Feed my sheep (Jn. 21:1–19)
"The only way you can preserve peace is to prepare for war, and to be strong as a country – not to cower, or be on bended knee, or be weak. That's the reality." These are words of Peter Dutton, our Minister for Defence, on ANZAC Day.
War continues to wreak havoc in Ukraine. There are talks of a Chinese military base on Solomon Islands, less than 2000 kilometres off the Australian coast – a tactic used by the Japanese in World War II.
There are predictions that within three years, many towns in Australia will hold ANZAC Day services and parades without a single veteran present. That’s how long it’s been since the last World War, and there is talk that we could be on the brink of the next.
Apart from escalated fuel prices (which have been reduced by the latest budget released by the government anyway), and maybe some other price increases or supply issues, we have not yet felt any effects of war here in lonely Australia. Whether that changes soon or not, who knows, but there is certainly fear that it could.
For a long time, if there has been any war, it’s been long offshore. We hear about it in the news, but it only really has an impact on the family and friends of soldiers or on politicians. There has always been a bit of a barrier there, a façade even, that has protected us from the reality of war that people face every day. It’s distant enough that we can even sit down on a Friday night to watch a good war movie. We see the world as a mostly peaceful place, which unfortunately is far from the truth.
We have also built facades for ourselves as individuals. During Zoom calls in the depths of COVID lockdown, we made sure that the background didn’t reveal too much about us and that my glass of wine wasn’t in the frame. Sometimes we went with a virtual background of the Bahamas just in case.
We put up facades in our day-to-day as well. If you’re going to the supermarket, you might think to wear something different from what you wear on your own in your lounge room lest someone witnesses your house pants in all their glory. We say a polite “thank you” at the Maccas drive-thru even though the fries are stale, and it took 20 minutes longer than it should have. These are just common courtesies and generally respectful things to do in our culture, but they do cover some of the truth.
On a more serious note, teenagers who leave home to go to uni might not experience such a shock if they hadn’t been protected as much from the ugliness of real life. Many marriages that ended in divorce might have been prevented if there was more of a willingness to be honest with each other at an earlier stage.
The Church has its own façades as well. You can look at the Hillsong Church right now for an extreme example, but we should be aware of the facades we might even build for ourselves as a church community, and what we might be hiding.
From the most serious to the most trivial things that we do, the question must be asked: what are you protecting? What don’t you want people to see? Why have you built that façade?
The apostle Peter had his own façade built up. He was the most outspoken and bold of all the apostles. He often acted on impulse with varying results. There must have been a part of him that wanted others to see how faithful he was. What was underneath all that boldness?
He denied that he knew Jesus three times on Good Friday, just as Jesus had said he would. He and the rest of the disciples were crippled with fear in the days following – all they could do was get together and lock the doors. Jesus appeared twice, a week apart, but it probably
just didn’t seem real. What are they supposed to do now? Sure, they know Jesus is alive because they’ve seen and heard him, but they have no idea where to start or what they’re supposed to do.
No wonder Peter just wants to go fishing! He knows how to do that at least. And then when they don’t catch anything, you can imagine how lost and hopeless that would feel. The one thing they’re meant to be good at!
Now, if there’s one thing I know about fishing, I know that it’s not all about catching fish. Half of the attraction is the time out in the open all to yourself. But surely, if you have tried all night, you probably wanted to catch a few.
These guys had been fishermen all their lives, but they couldn’t even get their area of expertise right. And right back at the start, Jesus had said that he could even make them fishers of men.
After Jesus performs a little miracle, he invites them in for breakfast. He is gracious enough to give Peter three opportunities to declare his love for his Lord, completely restoring him from the guilt of his three denials.
Forgiving Peter isn’t all Jesus does. He’s also got a job for him. Despite all of Peter’s failures, Jesus still wants him to be a shepherd to his sheep. He still entrusts Peter with a calling of his own.
How does Jesus’ reinstatement of Peter speak into our own façades and whatever we are hiding behind them? What does all this have to do with us?
Your capability is almost irrelevant. Peter wasn’t even a good fisherman that day, let alone a rock to build the Christian Church on. Jesus calls Peter not so much because of the abilities he has, but because Jesus has given him the Holy Spirit. Don’t be too quick to assume that someone with better skills than you will come along to fill a need. God may have given you an opportunity that he will equip you for. Don’t forget the vacancies we have on Church Council and our kindy’s management committee. There are real needs in our congregation and in our community that God might be calling you to fill.
Jesus sees past the façade, but it doesn’t mean you’re in trouble. Jesus saw Peter for who he truly was, warts and all. Seeing the true Peter come out didn’t deter Jesus from calling him. Being honest with yourself and with God about your flaws only makes you more ready to receive the forgiveness and grace that Jesus offers.
Forgiveness and calling are simultaneous. While Jesus is giving Peter his new calling to feed and shepherd his sheep, he is forgiving Peter for his denials. The two are happening at the same time. When your sins are forgiven, you are also empowered to live a God-pleasing life. Someone who is free from sin themselves has the power to free others.
Jesus calls Peter to feed and tend his sheep. He is inviting him to be a shepherd to his flock. The Greek word for shepherd, ποιμήν, is where we get our word “pastor” from.
In Ephesians 4, Paul gives us a list of some of the different people that make up the body of Christ, the Church:
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ...”
There are a variety of callings and roles within the church – there always have been. The role of pastor, shepherd, is just one of them. Biblically, the shepherd is the one who
oversees and guides the flock. But among the flock, there are other callings: teachers, evangelists, prophets... The list goes on.
Whatever the calling, the purpose behind it all is the same: “to equip the saints for the work of ministry” and “for building up the body of Christ.”
What gifts has God given you to serve these purposes? How can you help to equip your brothers and sisters in Christ for ministry? How can you help to build up the body of Christ?
God has a calling lined up for you because you are a forgiven sinner. Remember that forgiveness and calling are simultaneous. Because you have been reconciled to God through Christ, you now have a call.
Jesus forgave Peter and entrusted his flock to him. By his grace, Jesus has forgiven you. By his grace, he is calling you to serve him and his people with the gifts you have been given.
To be a shepherd of God’s flock, or a teacher, or an evangelist, or a prophet, is not a burden. It is not something we are forced to do. God calls us into our various vocations out of his grace. We are privileged to have a part to play within the body of Christ, no matter how big or small your part is.
We don’t have to worry about whether we’re good enough, whether we know enough, or whether we have enough skills. The Holy Spirit will empower us to do his will, just as he did Peter. He went from average fisherman to the leader of the very early Christian church. He went from guilty to forgiven. He went from clumsy to being bold for the gospel of Christ.
Come to Jesus today, who is our Good Shepherd. Let him see through your façade and see you for who you truly are. Let him forgive you today. Let him call you today. Let him equip you today with his Spirit.
