Do
you love Me more than these, feed my lambs.
John
21:15
Three
times Peter said he did not even know Jesus in the court of the
high priest. When Jesus looked at him it broke Peter's heart. He
heard the rooster crow as Jesus said would happen.
Humbled by his
big sin of denying Jesus during the trial, Peter realized how
weak he was. As He learned to trust in God for His strength,
Jesus forgave him. He gave him a very important job. The job of
feeding not only the sheep but the tender pet lambs. This was a
delicate job. He wanted him to gently nurture the flock as a
shepherd. John 21. The word for lambs that He used, meant
"my own pet lambs". He had a special love for the
world full of lambs. The little lambs are the children around
the world. God has a special love for children..
Jesus
used the best methods for catching people's attention. He told
stories about things people were used to seeing. He drew lessons
from these that illustrated important things for their
salvation. Nature themes were used over and over. He spoke of
seeds, birds, lilies, water, and bread. Everyday these items
were visible to the people. They never looked at these things
again without remembering His lessons.
To
break down prejudice, Jesus asked favors. The Jews and
Samaritans were enemies. But Jesus asked a Samaritan lady for a
drink while she was getting water from the well. His trust
awakened her trust. She stopped ignoring Him. Then he raised her
curiosity by telling her He could give her a kind of water that
would make it so she never got thirsty. After a short visit with
Him, she became so excited, she left her water jug and ran to
find her friends. She forgot to give Jesus a drink, she was so
thrilled.
Many times Jesus
started and ended His lessons with a quiz. Before this Samaritan
lady could receive the gift Jesus wanted to hive her, she needed
to recognize her sin and Who her Savior was. He mentioned the
six men she had lived with. Jesus convinced her that He could
read her thoughts yet she felt she could trust Him. She read in
His face that He valued her and loved her.
The one who
tastes of the love of Christ will always want more. Jesus is
like a well that never runs dry. From this well we may get
strength for all our needs. He will help us find the best
methods for reaching people They in turn will bring others to
the Well. (Desire of Ages pp. 183-187, John 4:1-42)
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