Serving Bread

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.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to thim, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said tot him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt 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. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

— John 21.15-19

In John 21, Jesus asks Peter three times whether Peter loved him. And three times Peter answers that he does, and three times Jesus challenges him to tend or feed the sheep (which presumably are the people under Jesus’ leadership/authority). Peter and Jesus needed a moment to reconcile what had happened a few days earlier where Peter denied even knowing Jesus.  Three times Peter betrayed Jesus and three times Jesus invites Peter to re-affirm his commitment and love toward him.

Jesus may be asking a simple enough question about love, but the implications of loving Jesus impress leadership upon Peter. Peter would soon become the leader of the community that Jesus had formed. Because Peter loves Jesus, he is given authority to lead the people of God toward the purposes of God.

There are probably various ways of reading the text and some may read an ‘if-then’ statement into that interaction. If Peter loves Jesus, then he would feed the sheep. But I don’t see it that way, Peter is obliged to lead because leadership would be an expression of his love to Jesus.

This reading of the passage is shaping me in this season where I am inviting young students to consider leading on campus. Too many people may lead for wrong reasons: Whether it is pride, addiction to power, desire for significance, or to pay God back (He’s done so much for me, this is the least I can do). At it’s core, we lead because we love Jesus.

The moments of deep intimacy with Jesus propel me to lead the people of God toward the purposes of God. The moments where I do not sense any love toward Jesus, leadership is a chore.

Leadership has to come out of a deep sense of love for Jesus. Ministry is demanding and there are far too many needs that challenge how I spend my time. I can lie to myself and believe that my tank is big enough and full enough to survive any season of ministry—that my focus needs to be on others and not on my relationship with Jesus. We love and lead people because we love Jesus.

Jesus asks us, “Do you love me?”

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