John 21:16 He said to him again 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, "Shepherd My sheep."
Again, Jesus starts with the highest form of love in His questioning of Peter. Do you love Me with agape love? Again Simon Peter answers, “Yes, You know I love you with a brotherly love—a phileo love. It seems he was saying to Jesus that he loved him just like all the other brothers did.
Again, Jesus rewarded Peter with the privilege of shepherding Jesus’ flock out of love for Simon Peter and His disciples.
Jesus cares for His sheep. If you are one of His sheep, you can know that He knows you and cares for you enough to appoint someone to be a shepherd to you. You can also know your shepherd has feet of clay like you. It’s the love of God revealed in Christ that keeps the flock. That’s why He called us to live to love with His Son.
Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com
