Lovest Thou Me?

RISE AND SHINE FOR JESUS! \O/
By Pam Iannello (my late mother)







John 21:16-17 (KJV)
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.

What an awesome responsibility Jesus Christ leaves with shepherds! They have the task of not only leading but feeding the sheep. And the one thing that Jesus points out to Simon here is that if you love ME, you will take proper care of MY sheep. Yes, the most important thing a pastor can do is love the Lord Jesus Christ! You see, there are enemies that would love to destroy the flock of God; therefore a shepherd must be ever watchful and quick to act a certain way when it comes to protecting each individual sheep from harm. It takes the right kind of love to bring about the right kind of care.  Tell me, ladies, do you have a pastor that loves Jesus Christ? If so, you have a shepherd that will watch over you and the flock you are part of with an intensity that you might not always welcome or understand. (If not, find one!)

No matter what the cost, a pastor who truly loves Jesus Christ will be faithful to the LORD in all his shepherding techniques. In addition, loving God supremely leaves no room to play favorites, as is the case in some flocks! Some sheep want their pastor to love THEM more than they want him to love GOD… Why do I say that? Because they resist the pastor’s supervision; they resent the pastor’s decisions; they dislike the pastor’s preaching and critique the sheep food he soberly and obediently prepares for their health and well-being. Sheep want less restriction but fail to realize that they are appealing for a lesser degree of love from their shepherd! Ultimately, in order to satisfy their own desires, some sheep end up pressing the pastor to bend in his loyalty to God. Are you the kind of church member that penalizes your pastor for loving the Lord? Is Jesus Christ happy with your performance as a sheep in relation to the shepherd He has placed over you? Is there a chance you are interfering with your pastor’s desire to obey God as he shepherds his flock? Are you trying to regulate his conduct or do you stand in respect of your pastor’s relationship with God?

Ladies, in every decision your pastor makes, in every standard he sets up, in every sermon he prepares, if he loves the Lord his main concern is whether or not Jesus Christ is pleased. According to the Word of God, that is what his primary concern is supposed to be. I hope in your heart you do not want things carried out any differently!  “Lovest thou Me?” is a question that Jesus posed to Simon more than once and Simon answered it positively each time. This man had denied Christ before and knew it wasn’t a pleasant experience… Thus, Simon was devoted and dedicated to doing God’s will.  Are YOU? Praise the Lord for shepherds that have their love and obedience set firmly on Jesus Christ – don’t fault them for it and don’t tempt them to do otherwise! If you love your pastor, then let him love the Lord and do HIS bidding.

God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2005 Pamela A. Iannello


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