Feed My Sheep

[Read John 21:15-23]

The human body is pretty crazy, especially how it can adapt to various circumstances. Now, I’m not a medical professional, so I’m sure this won’t be perfectly accurate, but I still believe I can speak about some of these things from personal experience. One of the crazy ways our body adapts is regarding the things we eat. We all know the basic idea that the more active we are, the more calories we need, right? We burn more calories, we need more calories. That’s a basic understanding of the way things work. However, there’s also this thing that when we eat less food, our bodies adapt to that and we need less food. Our body seems to figure out that we’re eating less so it adapts so that it will function on that amount of food. 

That’s not always a good thing. There was a period of time where Rachel and I were around a bunch of people who had eating disorders. There were a couple guys there, but mostly it was a bunch of teenage girls. And the crazy thing we learned in that process is that two things were happening at the same time. On the one hand, their bodies were not getting enough nutrition and were in really rough shape as a result of it. However, their bodies had also adapted to the amount of food they were taking in, so it was extremely difficult for them to eat enough food that their body actually needed. Besides some of the mental struggles that often are connected with eating disorders, the physical struggles are also very real. They need to be very intentional about forcing themselves to eat enough food, even when their body is telling them to stop. So, it’s this kinda crazy situation where their body knows it needs more food, but is making it hard for them to get enough food. 

I see something similar happen in churches all the time, but not in relation to real food, but spiritual food. Increasingly, we’re seeing a bunch of anorexic Christians, who have starved themselves (or been starved) for so long that they don’t even realize how little spiritual food they eat. Even though they are starving and not getting enough nourishment, they don’t realize it. They think they are getting enough. AND, in a very similar way to those who struggle with anorexia, it is extremely hard to get them back on track eating enough spiritual food for them to be nourished. Sometimes it takes simply forcing ourselves to go to church, to read our bibles, to take the sacraments, to pray, to be in Christian community so that we receive some nourishment, even when we don’t think we do, when we think we’re doing just fine. We need to force ourselves to eat more and it’s very hard. Yet, I’ve also noticed that once people force themselves to start eating more spiritual food, eventually their metabolism kicks in, and they end up getting even hungrier and want to eat more. It turns into a spiral—a spiral that can go either way. On the one hand, if you starve yourself, you will spiral down into starvation, but if you feed yourself, you will continue to spiral up, wanting more and more spiritual food. 

Now, in this morning’s passage, we continue where we left off last week. Remember last week, we saw Jesus showing his presence and his provision to the disciples, reminding them that he would be with them wherever they go AND that he would provide for them. He provided for them in this instance by giving them a large catch of fish and by giving them a meal on the beach. While they’re sitting around the fire, Jesus begins an awkward conversation. Jesus has a way of doing that. Here’s how this conversation begins: “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”” (John 21:15, ESV). Notice that the scene doesn’t change. They all sat around the fire eating breakfast and when they were done eating breakfast, and most likely they were all still sitting around the fire, Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” 

For us, this statement raises some questions, like what are the “these” that Jesus is talking about? There are three options: 1) he could be referring to the other disciples, asking Peter if he loves Jesus more than he loves the disciples, 2) Jesus could be referring to the fish (or the fishing nets), asking Peter if he loves Jesus more than his fishing trade, or 3) which I think it the likeliest, Jesus is asking Peter if he thinks his love for Jesus is greater than the other disciple’s love for Jesus. That’s what makes this really awkward, because Jesus is asking Peter this, confronting Peter about this, in front of the other disciples. 

It’s important to remember a couple things here. This entire scene is going to be deeply connected with Peter’s denial of Jesus. Yet, Peter’s denial of Jesus is also connected to Jesus’ prediction of Jesus’ denial. Remember how that went down? Jesus says that he’s going somewhere they can’t follow, but Peter arrogantly says something like, “I will go anywhere you go. I’ll even lay down my life for you!” To which Jesus replies something like, “Peter, you’re not as tough as you think you are. You’re going to end up denying me three times tonight because you feel threatened by a teenage girl.” Peter’s statement came from this sense that he loved Jesus more than the other disciples—he was willing to lay down his life for Jesus. So, Jesus confronts him on that now, after Peter has failed. Peter, now that you’ve experienced all that you’ve experienced, and now that you’ve seen your weakness and failure, do you still think that you love me more than the other disciples? Peter responds: “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” (John 21:15, ESV). 

This happens two more times, each time it’s worded a little differently. There has been a lot of talk about the different wording in this passage, especially from those who know Greek, because there are different Greek words used throughout this passage. Jesus asks Peter if he agape loves him and Peter responds by saying he phileo loves him. For those who have been in the church for a bit, you know that agape is a selfless, servant-hearted love, and phileo is a brotherly love—why Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love. So, people have come to lots of conclusions about why they are using different words here, including myself. However, after studying it this time, I think the difference of words doesn’t actually mean that much. The third time Jesus asks Peter if he phileo loves him and we read, “Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?”” (John 21:17, ESV).  So, Peter doesn’t respond as if Jesus is asking something different here. This is the third time Jesus has asked him this question in front of all the other disciples. So, he responds again, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” (John 21:17, ESV).

We know there’s a reason for this conversation and there’s a reason that Jesus is having this conversation in front of the other disciples—and that reason is not to embarrass and shame Peter for his failure. It’s very clear that Jesus is asking this three times as a way of connecting with Peter’s three denials. There’s a sense in which each of Peter’s public denials is removed with each public commitment that he loves Jesus. And it’s extremely important that this is done in front of the other disciples. They all knew what happened with Peter when Jesus was crucified. Most likely, it would have been very hard for the other disciples to trust Peter again, or fully trust him. I’m even sure that Peter wasn’t even sure he could trust himself after that. So, to make sure that Peter knows what’s going on and so that the disciples know what’s going on, Jesus clears Peter’s record publicly in front of them all AND reinstates Peter in front of the other disciples. 

Jesus reinstates Peter by repeatedly saying, “Feed my lambs…Tend my sheep…Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15, 16, 17, ESV). Again, I don’t think the word change is that significant, but pointing to the same idea that Jesus is reinstating Peter as one of the disciples, and sending him out as a shepherd to care for God’s flock. The job that Jesus is giving Peter to do here—and the other disciples as well—is that he is to feed his sheep. And if you pay attention to the flow of this conversation, it seems very much like Jesus is connecting this command to his initial question, “Do you love me?…Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17, ESV), which has this sense to it that Jesus is telling Peter: “If you love me, you will feed my sheep.” 

This is the role of the church—to feed God’s sheep. I think that’s an important reminder, especially in our current cultural situation. Churches are tempted to operate in a variety of different ways. Some are tempted to be a social club. Some are tempted to be an activity/program center. Some are tempted to be a concert venue. Churches are tempted in a variety of directions, but the calling that Jesus has given us is to be a place where his sheep are fed and nourished and strengthened. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we do what we do on Sunday mornings, but also throughout the week. It’s our desire that we would feed you with spiritual food so that your soul is nourished and strengthened as you follow Jesus Christ. 

That also means that when you arrive at church, or a church event, you should be coming here to be fed and nourished. There should be a longing and a hunger within you to be fed and nourished through the church, which is why you come on Sunday mornings and why you attend other small groups and bible studies. It’s not just that churches are called to feed the sheep, but the sheep are also called to be hungry and longing for the food that Christ is offering them through the church. And, as I mentioned earlier, if you’re not hungry for these things, it’s not because you’ve already been fed enough. I can almost guarantee that’s not the case. Most likely, if you’re not hungry for these things it’s because your soul has adapted to malnourishment, and you’re probably slowly starving. The solution to that is to begin forcing yourself to eat this spiritual food, even when you don’t feel like it, because you know it’s good for you. And the more you do that, you will learn to hunger more and more for this spiritual food, and you will no longer have to force yourself to eat, but you will be hungry and excited to eat this spiritual food. 

Now, what is this spiritual food that I’m talking about? The Sunday school answer is a good answer: Jesus. Earlier in this gospel, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35, 48, ESV). That means he is the one we feed on and are nourished by and are satisfied by. Yet, there are particular ways in which we’re told that we can feed on and be nourished and satisfied by Jesus Christ. The church has called these The Means of Grace—the Word of God and the Sacraments (some traditions include prayer here as well). These are the ways in which we are fed. We are fed by reading and understanding and studying the Word of God. That’s why the Word of God is at the beginning, middle, and end of this worship service. Because it’s feeding you and strengthening you in your soul. This is also why I’m constantly encouraging you to read your bible every, single day, because it’s how your soul is fed and nourished as you follow Christ. You need it AND you should long for it and hunger to be fed by God’s Word. And you will find that the more you eat from God’s Word, the more hunger you will have for it. So, the questions we need to be asking are: How am I being fed? And If I’m not being fed, or seeking to be fed, why is that the case? 

This leads to this final portion of our passage, where Jesus informs Peter that this calling to feed the sheep will be a difficult calling that will eventually result in him being killed. We read, “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.” (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.”” (John 21:18-19, ESV). Notice the connection here to what happened before Peter’s denial? Peter said he could follow Jesus wherever he went and that he would lay his life down for him. Jesus had told him it wasn’t going to go down like that, that he wouldn’t lay down his life and that he wouldn’t follow him wherever…yet. Jesus did tell him that afterward Peter would follow him. Now is the time where Jesus calls Peter to follow him, and that by following him, he will lay down his life for him. 

What I find funny is Peter’s response to this. We read, “Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”” (John 21:20-22, ESV). So, immediately after finding out that he will lay down his life in following Jesus, he asks, “Well, what about John? What’s going to happen to him? Is he going to die too?” And Jesus responds, “Don’t worry about him. That’s none of your business. I’m calling you to follow me!” 

I also think it’s really important to connect all of this to everything we’ve already talked about, because it’s all connected. The basic outline of the entire passage is Jesus telling Peter: “If you love me, you will feed my sheep, and you will follow me wherever I lead you.” That’s the message from Jesus to Peter. That’s the message to each of us too. If we love Jesus, we will follow him wherever he leads, trusting him to provide for us—feed us—with whatever we need, while also sharing that with those around us—feeding other people. That’s the message for each of us this morning. 

And part of that message is the fact that sometimes following Jesus means entering into very difficult places and situations—or enduring periods of difficulty. And in those moments, it’s very easy for us to start looking around at other people and say, “Why does so-and-so have it so much easier than me? Why do I have to suffer like this and they don’t?” and to those kind of questions Jesus says, “That’s none of your business. I’ve got my own plans for them. I’ve got my own plans for you. I’ve asked YOU to love me, and YOU to trust me, and YOU to follow me. So, follow me!” And guess what, as you follow him in the midst of these difficult seasons and situations, guess what you’re going to need? You’re going to need nourishment and strength. You’re going to need to be fed in order to make it through. You’re going to need to read your bible and pray regularly. You’re going to need to be in church every Sunday morning. You’re going to need to be in Christian community. These things aren’t secondary aspects of the Christian faith, they are a necessary part of following Jesus wherever he leads. Do you love him? Then follow him wherever he leads you, hunger to be fed and nourished by him and to feed his sheep, even if that means going through a long season off difficulty and suffering. 

Later on as Peter continued to shepherd God’s flock, he passed this message on to them—a message that he learned personally, and a message I think is connected to this story: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10–11, ESV).