True Love Acts

True Love Acts
John 21: 15-17
Sis. Carolyn J. Satcher

        In these scriptures, Jesus confronts the disciple Peter three times with the question, “Lovest thou me?” Then he tells him if he lovest thou him he should feed his sheep. When you think of love it comes in three forms, Agape which is Godly love, Eros which is romantic or sexual love and Philo which is love for a friend. The greatest love is the love of the Father for us in that he gave his only begotten son, Jesus, so that we might have eternal life which we did not deserve. Here in these passages Jesus asks the disciple Peter to prove to him that he really loves him. The only way that Peter could prove to Jesus that he truly loved him was to feed his sheep. This feeding was not the actual feeding of a sheep that was an animal but actual people like you and I. Jesus wanted him to go out and tell the world about who he was. That was the duty of a disciple.

       The only way to prove to someone that you really love them is to do for them. We as humans say a lot out of our mouth and never put it into action. In order for a husband to show his wife that he loves her as well as their children if they have some, is to take care of them by going out working and taking care of the household needs like shelter, food, clothing and any other necessary things needed to complete their needs. A wife should take care of his needs as well. The children should also be obedient and respectable of their parents. This is the way they show them that they love them. Another way of showing others that you love them is doing unto them as you would have them do unto you. One of the greatest commandments that Jesus left with us that fulfills his request for “Lovest thou me,” comes from Matthew 28: 19 – 20 which says, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. This is the way Jesus wanted us to feed his sheep.

      When I think of another scripture that refers also to feeding the sheep, these are they: Matthew 25: 35-40:  For I was an hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

        Paul and Timothy as well as many others were great examples of men who went out and fed sheep that Jesus spoke of when he said “Lovest thou me, feed my sheep. Many were saved in several areas, Corinth, Macedonia, Thessalonica by them preaching the word of God to his sheep. Amen, Amen, and Amen.