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.” 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.” 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.” (John 21:15–17 ESV)
Love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deut. 6:4) And love thy neighbor as thyself. (Lev. 19:18) This is the summary of all the Law and the prophets. The one follows the other; the law itself giving detail on how one can love his neighbor. This is not an uncommon understanding; it’s present in the books of Moses and permeates the Gospel.
A new commandment I give to you, says Jesus to the disciples, love one another as I have loved you. A greater love than this has no man, than to lay down his life for his friends. That might remind you of a similar phrase, when Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) God and man are bound together in a covenant of love. It is in this context and with this understanding that Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” and charges him “feed my lambs, tend my flock, feed my sheep.”
How does Simon, son of John, understand this injunction, to feed the sheep? Comprehension might have dawned slowly. But we can clearly see a pattern in the question and answer, an if-then statement not unlike the summary of the law. If you love God, do this.
Comprehension might have dawned slowly for Peter, that rock, that blockhead, like us, mostly dull but subject to flashes of insight, following as soon as he was called (Mark 1:16-18, Luke 5:4-11) and recognizing Jesus as Lord: “Thou art the Christ,” he proclaims. (Mark 8:29). The questioning seems pointless to him. “Lord, you know everything.” Only later might it dawn on him that the thrice-repeated affirmation repairs the thrice-repeated denial. Only later might it dawn on him that this a new calling — you, follow me — and a specific instruction — feed my sheep. How does he understand this command? What is he to do? Only later, when the Holy Ghost descends, might it dawn on him. On the Pentecost, he stepped forward, lifted up his voice, and declared “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36) What he does here, and throughout the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and what he writes in his letters, demonstrate how he’s understood this call: proclaim the word of God, and guard against error.
He is to be a shepherd, a pastor. Feed my sheep, Jesus says. The Lord is my shepherd, sings the Psalmist. This is a great responsibility given Peter, to feed the Lord’s sheep. He could turn the sheep loose to graze too much on the world. But the shepherd cares for the sheep: He shall maketh them to lie down in green pastures beside still waters. Satan tempts Jesus to turn stones to bread to quiet his rumbling stomach. Jesus answers, it is written, “man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.” (Deut. 8:3, Matt. 4:3-4, Luke 4:3-4) The beloved disciple tells us, ‘and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.’ (John 1:14) And Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger.” (John 6:35)
What then shall Peter feed the sheep? The green, green grass, our daily bread, is necessary, but not sufficient. It is not enough to eat your fill of the things of this world. They do not satisfy. It is the bread of life that we the sheep ned, every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. The Psalmist echoes the sentiment: “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.” Thus Peter writes in his second letter, “I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.” (2 Peter 1:13–15)
But Peter’s charge is two-fold, not only to proclaim the word of God, but to tend the flock, to see that none go astray, to keep them safe from predators. “Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” By guidance and careful correction the sheep are moved from pasture to pasture and kept safe within the fold. By careful attention the wolves are kept at bay.
Peter understands his task to guard this small flock of the Lord’s. And in part that means to raise up the next generation of shepherds who in turn must feed the sheep with the word of God and guard the church against false teachers and false teaching, something with which every age has had to contend.
Peter writes to the elders in the church, “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. … Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith.” (1 Peter 5:2-3, 8-9)
Our present age is a bit too comfortable in the world, less inclined to discipline error, however gently, and often as not avoiding vocal proclamation of the Gospel. But we believe only because we have heard, from trustworthy witnesses, from a long line of preachers, from a cloud of saints, and from the constancy of Holy Scripture. How else would we have heard? (Romans 10:13-15, 17)
Even without formal training, this too is our charge, to tend our homes, keeping faithful watch over our flocks by night, keeping them on the paths of righteousness. And “let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” (Psalm 95:6-7)