Do you love me? Three times Jesus, after rising again, asked the loaded question to His loyal protégé and three times Peter answered; "Yes, you know I do." I'm sure Peter's heart shivered each time his devotion was challenged. I can imagine his previous denial rocketed to the front of his thoughts each time the question echoed into the hollows of his soul, and now he had to convince Jesus of his love.
However, like most of us, Peter was missing the point. Jesus was not looking for affirmation from one of the ones he had chosen, nor was He even looking for answers. Jesus was looking for something that could not be expressed by words but rather had to be expressed through action. He said, "Feed my sheep." In other words if you truly love me do so by loving others.
The kingdom of God is not one of words, ritual, and observation but is one of action. God is raising an army to storm the formidable gates of Hell that exist in the streets of our cities, neighborhoods, schools, work, and homes. The rusty gates are effectively imprisoning the human race. The tragedy is that these gates are not a problem for God or His people. Because Jesus is Lord and He holds the keys to death, hell, and the grave, and He has given us the keys to His kingdom. You may be too weak to kick down the gates and carry them away as Samson did, and I admit so am I. However even a weak, sickly, and anemic child can put a key in lock and turn it. The trick is not strength but willingness.
They say God responds to the hungry, and I agree. Yet, hunger alone will not fill our stomachs. Someone has to prepare the food. Then we have to be willing to eat the food. That is why Jesus told Peter, "Then feed my sheep." Many of us are crying out loudly for more of God but fail to partake of what we already have been given.
So what is the next step? Arise and eat! And with this step comes a colossal challenge. Can we eat the bread of suffering as well as the meat of prosperity? Can we drink from the cup of crucifixion as well as the flask of feasting? We will find that no one gets fed until someone has eaten the bread of suffering and drank the cup of crucifixion. Once we have had fellowship in His suffering then we will be more content feeding others rather than being fed by others.
Jesus told his disciples of a meat they knew not of. He told them that His meat was to do the will and finish the work His Father had sent Him to do. The Kingdom is not for playing, but rather working. It is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is a kingdom of doing and going, not watching and sitting. The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. There are assigned steps but not assigned seats. There are good deeds that are there waiting for us to step into.
We sometimes act as if we have given more than Him. I personally believe there is more to God than any man has experienced and there is always more. However, I also believe that to receive more revelation we have to give more. Therefore we should not concern ourselves with how much God is giving us but rather our concern should be how much we can give to Him and His people.
The need of the hour is to go for the God who has given us life and to give Him to those who have not yet received. Lets empty ourselves of all our worship theology and realize Jesus cannot be loved through song alone. Sermons do not warm His heart. Raised hands cannot exalt Him. He says if you truly love me, then feed my sheep.
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