: "Simon, Son of John, do you love me?"  (Interesting that Jesus calls him "Simon", after renaming him "Peter" earlier on.  Maybe this was Jesus' way of contrasting who Peter had been with who Jesus was presently calling him to be.)

"Tend my sheep"

   And I wonder, when Jesus told him to look after His sheep, if Peter thought about nudging "the disciple whom Jesus loved" and urging him, "Ask Him who He's talking about!"  And I can hear Jesus responding, "Peter, who aren't they?"
  We'll be exploring all of this and more this Sunday, April 14th, at Ft. Collins First UMC.  Join us!
   And if you have any stories about "tending Jesus' sheep" - wherever you encountered them, I'd love to hear them, and if they fit, to include them in the sermon on Sunday.
   Easter Blessings,
   Pastor Steve
   ><>