Remember the 1980’s movie “Little Shop of Horrors”? Although I know I saw it, all I can remember is the plant saying “feed me” to Seymour, in the most desperate of ways.
There is a story of Jesus with Peter, after the fishing incident when there was nothing to catch … until Jesus told them to throw the nets to the other side of the boat, and they took in (quite literally) a boat-load of fish.
Jesus asks Peter (John 21:17), “do you love me?” but Peter was hurt because this was the third time that Jesus asked him that. So Peter replied (probably with great exasperation), “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” and then Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
When we look at this historical account we might wonder,
why did Jesus ask “do you love me“?
Shouldn’t he have asked, “do you love my sheep”?
Especially since Jesus’ response to Peter’s response (stick with me) was “feed my sheep.”
But what Jesus understood, as only Jesus could, that it is not our love for people that will keep us loving and caring and feeding them … but our love for Jesus.
This story (amid many other lessons) is a reminder that:
“I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me”
(Philippians 4:13)
Perhaps it should, more practically read,
I can do only the things that I do in the strength of Christ.
We can do good things for people, outside of Christ. But we cannot do the work of Christ apart from him. He is our shepherd, we are his aimless sheep, whom he loves. And, as we learn to love and depend on him, he will allow us to join with him in the feeding of his sheep.
“God of mercy sweet love of mine
I have surrendered to Your design
May this offering stretch across the skies
And these Halleluiahs be multiplied”
(Needtobreathe)
itsawonderfilledlife 