Just before His ascension into the Heaven, Jesus had his final fellowship dinner with His beloved disciples. After they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” Simon Peter replied, “Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee” Then Jesus said to him, “Feed My lambs” Jesus repeatedly said the same words to Peter second and third time and Peter repeated the same reply. The third time, Peter was grieved and told the Lord, “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee” Jesus repeated the same words, “Feed My sheep”.The message Jesus conveyed to Peter is that if Peter loved Jesus more than the other disciples, then Peter should feet His sheep. Today Jesus asks you the same question. “Do you love Me more than others?” Your love for Jesus should be preeminent and not prominent. We expect many things from Jesus but truly do not love Him. We expect Him to perform miracles for us but truly do not love Him. We expect Him to protect us from all the evil but truly do not love Him. We expect Him to exalt us in our places of work but truly do not love Him.
We may love Him prominently by giving our offerings to Him and by worshiping Him. The question is whether you love Him more than others. The word “Others” includes the people of God whom you know. You may find fault with some servants of God because, according to you, they do not do God’s will. You may also find fault with some servants of God who preach the prosperity gospel. The question is whether you love Jesus more than these servants of God. If you say, “Yes”, then the Holy Spirit will ask you, “Feed My sheep”. How many of you are feeding His sheep today? If you do not feed His sheep today, then you do not love Him at all.
You may be spending a lot of time in browsing the internet for “God’s messages”. The Lord has “My sheep”. Have you ever fed one of His many sheep though God has blessed you abundantly? You want to be fed with His word whereas you do not want to minister to others with what you have received from the Lord.
You know very well that there are grievous wolves to harm His sheep through false doctrines. But what have you done to protect His sheep from the mouths of these grievous wolves?
“Feed My sheep”, the Lord tells you today. He did not tell Peter how Peter should feed His sheep. Today, the Lord does not tell you how you should feed His sheep. He will not give you sufficient money in your bank to feed His sheep. He will not send you an invitation to speak from the pulpit of some church. If you cannot feed His sheep with what you have in your hands today, He will never entrust you with more money or with more resources tomorrow because you have not made use of what you have in your hands today. You will be ever like this.
Are you bogged down with the weight of your family life? Are you bogged down with the cares of this life? The Lord speaks to your heart gently, “Feed My sheep”. You have to feed His sheep today only. Do not postpone your work in His vineyard. You may feel that you can serve Him tomorrow after you have been delivered from all your problems. Tomorrow is not in your hands. Today, what did you do with the lone talent in your hands?
- Job Anbalagan