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Morning Meditation
June 27, 2026
Reading: John 21:15-19
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Meditation by Glenn Beamer
John’s passage has relatively high currency, and it is the reading for the Feast Day of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. To some this reading comes across as Jesus being a bit of a nag, and Peter reflect his own insecurity and maybe some irritation with Jesus for doubting him. But John wasn’t writing to record a singular interaction between Jesus and Peter. John was writing for us and our ancestors.
The first part of each interchange is Jesus asking if Peter loves him, and Peter assuring Jesus that he does so. The repetition of this can come across as needlessly redundant if not slightly annoying. But Jesus is speaking to us for the ages. Whether we live lives short or long, we will likely be challenged in our faith more than three times. Our gut response may be to answer God’s call by saying as Peter, his feelings by now hurt, said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
It’s Jesus response to Peter that deserves our attention. Every time Peter replies that he loves Jesus, Jesus assigns Peter a task: 1) feed my lambs, 2) feed my sheep, and 3) tend my sheep. Jesus is commending us to shepherd ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Unfortunately for Peter, Jesus chose him as the vessel from which to convey his message. Jesus is telling Peter, and us, to be steadfast in our service to God’s kingdom and people on earth.
Today we’re not in a situation in which Jesus is challenging us in the flesh as he did Peter. But God wants us to discern our missions and follow Jesus to serve God because we affirm that we love God. In the latter portion of this reading Jesus opines, “Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used … to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” Here Jesus may be guiding us to several places. I don’t believe we’re called to follow someone’s call to become miserable. Rather we are called to mature in our faith, to learn how to discern God’s will for us so that we can most effectively share to gifts God has given us on earth.
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