Feed my Sheep: The Calling of Pastors

From John @ http://thewordunbroken.blogspot.com

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs” (John 21:15).

In writing articles to train the church for discernment in these dark times, the question often arises, “What makes you qualified to do such a thing?”

My answer is always a resounding and rhetorical, “What makes anyone qualified?” Hopefully, in answering a question with a question I’ve pointed the born-again believer to the Bible.

None of us are worthy or deserving of the least of the Master’s callings or commands. We do so out of love for Him that springs, not from our own strength, but from the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit conceived in us at the Cross, birthed in us from above through regeneration, and waxing stronger in wisdom and stature through His sanctification.

Simon Peter wasn’t worthy or deserving of the least of the Lord’s affections, let alone the responsibility to represent Him in ministry.

At the close of John’s gospel account, we see the Master, the resurrected Lord, speaking with Simon Peter. He asks this very humbled fisherman, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”John 21:15

Jesus used the word agapao here. Some may think of it as “God’s love.” But that kind of definition doesn’t quite give us a handle on what Jesus wanted Peter to understand.

Simon Peter knew that Jesus was speaking of the Hebrew Ahav. Ahav is used for the first time in the Bible in Genesis 22:2 when the LORD says to Abraham, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (NKJV). Peter knew that the kind of love the Master spoke of was the love that produced the kind of faith that prompted men to obey God no matter how contrary it was to our rational thinking.

Simon Peter had denied the Master three times on the very same night that he said he would die for Him. Now, as Peter comes face to face with the resurrected Lord, he realized that he didn’t have the strength of will or the capacity of reason to tell the Lord that he was given over to Him so utterly and so completely. Simon Peter was tongue-tied. Logic escaped him. He answered the Lord with an emphatic, “True, Lord, You know that I am fond of You"John 21:15

Contrary to Jesus’ use of the word agapao, Simon used the Greek word fileo. This is the kind of love that reflects a fondness or affection for someone or something, a sentimental friendliness. Americans are familiar with this word from a major city in Pennsylvania: Philadelphia. It’s the city of “Brotherly (adelfos) Love (fileo).”

Despite Simon’s answer, Jesus encourages Simon Peter further. The Lord tells him, “Feed My lambs.” Jesus tells him to give nourishment to the little ones of His flock.

Then Jesus asks Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” [Are you committed to Me, Simon? Are you totally given over to Me?]

“True, Lord,” Simon said emphatically. “You know that I'm fond of you.” [I can only tell you the truth, Lord. I don't have it in me to go beyond my fondness for You. I don't want to let You down again. I remember that look You gave me the night I denied You the three times.] Luke 22:61-62
“Tend My sheep.” [Be a shepherd to My flock, guide them.]

Finally, Jesus asks Simon Peter a third question. “Simon, son of Jonah, are you fond of Me?” [Simon, is this as far as you can go in your commitment to Me?]

Simon Peter, the first disciple to confess of Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”(Matthew 16:16) and the first disciple to boldly tell the Lord that he would die for Him; he was grieved when He heard the Lord’s question, “Are you fond of Me?” He wasn't aggravated or frustrated. He wasn’t angry. He mourned, not for the question, but for himself. Everything that he thought that mattered was turned upside down, and now, and utterly ludicrous in the light of the resurrected Lord.

Simon said, “Lord, You know all things....” Now, we’re getting somewhere! Simon Peter finally got it. The resurrected Lord, Jesus Messiah, is the only One with whom we can see logically. Jesus, the resurrected Savior, is the only One that knows and He is the only One worth knowing. Simon Peter had finally come together with the Crucified of God and reasoned with Him. Peter had finally come to the end of himself.

When we come to the end of ourselves, we meet with real reason for all things, Jesus, the resurrected Savior, and He tells us things that don’t make sense... like telling a fisherman to do the work of a shepherd. The common sense world would say, “Hey, wait a minute! Why not use His talents as a fisherman. Don't make him a shepherd.” To the world, Jesus isn’t logical. The world is contrary to the Resurrected Lord, Jesus Messiah.

When we examine the life of Christ in the Bible, we look at it through the foolishness of the Cross and the power of the Resurrection:

“For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

I’m naturally a shy, non-confrontational person. Several years ago I would never have chosen the pastoral ministry, expressing as Moses did, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” Now, to be called to expose doctrinal error in the church is, again, something that I would definitely not have chosen for myself. Nevertheless, over the years I’ve learned the lesson of my namesake, Jonah; therefore I will heed the call to go to Nineveh and preach unto it what He bids me.

That God would entrust me with preaching the Cross of Jesus Christ amazes everyone from the angels of heaven above to members of my own family. It even amazes me, as I know that it amazes you too. Because, after all… since the Holy Spirit supernaturally revealed the awesome grace and majesty of God through His Son’s shed blood upon the Cross at Calvary, you and I know the truth of His calling: we’re not worthy or deserving, but He chose us anyway.

On that night of the last Passover with the Lord, Simon Peter betrayed the Jesus in his denials just as surely as Judas Iscariot did in his treason. Yet, on the beach in Galilee, Simon Peter realized that He wasn’t worthy either… but at the same time he also realized that his worthiness or unworthiness had nothing to do with obedience to the Master’s call.