Aging Spiritually: The Way to Love Jesus
“Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’”
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When I went to Israel a few years ago, we visited the house of the High Priest Caiaphas, over which a church has been built. After looking at the church I walked outside and stood in the courtyard to look at a statue of Simon Peter talking with a young woman. As I stood there, I heard the same sound Simon Peter heard that night Jesus was on trial, the crowing of a rooster.
Peter was standing beside a fire outside when he denied he knew Jesus – not just once, but three times. At sunrise, the cock crowed as Peter went away and wept. It was his greatest failure, a shame he carried the rest of his life.
We’ve all had our moments of failure. We’ve all done or said something we regret. When you fail to live up to your best, you feel the heavy weight of shame – a burden you may carry all your life.
A few days later, Peter wanted to hide from his failure and guilt, so he said, “I’m going fishing. Anybody want to come with me?” He should have known he couldn’t hide from God. God’s grace will find you in your deepest need, at the place of your deepest guilt and shame.
Just before dawn Peter and the other disciples saw Jesus standing on the shore. Jesus had come to Peter, reaching out to the very person who had failed him in his time of deepest need. He came to enable Peter to get beyond his failure, to free him from his guilt and shame.
Jesus turned to Simon Peter and asked, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” His heart pounding, Peter swallowed hard and quickly said, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus then said, “Feed my lambs.”
Jesus asked him again. And again, Peter replied nervously. And again, Jesus told Peter to care for the sheep of Jesus’ flock. When Jesus asked the third time, Peter could hardly stand the pain of his guilt. He cried out, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!”
In the awkward silence that followed, Peter heard a cock crowing off in the distance. As the light of dawn began to break into the darkness of the morning, Jesus quietly said, “Then feed my sheep.”
For the rest of his life Peter heard Jesus’ voice ringing in his ears, “Peter, if you love me, you will love the ones I love, in the same way I have loved them. Peter, love my flock, tend my sheep, feed my lambs, love my people.”
Like Peter, we all fail in our lives. We all make mistakes. Forgiveness sets us free to turn our attention outward to love others, and to turn away from the shame of the past toward the hope of the future.
Jesus also comes to us, calling us to love one another, to care for God’s beloved children. See his abundant way of life, move beyond your failure, and love other people. To love Jesus is to love others, the sheep of his flock, in the way Jesus loves them. Listen. Can you hear him say to you, “Do you love me? Then care for my flock.”
Practice
Today’s practice is spiritual journaling. Think back on a time in your life when you failed someone. Look inwardly and write the experience and how you felt afterward. How did it make you feel? Did your failure cause you to have guilt and shame? Have you forgiven yourself? How did others respond? Has anyone ever offered forgiveness to you? How did that make you feel?
Listen to the voice of Grace in your life, offering forgiveness. Write about how it feels to let go of any guilt and shame you have carried. Then consider how you can look beyond yourself to care for others.
Greg Smith
Legacy Ministry for Older Adults