Jesus Gradually Helps Peter Grasp His Calling
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.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved 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. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” John 21:15–18 ESV Read More
Jesus is so wise in the way He teaches us things and leads us. In this passage, He doesn’t give Peter orders and send him off, He walks Peter through the process of discovering what he really wants to do. It says earlier that Peter decided to go out fishing and took a few the others with him. I think that’s important. Peter, lacking drive and direction to do anything concerning Jesus, defaulted to the only real job he knew to do: fishing.
When Jesus meets them on the shore, He asks Peter the same question three times. Sure, there is a balance there with Peter denying Jesus three times, and that might be on purpose, but look at what happened the third time: “Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time ‘do you love me?’” Peter had to really take inventory of what he cared about right here. Jesus didn’t have to go fishing to get breakfast. What if the ‘these’ of “do you love me more than these” was about the fish? (They do say that there were 153 fish caught.)
Instead of giving Peter a job and a calling, Jesus rooted Peter in what would make him have a drive and a passion that could stand up to the Sanhedrin, the Roman Army, and whoever would come against him. Anybody can learn how to lead some people, but if Peter didn’t LOVE Jesus, he would not be able to feed Jesus’ sheep. He would not be able to care for Jesus’ church.
Both times Jesus told Peter to leave his fishing business and follow Him, He had given Peter a ridiculously huge catch of fish to leave behind. We might think “God made me so successful! This is my calling!” but that is not what Jesus was doing. It was never about fish; it was about men.
After this episode in Acts, there is no mention of Peter
fishing
ever
again.
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