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.”
This passage has had a fairly profound effect on me during the past week or so. Three times, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him. Each time Peter responded with a yes. Each time, Jesus told Peter to tend to his sheep. Christ never asked if Peter loved the people around him. He never asked if Peter felt qualified in order to lead people. All he asked was if Peter loved him.
He did this because it is not our love for others or our inward qualifications that will sustain us and keep us striving when life gets tough and people are impossible to love. Instead, it is our love for Christ that will sustain us.
The other part that strikes me is simply the fact that when Christ asks Peter if he loves him and Peter affirms this, Christ doesn't say kneel before me. Christ tells him to care for those around him, Christ's flock. Our love for Christ is not something that stays just between Christ and me. Instead, it is something that goes beyond us and affects others. Our relationship with Christ, based in his grace and mercy and our love and gratitude, overflows so that others can experience, even if just in a small way, what we know with Christ.
So when I am tired, frustrated, and feel I cannot give anymore. I am right; but at the same time wrong. It is not my independence or strong will that will see me through to the end. It is Christ. So when I am weak, I must turn to Christ because he is the Savior of the world, not me.
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