Do You Love Me More Than This? “ Don’t Eat to Feast, But Eat to Feed”

John 21:15-17 (English Standard Version)

Jesus and Peter

 ¹⁵When they had^(A) finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ^(B) "Simon,^(C) son of John,^(D) do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed^(E) my lambs." ¹⁶He said to him 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, ^(F) "Tend^(G) my sheep." ¹⁷He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him^(H) the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord,^(I) you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed^(J) my sheep.

I was watching the discovery channel & they had a segment about birds and how they tend to their young. It amazed me how the mother bird goes out to eat and bring it back for her young to feed off of what she has digested. As gross as it may appear I think it is rather clever. Since the young can't go out and hunt or fend for themselves due to lack of knowledge & skill the mother eats and returns with what she has taken in but not fully digested & that's what they feed off of until they are old enough & strong enough to go out to do this for themselves.

Just as Jesus asked Peter in the scripture "Do you Love Me More than This"

Are we eating to be filled or to fill others?

On Sunday when you enter the sanctuary are you coming so burdened and beat down that you are only seeking to receive the word for your own personal gain? Are you forgetting the ones sick and shut-in, the ones that lack knowledge and understanding, the ones to weak to go out and eat on their own? Just as the Bird provides for the young as Christians so should we. When you come and get that life changing word on Sunday or at Bible Study Mid-Week don't just keep it to yourself, regurgitate it so that others may feed off of it. Let that Co-Worker, family member, or friend know how good God is and how he is working in your life.