Sermon(Jn 21:15-23): Feed my sheep

The original korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025221996

 

 

 

Sermon(Jn 21:15-23): Feed my sheep

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>>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." Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." (Jn 21:17, 18)<<

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Peter lived a strange life. He was married at an early(?!..) age, and was a hardworking fisherman. Thus he was living a banal life. But one day Jesus came to him and abruptly said, "Stop catching the fish. Follow me. I will make you a fisher of men!" But isn't it somewhat strange? What was the meaning of >a fisher of men< to Peter that he should follow Jesus, abandoning his job (and family)? Maybe Peter saw many followers of Jesus, and thought he could be the man next to Jesus in status, so made a decision to follow him.

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Jesus, after three years of his public life, was resurrected after the crucifixion and appeared to his disciples. Each of the disciples who had met the risen Jesus returned to their own work. Peter became a fisherman again. But Jesus came again to Peter who was catching fish. At first, Jesus called Peter as his disciple, but now he appoints Peter who has finished the discipleship class as his apostle, and sends him into the world. By the way, the sending ceremony was very impressive. "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Of course, yes!" "Feed my sheep!" This conversation was repeated three times.

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We need to think why Jesus after resurrection, appearing to his disciples, did not immediately send them as apostle to the world, but appeared to them again and entrusted them with missions after a certain period of time when Peter and his disciples returned to their old job. The reason why Jesus did so was that he wanted his disciples to know this: "It is certain that I'm sending you into the world by appointing you as apostles. Therefore, no matter what trial is coming, you must never return to the old man!" That was why Jesus waited for a while and called them again particularly when they became the old selves again. God allows us to mistake in order to let us to keep in mind that we should not make the same mistakes in the same situation later. If you are in such a situation for the first time after official start of the holy vocation, you can mistake, then you can't carry out the vocation thanks to the mistake any more. Therefore God permits you to mistake before you carry out your vocation officially. It does not mean that you should be given up to sins such as obscenity before you enter the priesthood or the work of the Lord. I mean that, even if you make a mistake, you should never forget the fact that God has called you as a servant of God; and that, once you get into full-time ministry, you should never make such mistakes.

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After all, Jesus is finally calling Peter back. Now, what is the mission that Jesus entrusted to Peter in earnest? It is "Feed my sheep." Until now, Jesus himself has fed his sheep in the word of God, but now he has to ascend to heaven and seat himself at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus appoints Peter as the chief of his disciples, saying, "Feed my sheep!" Jesus asks Peter to be a good shepherd: "From now on you yourself must feed my sheep on nutritious food and make them healthy. Go all over the world, gather my sheep, and foster them. Peter, I do trust you." Who else can do this? Just do as you were taught!

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Beloved brethren, what, then, should the apostle Peter feed the sheep of Jesus? It is Peter himself whom Peter has to give to the sheep of Jesus for food. What does that mean? Don't think it strange. Peter was the best disciple of Jesus, that is the head of the disciples. Don't the best disciple have to follow the teacher Jesus, of course? Jesus gave his flesh and blood to his disciples at the Communion. That is, Jesus fed his disciples through his sacrifice and service. Also Peter, Jesus' best disciple, should feed Jesus' sheep through his religious life of sacrifice and service, or through all that he is and all that he has, if he is a true, good disciple.

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First, Peter must feed the sheep of Jesus by showing his attitude of loving Jesus, the head and lord of the church. Do you know what is the easiest way to break down your children's personality? If you want that, show them your adulterous act with another woman or another man. Let them see you neglect your husband and embrace a neighborhood man, and your children's personality will be destroyed. Let them see you love not your wife but your female employee and drive with only the woman, then their heart will be injured. The believers (or the sheep) of Jesus who are under a clergyman's guidance will grow normally and properly only when he shows them his true love toward Jesus only. If the clergyman neglects his identity and loves the world more than Jesus, the religious personality of his sheep will be destroyed. Therefore, the best food for the sheep of Jesus is clergyman's attitude of genuine love for Jesus. Like Peter. So Jesus wise indeed asked and answered Peter three times, "Do you love me? Then feed my sheep!" Because that is the most important food. Some may deny that Peter, who denied Jesus three times, has a love for Jesus. It's not true! All the other disciples fled away, but Peter was around Jesus despite danger and said that way in perplexity. Peter was the one who loved Jesus most then, no matter who doubts it! Jesus' eyes are accurate. What is the evidence that a clergyman loves Jesus? To keep the temple holy and to keep the worship holy. He must observe the beginning of worship punctually. He should not prepare the sermon roughly and flounder in panic because of the lack of time to complete the sermon until just before the worship time. Do not show the sheep of Jesus such an unfaithful attitude! And you should not lose dignity as a servant of Jesus. And it is not good to seek the glory of the world too much. Like this, when pastors and jangros (elders) and gwonsas (exhorters), who are leaders of church, show the love of Jesus, the lambs of Jesus grow well. When such pastors as have such basic qualifications teach the word of God, the sheep of Jesus accept the word without any repulsion.

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Next, Peter must feed the sheep of Jesus by taking up his own cross. Jesus predicts that Peter will be martyred on the cross later, giving glory to God. Peter was actually martyred on the cross upside down by the Roman authorities, according to a legend. If you love Jesus, you must bear the cross that Jesus lays upon your shoulder. The cross is the representative symbol of sacrifice and obedience. The sheep of Jesus find a good example of a devout faith in the servants of God who take up their cross with pleasure, and imitate them. When a clergyman refuses to carry a cross (of a church) on his shoulder, sometimes, a layman, a sheep of Jesus, is reluctant to bear the cross instead of him for fear that others should have an impression that he is a better believer than the clergyman. This is a shameful situation! The greater vocation you are commissioned by the Lord, the more voluntarily you should bear the cross, so that those who are under your supervision and guidance grow to be believers who are capable of taking up their cross, too. Even if others eat and live well, and survive until 90 years old, you have to accept the cross gladly whenever Jesus imposes it. You are not feeding good food to the sheep of Jesus if you make a disappointed look before them because your church is small and believers of your church are poor and the sum of offertory is small. It is a very good nutritious food for the believers of your church, for you to give thanks to God even when your neighbor church, in contrast to your church, grows rapidly and is very rich. For a pastor to love Jesus and to bear the cross is the very precious food for the members of the church. on the contrary, false love and false sacrifice have no nutritional value at all. They make the believers just feel bloated!

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Above all, the daily food that Peter must feed the Lord's sheep is the word of Jesus. No one knows about Jesus better than Peter. No one knew as well as Peter all the words Jesus spoke while living on the earth. There were Peter, James, and John nearest to Jesus always. Jesus especially placed these three disciples closer and showed many mysterious things. Of these three, Peter was the one who saw Jesus interrogated by priests and suffer insult and violence. Therefore, it was appropriate for Peter to be the leader of the disciples and to assume the responsibility of feeding the sheep of Jesus. The last food to feed the sheep of Jesus is the flesh and blood of Jesus, and the words of Jesus as well. The sufferings of Jesus and the words of Jesus had to be distributed by Peter, who was near Jesus from beginning to end. Peter took charge of teaching the sheep of Jesus his love through the cross and his words so that they might enter the heaven. Yes, the clergy should keep deep spiritual fellowship with Jesus, and deeply understand his word and teach the believers the genuine gospel. Thus the leaders of the church should grow the believers up as disciples of Jesus!

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How can you feed the sheep of Jesus without loving Jesus? How can you feed the sheep of Jesus without willingness to bear the cross? How can you feed the sheep of Jesus without knowing Jesus? And how can you feed the sheep of Jesus without his permission? No, you can't! We all are disciples of Jesus like Peter. Jesus is asking you the same question as he asked Peter: "Do you love me?" If you answer him, "Yes!", then he requests you, "Feed my sheep!" We Christians are lovers of Christ. Therefore, all of us must bring the gospel to the people of the world and nurture them. We have to take care of them with love. We are not those who live forever in this world. We must not miss Jesus who gives us eternal life, while loving this world. Just as Jesus has been in the world for a while, so we also are people who will be here just for a while. We are those who already have eternal life. We will live forever in heaven. So we thank and love Jesus.

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If we are grateful to Jesus who gave us eternal life, we must grant his last request. Let's show that our love for him is not a lie. Let's invest all we have, our property, occupation, health and youth, in the evangelical enterprise that evangelizes the people and makes them disciples of Jesus. Let's not love Jesus only with words, but love him by the practice of loving him.

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Let's be fishers of men. Do not be fishers of money but fishers of men who will go to heaven. Do not be fishers who catch only secular knowledge that will be soon useless. Do not be fishers who catch only high status. Do not be fishers who catch those who can illegally suffice your carnal desire. Be fishers who catch the sheep of Jesus, like Peter who got eternal life and will rceive a grand prize in heaven.

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Chong Tack Kim

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                                    - Dongtoma Sunshine Church -