He said to him the third time,
"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was distressed that he had said to him a 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 21:17
Have you ever felt that nagging feeling like you have forgotten to do something, like turn the stove off before you left the house or close the garage door? Or like forgetting your lunch at home on the counter, discover it at lunchtime, and regret that you rushed out the door so much earlier in the day? This verse reminds me of that feeling of "what am I missing?", or "what did i forget?" I feel that same kind of a nagging feeling when I schedule in a few minutes of quiet prayer time in the day and overlook it or forget about it.
Peter states his love for Jesus three times and Jesus clearly hears Peter's replies, yet Jesus continues. We know as Peter denied Jesus three times, here he is stating his love for Jesus three times and it is a beautiful testament to Peter's faith. Like Peter, I can deny Jesus in my daily life without thinking of the consequences. Like the distress of Peter, I feel distressed when I overschedule, and rush through the day to simply accomplish the tasks at hand rather than prayerfully enjoy the day's activities. So as we " feed the sheep" in our lives, be it our family members, coworkers, or even the community, let's take time to simply stop and restate our love for Jesus. "Jesus I trust in you".
