Called To Discipleship
The bright morning sunlight glistens on the sand as you walk along the beach, side by side with the One whom you love. Many deep thoughts swirl compellingly within you, a mixture of sorrow, confusion, and overwhelming joy.
Why? Why does your heart so abound with affection for this Man whom you have served for the past three years? Why has your life changed so dramatically since you met Him? And why, oh why, did He have to be taken from you so violently?
You shudder and bow your head, wishing you could bury yourself in the sand beneath your feet. Shame overflows you at the stubborn recollection of that horrible moment just a few days ago when three times in a row you denied, out of fear, that you even knew this Man who now walked so intimately by your side. Why?
As if He could read your thoughts, His gentle voice interrupts your introspective contemplation with a single, heart-piercing question: "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?"
Why are you still breathing and walking? How could someone live who has renounced his dearest Friend, who is not only perfectly sinless in His love toward you but is also the Lord of all the Universe? Why does not the earth open its mouth and swallow you in rage over such a traitor?
He waits for your reply. No, of course you have no love for Him! Yet your inward being forbids you to answer no, as it surges with renewed admiration for this One whose great love for you is obviously and amazingly unchanged by your blatant denial of Him.
"Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." You know you couldn't answer otherwise. But what, oh what, will He say? His face brightens into that life-giving smile as He replies, "Tend My lambs."
What? Whatever could He mean? "Tend My lambs"? He wants you to actually accomplish something for Him? Doesn't He know how you rejected Him? According to His own teaching, you are not qualified to be His friend; how much less should He trust you to work in His name?
You look at Him quizzically, to which He responds with the same question, in a voice slightly more firm than the first time: "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"
Yes, He knows that you denied Him, and He's giving you another opportunity to tell the painful truth. Your heart is grieved. He Himself set the standard of love with His words: "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." You certainly lack this love, even after pledging your loyalty even unto death.
You open your mouth to admit your flagrant lack of love for Him, but once again your heart prevents you from doing so. With a deep breath, you repeat, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." Smiling again, He calmly answers, "Shepherd My sheep."
What kind of a command could that be? He Himself had taught you, "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees..."
The memory of His words brings fresh shame to your heart. You know you are not a good shepherd. You are sure you could never be one – not after what you did. You saw danger coming and fled. He Himself heard your awful words against Him, so why would He ask you to shepherd His sheep? Couldn't He just do it Himself without any help from such a traitor as you?
Full of questions, and not a little anxiety, you look up at His kind face, to hear the same words repeated emphatically: "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"
You know you cannot take it any longer. That has to be the end. You feel your mind and emotions begin to give way; yet even though it be with your last breath, you are compelled to forcefully restate the truth to which your heart bears witness: "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You."
Even as the words come out of your mouth, you realize to what force everything inside of you is giving way. It is stronger than the terrible burden which has been controlling your life. It is brighter than the rising sun, whose light graces everything around you. It is the force of love stronger than death, His love for you, which lifts your burden of sin, restores your hopeless soul, and fills you with genuine love back toward the One who gave it!
Awestruck by the force controlling you, you lift your eyes from the golden sand to the hands outstretched toward you, their nail-scars proving the love with which they reach for your heart. You raise your gaze further to the face beaming upon you, its light shining most brightly through the fresh, deep wounds. You look straight into His eyes, as though it is the first time you have seen them, with unspeakable delight.
And finally, a new understanding dawns upon you. He does not command you to work for Him to earn His love or to prove yours. His love for you is at the core of your life, not affected by anything you do. He simply asks you to abide in His love, a previously puzzling command which you are now thrilled to experience! And as you abide in His love, He is able to work through you, a work completely of Himself and to His glory. Yes, for He joyfully reiterates, "Tend my sheep".
And with those words, you step into a glorious new season in your life. It's a season of encouraging others toward spiritual maturity while you yourself depend upon the grace of God to please Him each day. It's a season of letting His love in which you rest moment by moment flow through you to comfort the people around you. It's a season of impacting the world in unprecedented ways through discipleship by focusing like never before on your Lord Jesus Christ alone.
Your heart will thrill with depths of joy that you previously didn't know existed, as you watch your fellow sheep turn their lives in total dedication to the Shepherd and receive rich blessings as a result. Yet you will also labor long over others, only to see them reject the love which you know is the only thing that can satisfy them after they come so close to living in it as their own. And your spirit will ache with sorrow akin to the Shepherd's as you see those straying sheep become bruised, battered, beaten, broken, and burnt because they willfully rejected the love which He through you so selflessly offered them.
You know this season will bring pain. But you remain resolute in your joy over entering it, because the intimate love which now fills you assures you of its strength to comfort you through all sorrow to which it may lead. It reminds you that, as in your own case, each straying sheep may still be restored, should the Shepherd bring him back into the fold. And it compels you to stand firm in your conviction that a life of discipleship is the necessary result and companion of a life of love – which after experiencing, you know that you cannot live without.
And with the words, "Follow Me!", your Lord, ever faithful, leads you into the midst of a world full of needy people, to carry in your life His dear message: "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly."
The bright morning sunlight glistens on the sand as you walk along the beach, side by side with the One whom you love. Many deep thoughts swirl compellingly within you, a mixture of sorrow, confusion, and overwhelming joy.
Why? Why does your heart so abound with affection for this Man whom you have served for the past three years? Why has your life changed so dramatically since you met Him? And why, oh why, did He have to be taken from you so violently?
You shudder and bow your head, wishing you could bury yourself in the sand beneath your feet. Shame overflows you at the stubborn recollection of that horrible moment just a few days ago when three times in a row you denied, out of fear, that you even knew this Man who now walked so intimately by your side. Why?
As if He could read your thoughts, His gentle voice interrupts your introspective contemplation with a single, heart-piercing question: "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?"
Why are you still breathing and walking? How could someone live who has renounced his dearest Friend, who is not only perfectly sinless in His love toward you but is also the Lord of all the Universe? Why does not the earth open its mouth and swallow you in rage over such a traitor?
He waits for your reply. No, of course you have no love for Him! Yet your inward being forbids you to answer no, as it surges with renewed admiration for this One whose great love for you is obviously and amazingly unchanged by your blatant denial of Him.
"Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." You know you couldn't answer otherwise. But what, oh what, will He say? His face brightens into that life-giving smile as He replies, "Tend My lambs."
What? Whatever could He mean? "Tend My lambs"? He wants you to actually accomplish something for Him? Doesn't He know how you rejected Him? According to His own teaching, you are not qualified to be His friend; how much less should He trust you to work in His name?
You look at Him quizzically, to which He responds with the same question, in a voice slightly more firm than the first time: "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"
Yes, He knows that you denied Him, and He's giving you another opportunity to tell the painful truth. Your heart is grieved. He Himself set the standard of love with His words: "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." You certainly lack this love, even after pledging your loyalty even unto death.
You open your mouth to admit your flagrant lack of love for Him, but once again your heart prevents you from doing so. With a deep breath, you repeat, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." Smiling again, He calmly answers, "Shepherd My sheep."
What kind of a command could that be? He Himself had taught you, "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees..."
The memory of His words brings fresh shame to your heart. You know you are not a good shepherd. You are sure you could never be one – not after what you did. You saw danger coming and fled. He Himself heard your awful words against Him, so why would He ask you to shepherd His sheep? Couldn't He just do it Himself without any help from such a traitor as you?
Full of questions, and not a little anxiety, you look up at His kind face, to hear the same words repeated emphatically: "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"
You know you cannot take it any longer. That has to be the end. You feel your mind and emotions begin to give way; yet even though it be with your last breath, you are compelled to forcefully restate the truth to which your heart bears witness: "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You."
Even as the words come out of your mouth, you realize to what force everything inside of you is giving way. It is stronger than the terrible burden which has been controlling your life. It is brighter than the rising sun, whose light graces everything around you. It is the force of love stronger than death, His love for you, which lifts your burden of sin, restores your hopeless soul, and fills you with genuine love back toward the One who gave it!
Awestruck by the force controlling you, you lift your eyes from the golden sand to the hands outstretched toward you, their nail-scars proving the love with which they reach for your heart. You raise your gaze further to the face beaming upon you, its light shining most brightly through the fresh, deep wounds. You look straight into His eyes, as though it is the first time you have seen them, with unspeakable delight.
And finally, a new understanding dawns upon you. He does not command you to work for Him to earn His love or to prove yours. His love for you is at the core of your life, not affected by anything you do. He simply asks you to abide in His love, a previously puzzling command which you are now thrilled to experience! And as you abide in His love, He is able to work through you, a work completely of Himself and to His glory. Yes, for He joyfully reiterates, "Tend my sheep".
And with those words, you step into a glorious new season in your life. It's a season of encouraging others toward spiritual maturity while you yourself depend upon the grace of God to please Him each day. It's a season of letting His love in which you rest moment by moment flow through you to comfort the people around you. It's a season of impacting the world in unprecedented ways through discipleship by focusing like never before on your Lord Jesus Christ alone.
Your heart will thrill with depths of joy that you previously didn't know existed, as you watch your fellow sheep turn their lives in total dedication to the Shepherd and receive rich blessings as a result. Yet you will also labor long over others, only to see them reject the love which you know is the only thing that can satisfy them after they come so close to living in it as their own. And your spirit will ache with sorrow akin to the Shepherd's as you see those straying sheep become bruised, battered, beaten, broken, and burnt because they willfully rejected the love which He through you so selflessly offered them.
You know this season will bring pain. But you remain resolute in your joy over entering it, because the intimate love which now fills you assures you of its strength to comfort you through all sorrow to which it may lead. It reminds you that, as in your own case, each straying sheep may still be restored, should the Shepherd bring him back into the fold. And it compels you to stand firm in your conviction that a life of discipleship is the necessary result and companion of a life of love – which after experiencing, you know that you cannot live without.
And with the words, "Follow Me!", your Lord, ever faithful, leads you into the midst of a world full of needy people, to carry in your life His dear message: "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly."
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Bible Verse
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." - II Chronicles 7:14