When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son
of John, do you love me more than these?’ (John 21:15).
How do I respond when
Jesus asks me a question to which I think the answer ought to be obvious?
The story of the
‘breakfast on the shore’ (John 21:1-14) is one of my favourites. It’s such a
lovely scene. There, on the beach beside Lake Galilee, Jesus and this group of
disciples share a breakfast of barbecued fish and – somehow I think, freshly
baked – bread. It has been a frustrating night – but that has suddenly all been
turned round. The fishing expedition was fruitless until, just before they
landed, Jesus (though they didn’t know it was him at the time) tells them to
have one last cast. Fish galore. They haul them aboard and then Simon, ahead of
the rest, realises. It is Jesus, the risen Jesus. He jumps over the side and
wades ashore to greet his Lord.
The catch is landed.
Excited greetings take place. Breakfast is shared. The disciples hardly dare to
believe that this is happening.
Then, this
semi-private chat between Jesus and Simon takes place. If it were you or me in
Simon’s place, I wonder what Jesus would be saying to us. I wonder what
questions Jesus would be asking us. I wonder what challenges Jesus would be
placing before us.
And then again, I
wonder how we would respond. I wonder what we would be thinking. I wonder what
we would feel. I wonder if we would mind if Jesus asked us the same question
three times. I wonder if, like Simon, we would feel that Jesus’ questioning was
superfluous. Lord, you know everything.
I wonder if we would be willing to listen for what Jesus was telling us to do. Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.
I wonder if we would
notice that the crunch comes in the last two words: follow me.
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