Do You Love Me?
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, ‘Simon son of John, 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.’
(John 21:15-17)
All that remained now were a few scraps of fish. She looked around, scanning the beach and hillsides. No sign of Jesus.
They had barely finished breakfast when he had his strange conversation with Peter. Then, in an instant, he was gone.
How does he do that? She wondered. Perhaps better than any of the men, she knew he was not a ghost.
Thomas came and sat beside her.
“So, Ahot. Quite a morning,” he said.
“I’m almost getting used to it,” she said. “What do you suppose he meant by all that talk about feeding sheep?”
Thomas shrugged. “Maybe he thinks Peter is a terrible fisherman.”
“It made me think about that winter, at the Festival of Lights,” she said. “He spoke of sheep then, too.”
“Did he? I don’t remember.”
“He said his sheep would hear his voice and follow him. He said no one could steal his sheep away from him. Then he said they would never die.”
“Hmm. Yes. I do remember that.”
“And then he said that he and God were the same.”
“Right. ‘I and the Father are one.’ That was strange.”
She was silent for a moment, her eyes fixed upon the horizon.
“What do you think that means?” she asked. “Was he trying to say that he’s God?”
Thomas pursed his lips. Then he stood up, brushing sand from his legs.
“I’m sure we’ll figure it out, in time,” he said, hurrying to join the other men.
Or at least you’ll pretend you have, she thought.
Her gaze returned to the placid lake.
“No one will snatch me out of your hand, Jesus. No one. Ever.”