Tending His Sheep

As Jesus prepared for His crucifixion, He appointed Simon Peter to shepherd His disciples, after they were scattered and Peter denied knowing Him. 

"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded [permission] to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32 (NASB95)

The scattering of the sheep was the fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy.

Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, 'I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.'

Matthew 26:31 (NASB95)

After Jesus' resurrection, John records this threefold call of Peter to shepherd His flock. Many Bible commentators see this as Peter's restoration following his threefold denial of Christ before the crucifixion. The verses illustrate the tender love of the Chief Shepherd for his followers. I want to point out some words you may have missed in these verses.

John 21:15-17 (NASB95)

15 So 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, “Tend My lambs.” 

• Love Me - agapas me - Do you love me with dedication?
• Love You - philo se - I love you with affection 
• Tend - boske - feed
• Lambs - ta arnia mou- my lambkins

Little lambkins are cute, soft, easy to lead and feed. They are also easy prey and need special attention from the shepherd.

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.” 

• Love Me - agapas me - Do you love me with dedication?
• Love You - philo se - I love you with affection 
• Shepherd - poimaine - lead, rule
• Sheep - ta probata mou - my sheep

Sheep are not so cute like lambkins; their wool is scratchy and they might be covered with grass stubble and stickers. They can be stinky and not so cuddly too. Sheep need a shepherd to keep them out of trouble and lead the flock to safe pastures of green grass. They need a strong, courageous shepherd to defend them from wolves.

17 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 all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

• Love Me - philo me - Do you love me with affection?
• Love You - philo se - I love you with affection 
• Tend - boske - feed
• Sheep - ta probata mou - my sheep

Jesus’ third command is most touching, since He asks Peter -as a friend- to tenderly care for those stinky old sheep. That includes the ones that push smaller ones aside to get closer to the Shepherd, the ones that get sidetracked looking for their own greener pastures, even those getting lost and into trouble in the darkness. Not just to rule and lead them, but to care for and feed them.

Peter gives the elders of the early church this advice as he approaches his own prophesied crucifixion:

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:1-4 (NASB95)

The call of Jesus on Peter's life is meant for all shepherds of the Lord's flock, whether the pastor of a large church or the father of a small family. All followers of Christ need an earthly shepherd who models the loving affection of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

Things Worth Pursuing

The Greek word dioko has a meaning you might miss when reading the New Testament in English. It is mostly translated as persecute but sometimes it’s translated as practice, pursue or press on. This makes me think of a law enforcer who doggedly pursues a fugitive until he lays hold of him and delivers him to the prosecutor.

Here are some verses that use dioko in these less common ways:

• Romans 12:13 (NASB95) contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
• Romans 14:19 (NASB95) So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.
• 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NASB95) Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
• Philippians 3:12 (NASB95) Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
• Philippians 3:14 (NASB95) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
• 1 Timothy 6:11 (NASB95) But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.
• Hebrews 12:14 (NASB95) Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
• 1 Peter 3:11 (NASB95) “HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT.

The verse that hits me in the heart today is Philippians 3:12. That verse is talking about the continual vigorous pursuit to “know Christ and the power of His resurrection…”

That verse uses another Greek word that completes the inspiration for me - katalambano (lay hold of). When my pursuit of knowing Christ is complete, I will lay hold of the power of the resurrection, just as Christ Jesus laid hold of me! Wow!

My Savior pursued me vigorously, captured me and bound me to Himself - to deliver me, not to judgment, but from judgment to eternal life full of joy and peace!

That my friend is a goal worth pursuing.

Wrestling with Darkness

 Last night I spent a few hours wrestling with sleeplessness, partly due to escalating concerns about what is going on in the world and how it may affect our lives. Of course, there is very little I can do about these concerns except to cast them on the Lord Jesus and ask for divine intervention. Needless to say, after a night like that I'm somewhat spent physically.

If you have ever dealt with someone with psychosis, a personality disorder or addiction issues, you might understand what it means to wrestle with the forces of darkness. There are many stories in the Bible about Jesus wrestling with demons, and last Sunday our fellowship group studied one of these accounts in the gospel of Luke.

While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them. Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ. When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them. But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:40-43

Matthew adds this note to the account:

This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.” Matthew 8:17

A couple of years ago I looked up that reference in Isaiah and received this message from the Lord: Jesus spent his entire ministry on earth bearing our pain and weakness. By His scourging we are healed. He continues this ministry through us, so that our suffering in His name is never in vain.

The quote from Isaiah 53 is part of a "Suffering Servant prophecy", a chapter which foretells in great detail the suffering and sacrificial death of the Messiah, written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. What I never realized when studying Isaiah was that this suffering was not only on the cross. Each time Jesus wrestled with diseases and demonic forces He was fulfilling His calling to bear our burdens and carry away our infirmities.

In the passage from Luke and Matthew above, Jesus wrestled with these demons all night, leaving just as the morning light approached to find respite from the crowds of desperate people. These times were mentally and physically exhausting, and many times Jesus could only find respite before dawn in secluded places like the hills of Galilee.

The body of Christ continues this ministry of suffering. As Paul said:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. Colossians 1:24

 Or as Peter says:

but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 1 Peter 4:13

So to the degree that we are reviled, mistreated or simply wrestle with the unseen enemy, these times call for rejoicing and expectation of glory that is to come. We do not suffer and struggle alone; we suffer with Christ who bears our pain and understands our needs.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18

 And finally there is an incomparable reward for all suffering of the innocents and those made righteous by His blood, so that like Christ we can endure it for the joy set before us.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Deplorable Politics

I found the recent comments of the Democratic presidential nominee, lumping millions of people into a "basket of deplorables", to be extremely troubling. Her explanation and "apology" was even more troubling.

Certainly racism and xenophobia are deplorable attitudes, but Clinton's comments went beyond that to call millions of people themselves deplorable. That is the closest thing to hate speech I have ever heard from a presidential candidate. And this was not just a slip of the tongue or momentary lapse in judgement - she had obviously used that term repeatedly and was comfortable including it in a public forum, albeit one that was friendly to her agenda.

The terms "sexist", "homophobic" and "Islamophobic" are even more troubling, especially in the context of her highly-publicized speech, because they are highly subjective terms depending on the perception of the audience. I suspect many of those agreeing with her sentiment would consider those with traditional views of marriage and concerns about the rise of Islamic radicalism to be in that "basket".

Mrs. Clinton tried to minimize the political damage by suggesting that it was a mistake to say "half of Trump supporters are in that basket". The number is irrelevant; what is troubling is the idea that anyone could be lumped into this category of "deplorables", as if they could just be carted away and society would be better off without them.

How long does it take to turn a "basket of deplorables" 

into a "boxcar of deplorables"?

The elitist attitude that certain groups of people are "deplorable", combined with a consensus that certain difficulties are caused by these "deplorables" soon results in attacks, social stigmas, and sometimes acts of genocide. Thank God this has not happened in America, but the direction of politics in this country is certainly pointing down this dark path, arguably on both sides of the aisle.

Can this country be healed of its deep divisions? I'm pretty certain the answer will not be found in politics, though politics can certainly make it worse. No, the answer can only come from God, through the love that only the presence of Christ can impart in our hearts toward one another.

We should each ask the question, am I infected with hatred toward others based on their political views? Can I forgive my brother, even as I need forgiveness daily myself? God have mercy on us and revive our spirits to call on the Name of Jesus for deliverance!

Do I Love God - Unconditionally?

I was directed to the last chapter of the Gospel of John today by my Biblehub reading plan. I find that the more I read the Bible, the more the Word of God speaks to me.

Today Jesus asks the question of Peter - Do you love Me more than these? The word love here comes from the Greek word Agapao - in this context, Do you prefer to be with me and respect my wishes above all others, even your closest friends? I have always understood this kind of love to be unconditional, the way God loves us, putting our spiritual welfare above the cost of His very own life, even when we are in rebellion against Him. It struck me as odd today to apply that Godly love from us toward God.

Jesus asks Peter again - Do you love Me (really)? Again the Greek word for unconditional love is used, and again Peter answers the same - Yes Lord, you know that I love you (affectionately). Perhaps Peter is unwilling to commit to unconditional love, or perhaps Peter wants to emphasize that he has a special affection for the Lord.

Regardless, Jesus asks Peter a third time - Do you love me (affectionately)? This time Jesus asks Peter the same question with a different word for love (Phileo), and this time Peter is deeply grieved. He recalls that he denied the Lord three times, and this third question brings that painful memory into bold relief. Lord, you know everything; you KNOW that I love you (with all my heart).

Peter recalls how his love for Jesus was conditioned on his mistaken concept of His coming kingdom. He was probably disappointed that this man in whom he had placed his complete confidence did not establish an earthly kingdom and destroy the enemies of the Jewish people. He was disillusioned because his King had apparently been defeated and Peter was next in line to be led to the cross. Peter was ready to FIGHT, but not to lay down his life in a sacrificial act of mercy. And Peter knew that the Lord Jesus could read his mind, could understand his confusion and fear, but could also understand his sincere desire to follow Him.

Of course, the gifts and calling of the Lord are irrevocable, and as promised Jesus accepted Peter's repentance and made him the first pastor of His flock on earth.

Seeing this chapter again made me think - do I love God unconditionally? What if I feel like God has somehow let me down, or is somehow different than my expectations? Will I continue to love Him when things don't work out as I hoped and prayed? I hear people question God in the midst of personal crises, but I hope for better things in my own life. Pray with me if you wish:

I need to know you Lord, and I need to trust you enough to love you even when I don't understand. Please enlarge my faith dear Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus and for His kingdom's sake!