‘…and he [Peter] said to Him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you”. Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep”’ (John 21:17)
Jesus and His disciples were eating together, just as they used to do. For Peter, it was a very special meal. On the worst night of his life Peter had denied Jesus three times (John 18:15–27). Now Jesus was asking him three times: ‘Do you love Me, Peter?’ Jesus did not ask this to get even with Peter, but to restore their relationship. Peter could only reply: ‘Lord, You know that I love You’.
Perhaps there are times when you also find yourself unable to go beyond this confession. After moments when you are disappointed with your own behaviour, when you find it hard to keep the faith, or when you’re feeling weak due to tiredness and the pressures of daily life.
Peter had learnt a great deal about himself. He no longer used big words. But he wanted to continue following Jesus. When he had called him, Jesus had promised that Peter would become a fisher of men (Matthew 4:19). Here, once again at the Sea of Galilee, Jesus reaffirmed Peter’s calling.
We do not always succeed in remaining faithful to Jesus. When we confess our failures, Jesus offers us His forgiveness. It is not our strength or our faithfulness that convince Jesus to continue using us in His service.
Is it hard for you to go back to Jesus after you have failed Him? How does Jesus respond to your admission of guilt? (Read 1John 1:9 and 2Timothy 2:13)