16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. John 21: 15-17
Jesus did not need to know if Peter loved him. He knew Peter's heart, this dialogue was for Peter as well as for us. Going to church is not enough. Fulfilling our titles is not enough. God wants us to feed his sheep. He wants our heart to be towards loving others. What Jesus was teaching Peter to express your love for God it is through love your neighbor. By loving other you love God. Peter was not going to be able to rest on his personal relationship with Jesus for Jesus was not going to be there phyiscally for him to follow. He was going to have to love God by loving those God gave him to help.
We can get so catch up in our individual lives that we forget to love others. We don't greet each other in passing because we are too busy tweeting. We have lost sight of what it means to love God. Jesus was not asking Peter to simply do charity work because you can do that without your heart being in it. He wanted to transfer Peter's focus from the Physical Jesus to seeing Jesus in all. If we saw Jesus in others would we not love them?
When we love God there is evidence of it by how we treat others.
If you love Jesus, feed his sheep.
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