“Stretch Out
Your Hands”
This
was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised
from the dead.
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.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon
son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord: you know that I love
you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my
sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” Peter felt hurt
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. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten
your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will
stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take
you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death
by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Peter
turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who
had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is
going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about
him?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is
that to you? Follow me!”
John 21:14-22
The
message from Jesus is the same for us, as it was His own disciples. We should
not worry about what happens in the life of anybody else. Our task is to keep
following Jesus steadfastly.
It is
so easy to let our relationship with the Lord be overly influenced by the
behavior and experiences of others. But we must not be concerned with what God
has planned for anyone else. Through the conflicting voices that surround us,
we must keep hearing the Savior’s clear command to follow Him.
To find your way through life,
follow
Jesus.
Our Daily Bread –