Do We Love Jesus? Are We Tending and Feeding His Sheep?
Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him, and with each response Jesus instructed Peter to feed His lambs, tend to His sheep and to feed His sheep. We say we love Jesus with all our heart, and we will sing, gather together and listen to His word and all this is good and fitting for us to grow and mature in Him.
We are to grow in the knowledge and understanding of God as our loving Father and Jesus the Son, who loved us and gave His life for us. As we abide in Him and relish in His love for us, we are to express our love for Him by how we are taking care and tend to those He love. Tending sheep is the practice of giving guidance, protection, to raise and guard them it is providing food, water and to rescue and to keep them safe.
This is how do we requite, return or express our love back to Him, by loving, providing and protection those He love. It is not something we have to guess at, or wonder how we are to show our love to and for our Lord and Savior. Jesus has told us what acts of love He desires, “feed My lambs, tend and feed My sheep.”
John 21:15- 17 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, 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. ”He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. He said to him, “Tend My sheep. ” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, 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 all things; You know that I love You. ”Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
Jesus told Peter three different times and ways to “feed My lambs,” “tend My sheep” and “feed My sheep.” Feeding lambs is like feeding babies, they receive their nourishment and nutrients from the life-giving milk of the mother, which drains her body to provide for the child. To tend to someone is to give them the things they need, to help them advance or to support them. Love gives of itself, just as God so loved the world He gave His only Son. Love is known and shown by the sacrifice it gives to the beloved.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus is asking if you love Me, feed those I love, My people, those created in My image, my sheep. As we grow and are nourished in His word, we are to give that life-giving substance to those He loves. We are to feed His people that they may grow in the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of God the Father and Jesus Christ whom He sent.
Philippians 1:9-11 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Colossians 2:2-3 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
How do we show our love for Jesus? By feeding, tending and caring for those He love, His people, His sheep.
Father, let the love of Jesus dwell in us, Holy Spirit pour out Your love in us and through us to those we meet. Let Your love be seen in us, that they may see and know the love of Jesus and that we are His disciples.
