The Third Sunday of Easter

The Third Sunday of Easter – April 25, 2004

John 21:15-17

She is about seven years old and grandma is putting her to bed. She is visiting grandma and grandpa, the traditional annual week with them during the summer. Grandma says to her, “I love you,” as she tucks the child into bed. Her granddaughter replies, “I love you, too.” Then grandma says, “I’ll bet few people say to you, ‘I love you.’” “No,” says the little girl, “my daddy says it to me every day.”

Today’s gospel lesson hinges on what transpires between Jesus and Peter. It is a conversation about loving one another. Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him. Peter always answers, “Yes.” Each time Jesus tells him to love others. Our Lord does this by telling Peter to feed his lambs, tend his sheep and feed his sheep. What Jesus is saying to Peter is, “If you love me you will love these others.”

That is our calling also. It is easy for a grandmother to love a darling seven year old granddaughter. It is challenging at times for a father to love that same daughter. But, they manage to love one another.

There are times it is hard to love those who not only don’t love us, but actually make it their mission not to love. You know, it is like the person who points their finger at you during a meeting and says, “Do that again and I will never forgive you.” Now what you did was good and in order. What you did needed to be done. The finger-pointer just didn’t happen to be in on the deal and they are upset. They are now actively not loving you. They are hard at work not following the words of Jesus.

St. Paul makes the same point when speaking to the people of Galatia (5:13-15). Here is what he said to believers: “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”

Wow, such words from St. Paul: “bite and devour.” Would you do that? I don’t believe this is what our Lord had in mind when he said, “Feed my lambs.”

Jesus also said, “Tend my sheep.” Here, again, he is not suggesting biting and devouring are what you do to love your neighbor. I am reminded of what the eighth commandment says: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Well, you know that means not to slander or lie about your neighbor. Luther says that we are to love God such that we speak well of our neighbor and explain his actions in the kindest of ways. It’s hard to love your neighbor when you’re speaking ill of them.

In fact I Peter 2 weighs in on the subject this way, “As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers…”

Once again you bump into what “Tend my sheep” means: honoring everyone. And that means honoring them with your tongue, with the words you use. Wow, this loving the neighbor is quite a challenge.

Jesus finally says, “Feed my sheep.” In Luke 7 Jesus is being fed by a Pharisee. He is at his home eating. A less than reputable woman comes into the dinner and with her tears washes Jesus feet and dries them with her hair. The guests start gawking and complaining. Jesus asks his host about two fellows that owe debts to a creditor. One owes only a few dollars, the other thousands. Jesus says that the creditor erases the debt of both men. He asks his host then who would be the most appreciative. And the host correctly replies, the one forgiven the most. Jesus then concludes that woman who washed his feet had been forgiven much and one who is forgiven much will love much.

Could it be possible that many of us have been inoculated with just enough forgiveness that we cannot love much? I wonder.

The truth of the cross is that you have not been inoculated but totally and completely forgiven. So complete is the forgiveness you have received in Jesus Christ that you are set free to love your neighbor, to tend and feed the sheep.

The cross grants you resurrected life and changes you. You are loved so much by God that you cannot help but love others. It is the kind of love Thomas had for Jesus when he realized in John 11 that Jesus was going to die. Thomas says, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” The cross makes you want to die with Jesus.

The cross makes you want to die to yourself and live for others. From the cross you can hear Jesus calling to you, “Do you love me?” If you answer, “Yes, Lord, I love you,” then be ready to feed the lambs, tend the sheep, and feed the sheep. Be ready to tend and feed with the Word of God, the Word of forgiveness and resurrected life in the cross.

Matthew has a picture of what this looks like toward the end of his gospel. In chapter 25 he has a scene where the King of all is separating the sheep from the goats. It is the final judgment. Some are sheep, others goats. The folks hearing this story ask Jesus, “What’s the difference?” Jesus answers that the difference is how you treat the hungry, the homeless, the imprisoned, and the thirsty. In short, the difference is how you treat the neighbor, because what you do to love them, you are doing to love Jesus.

Thus, when you give a gift to SACRA it may help a family who is about to have their electricity disconnected. Five children face the peril of not having hot water or lights at night. Your gift makes the difference. You have served Jesus as you served them.

Jesus asks today, “Do you love me?” As you answer, “Yes, Lord,” he asks that you tend and feed the sheep and lambs. What he is telling you is that by grace you are servants of God. Live as free people, honoring everyone. It is feeding and tending the sheep and the lambs. Amen.

Pastor Robert F. Holley