Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.              Psalm 119:2

Feed My Sheep

John 21:15-19

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 9, 2007

¹⁵ 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.” ¹⁶ 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.” ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ 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.” ¹⁹ (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

            When we think of sheep we may think of cute little animals with fluffy, soft coats that roam around in pastures. However, sheep are not very highly regarded by cattlemen and have many liabilities. First of all, sheep are very dirty and smelly. Their wool catches pebbles, twigs, and dirt, and they usually become filthy when they are out in the hills or pastures. Sheep cannot clean themselves; they need someone to clean them.  Sheep also lack the intelligence to be free and to roam about unsupervised. If a sheep sees a path he will take it, even if it leads him over a cliff. Sheep also need to be protected from predatory animals or else they will easily fall prey to an animal in search of an easy meal. Sheep are also great complainers. Go by a few penned sheep who have been well fed and cared for and they will gripe for more. To put sheep in perspective we can easily say that they are rather dumb animals.

             As God’s children, we are often referred to as sheep. Knowing this background on sheep we see that this in no way is complementing us. Often times we will refer to our children as sheep or little lambs. In fact, there is the ever so popular hymn, “I am Jesus’ Little Lamb”. These hymns and songs can give us a warm fuzzy feeling inside as we remember that we are a little lamb, and Jesus is our shepherd. However, in light of the true nature of sheep, we see that this is not a very positive comparison.

            In John chapter 10, Jesus compares himself to the Good Shepherd. He says, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, and that is exactly what Christ did for you. God sent his son Jesus to this earth because we were sheep without a shepherd. We were wandering around in our own sin, trying to save ourselves and trying to do it all on our own. He saw that we needed help.

            God, in his infinite and divine love for you, sent help. He sent you a shepherd. He sent you Jesus to come and pick you up out of the pit that you have fallen into because of your sin. Jesus came to be your shepherd. Jesus takes you out of danger and harm and lifts you onto His shoulders and carries you back to the fold.

            Jesus came, and he died on the cross for you so that you did not have to die. Now, because of Christ’s demonstration of love on the cross, we can now live forever with him. God no longer sees your sins, but he sees you clothed in the blood of Christ which has washed all of your sins away.

            Today, in our sermon text Jesus commands Peter to feed His sheep. Jesus is preparing to ascend into heaven, and it is time to pass the baton to the disciples to continue His ministry here on earth. Christ’s life-saving work on this earth was done. Sin and death were defeated. Now it was time for the disciples to share this news with the world.

            In our text, Christ gave Peter and the other disciples the command to feed his sheep: Feed the people of God. When we think of feeding the people of God, we might think of actually feeding the hungry. However, this charge to go out and care for the sick and hungry is only the beginning. Jesus is telling Peter and the other disciples that they are to minister to God’s people, teaching them those things that Christ has taught them. Jesus is telling Peter to go and continue the ministry that Jesus began and share the story of Jesus’ life giving sacrifice for the debt of our sin to all ends of the earth.

             As parents, we are responsible for caring for our children. As a parent of a two year old, I can freely admit and understand that this is not an easy task. Children look up to their parents and follow their example. It doesn’t take long for a child to pick up on the habits and actions of mom and dad and begin to mimic those actions themselves. For example, every time I brush my teeth and Josiah is there with me, he always wants his toothbrush so that he can do the exact same thing. When Jen is blow drying her hair, Josiah likes to put a hair dryer to his head and do the exact same thing. Your children are always watching you, and always wanting to do exactly what you are doing.

            At the baptism of a child, parents, sponsors and the congregation promise that they will do everything in their ability to raise a child in the Christian faith. They promise to pray for the child and teach the child the basics of the Christian faith. The parents are promising to raise the child in a Christian home, and to give him or her every opportunity to learn about Jesus and the Bible. The sponsors or God-parents are promising to keep the parents accountable to this task and to pray for the child on a regular basis. The church is also promising to give opportunities to the parents to further Christian education for the children of the congregation.

            The church’s task to care for and feed its sheep is a very daunting assignment; however, it is the exact reason why the church exists. The church, in its efforts to feed the sheep of God, offers regular Bible studies, Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, Youth Group, women’s small group study, men’s Saturday morning breakfast etc all in order to educate and feed the sheep and lambs of God’s flock - because it’s not just children who are God’s sheep, we are all sheep.

            You may think that this all sounds like pastor and vicar’s job description, and yes, in some ways this is our job descriptions. However, we cannot do it alone. The church is made up of many members, just as Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians chapter 12: ^

^12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ… But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ^25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ^26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it…^ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it

            Feeding and instructing the church is not only in the physical act of being a leader of a Bible study or small group. You can assist in the feeding and instructing of Christ’s lambs by serving the church in many different capacities. All of us have been given gifts and talents by God that will serve the church in some way or another. For some, your talents may be working with your hands, for others it may be organization and planning, for others of you it is teaching. Whatever your gift, there is a way that you can serve the church.

             Today is Rally Day. We have been hearing about this day for quite a while now and a lot of planning has gone into the success of this kick off for Sunday School.  However, today is not just about getting the kids excited to go to Sunday school on Sunday mornings. Today, we are beginning a new year of concentration on our local mission here at St. Paul’s: Christian Education.

            Unfortunately, maybe for some of you Sunday school means that for an hour on Sunday morning, you can drop off the kids at Sunday school while you can go have some peace and quiet at Dunkin’ Donuts and catch up on the local gossip, or the Sunday headlines. Or perhaps, the thought of spending one more hour at church to be involved in Sunday school or adult Bible study is enough to make you run the other way. After all, we all know that there are not enough hours in the week to get everything done. Sunday is the perfect day to take a nap, catch up on household chores, or spend a relaxing day at the beach.

            Sunday school isn’t a free drop off service that the church offers for your children. It is a service that church offers your children, a time for them to grow together as children of God and to grow in their faith. However, it is also allowing you to have time to study God’s Word as well. That is why we have Sunday morning Bible studies that are held in conjunction with Sunday school. It is a time for you as parents to have time to gather in the word with your brothers and sisters in Christ and to grow together in your love and zeal for Him. 

            Rally Day here at St. Paul’s is not just about the kids and Sunday school. Today is also a day that we can all learn more about the many parts of this church that help it function. All of the areas of the body of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church are outside being represented by its current committee members. These booths are set up today so that you can learn more about what each group does and how they assist in the feeding of Christ’s lambs. Today is the day to find your niche here at St. Paul’s. What are your interests, talents and abilities? How can you serve God and his church?

            When the body of Christ works together, it can accomplish so much more. However, when the body is divided, moving forward is a slow and often impossible undertaking. You, as a member of the body of Christ, have a God-given talent that can be used to serve God in his church, and we look forward to learning about that talent as we continue to commit our church to that task of feeding the lambs of God.

            Christ came to be your Shepherd. Christ came and picked you up from your pit of sin and despair and hoisted you on His shoulders. Your sins are forgiven. This is wonderful news for us to share with the world around us.  This is the message Jesus commanded Peter to share when he said “Feed My Sheep”. This is the message that we share today as we begin a new Sunday school year. Christ gave us this opportunity to feed his sheep, and what a blessing it is to see

God’s people grow in faith as they learn more about the heart of Jesus.

Amen