To discuss on this subject, I would like to invite you to a
breakfast by the Sea of Tiberias. In John 21, there was this account
of Jesus showing Himself again to His disciples, after His
Resurrection. And this was how it happened. Simon Peter, Thomas,
Nathanael, James, John, and two other disciples of Jesus were
together.
Simon Peter said
to them, "I am going fishing." What else could Peter do besides
fishing after the death of Jesus? Yes, he had seen the resurrected
Lord twice but so what? These were the days between the Resurrection
and the Ascension of Christ, and before the actual outpouring of the
Holy Spirit at Pentecost. How could he continue to do ministry
without the presence and company of His Lord? How could he face the
severe opposition and hostility of the people he was called to
serve? Without any clear direction or strategy to follow, the only
way out was to go back to his former occupation – to be a fisherman
again.
The rest of the disciples of
Jesus were equally discouraged. They too expected the Messiah to
rule and reign in Jerusalem, the Holy City of God. But to their
great horror and dismay, the Christ, Whom they believed in and
followed all these years, was crucified and buried. Though Jesus had
resurrected, He was no longer with them in flesh and blood like He
used to be. When they heard Peter’s decision, they too agreed with
him, "We are going fishing with you also." And they went out without
any second thoughts. Immediately they got into the boat. That night
they caught nothing.
When the morning
had come, Jesus stood on the shore, and His disciples were in the
boat, a little distance away. But the disciples did not know that it
was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food for
breakfast?" They answered Him, "No." They had caught nothing, and
had nothing for breakfast.
Jesus said to
them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find
some." They hearkened to His instructions, and cast their net. But
they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish
caught therein.
Upon the witness
of this miracle, John, that disciple whom Jesus loved, said to
Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the
Lord, he put on his outer garment that he had removed during
fishing. He plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in
the little boat. They were not far from land, about 100 yards away.
They were dragging the net loaded with fish.
As soon as they
had come to shore, they saw a fire of coals there. Bread and fish
were laid on it. Jesus had prepared the breakfast for them! The
morning meal was ready to be served! Jesus said to them, "Bring some
of the fish which you have just caught." Simon Peter went up and
dragged the net to land. It was full of large fish, one hundred and
fifty-three. Although there were so many, the net was not broken.
Jesus said to
them, "Come and eat breakfast." This time none of the disciples
dared to ask Him, "Who are You?" They knew that it was the Lord.
Then Jesus came and took the bread, and gave it to them. Thereafter,
He also served the fish after they were cooked. This was the third
time that Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised
from the dead.
After they had
eaten breakfast, Jesus had a heart to heart conversation with Peter.
He wanted to restore Peter and renew his passion for ministry. On
the night when Jesus was betrayed and arrested, around a fire of
coals, in the courtyard of the high priest, Peter denied the Lord
three times. "I do not know Him!...I do not know Him!...I do not
know Him!"
Three separate occasions on
that night of betrayal, Peter's relationship with his Lord Jesus
Christ was questioned and smashed. Not once, but thrice he denied
knowing the Lord! Now Jesus gave him three opportunities to reaffirm
his love and relationship with Him. Was it true? Was this just a
spark at that moment? Is it still true?
Jesus desired
Peter to be more than a fisherman. He had called him to be a fisher
of men. It was to Peter’s advantage that Jesus asked him, "Do you
love Me?" Peter was in a state of disgrace. He had failed the Lord
Whom he loved. He was cowardly disloyal. He was deeply ashamed of
himself. In Mark 14:27-31, Peter had boasted that he would never
deny the Lord even to the point of death! But he could not fulfill
what he had said and declared! He was a failure! He did not do what
he said that he would do! He was simply not qualified to be Jesus’
disciple! That’s why he went back to fishing. He was both
discouraged and downcast! Wounded in his soul, he needed Jesus’
affirmation and acknowledgement that he was still His disciple, and
that He still loved him.
Jesus did not
condemn or rebuke Peter. He simply asked him three questions in love
in order to heal and touch Peter‘s broken heart. He asked Peter,
"Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" Peter said to
Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My
lambs."
Jesus said to
Peter again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He
said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him,
"Tend My sheep."
Jesus said to
him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was
grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And
he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love
You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep."
Interestingly,
Peter was a son of Jonah. Whether he had his genealogical roots from
the reluctant prophet of old, I would leave that for the scholars to
find out. Herein we could see a similar story of the prophet Jonah
being replayed. Jonah was sent to preach to the Gentiles, while this
son of Jonah was sent to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6).
Jonah was reluctant to obey the commission of God. He set sail from
Joppa to get away from God (Jonah 1:3). Similarly, when God opened
the door for the Gentiles to be saved in the New Testament, Peter
was also at Joppa. Through a vision, Peter, the son of Jonah, obeyed
the Lord and brought the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10:1-23).
God sent Jonah
to Nineveh, the capital city of the great Assyrian Empire. But the
prophet shrank from his calling. He attempted to escape to Tarshish.
But the love of God would never let him go! God watched over him
first in a storm, and then over him when he was swallowed by a large
fish for the space of three days and three nights. After his
deliverance out of the fish‘s belly, Jonah executed and fulfilled
God's commission.
The whole city
of Nineveh repented, and escaped the judgment of God. But the
prophet grudged at the mercy of God shown to a wicked and heathen
nation. He was really upset and angry. Thus, God taught him a lesson
by making a vine grow up to shade Jonah's head and protect him from
the blazing sun. Jonah was very happy to have the vine. But early
the next morning, the LORD sent a worm to chew on the vine, and the
vine dried up. During the day, the LORD sent a scorching wind, and
the sun beat down on Jonah's head, making him feel faint. Jonah was
ready to die, and he shouted, "I wish I were dead!" But the LORD
asked, "Jonah, do you have the right to be angry about the vine?"
"Yes, I do," he
answered, "and I'm angry enough to die." But the LORD said: "You are
concerned about a vine that you did not plant or take care of, a
vine that grew up in one night and died the next. In that city of
Nineveh, there are more than 120,000 people who cannot tell right
from wrong, and many cattle are also there. Don't you think I should
be concerned about that big city? "
Like Jonah,
Peter was appointed to be a shepherd - to love others and take good
care of them! To have a true burden for the people whom he was
called to serve. To have a genuine care and concern for their needs
- physical, emotional and spiritual. At the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus
was re-establishing and reinstating Peter to be a shepherd to pastor
His sheep! He was restoring Peter back to do ministry. It was an
awesome task! The Great Shepherd was going away, He needed someone
to take care of His sheep.
In Matthew
16:17-19, Jesus said this to Peter:
"Blessed are
you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this
to you, but My Father Who is in heaven. And I also say to you
that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church,
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will
give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you
bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven."
But before Peter
could fulfill this commission, Jesus needed to know this one thing:
"Do you love Me?" This is where ministry begins and continues to
have its existence. Did Peter fulfill this commission that Jesus
gave him? Absolutely yes! In 1 Peter 5:1-4, we can
clearly see that he had kept the Word of His Lord! One of Peter's
final instructions in his first epistle was to shepherd the flock of
God:
"The elders who are among
you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the
sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will
be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among
you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not
for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those
entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the
Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that
does not fade away."
Peter knew that
what it meant to be a true shepherd of God. He was lovingly saying
to his elders, "Just as shepherds watch over their sheep, you must
watch over everyone whom God has placed in your care. Do it
willingly in order to please God, and not out of obligation and
compulsion. Let it be something you desire to do, and not something
that you do to make money. Don't boss over those people who are in
your care, but set a good example for them to follow. Then when
Christ the Chief Shepherd returns, you will be given a crown that
will never lose its glory."
A true shepherd
is one who:
- feeds the
sheep (1 Chronicles 4:39-41, Psalm 23:2)
- watches
over his flock at night (Luke 2:8)
- defends the
sheep from their predators (1 Samuel 17:34-37, Amos 3:12)
- cares for
the wounded and sick sheep (Ezekiel 34:16)
- finds and
saves the lost or trapped sheep (Ezekiel 34:12, Luke 15:4-5)
- gives and
risks his life for the sheep (John 10:11).
Pastoring has
the same functions as shepherding! Pastors love their people by
feeding them, protecting them, defending them, caring for them and
sharing with them. They are even willing to lay down their own lives
for the sheep. Through their lives and loves, they earn the trust
and obedience of the sheep.
The pastoral
role is more than just teaching. The pastor is a guardian as well as
a teacher. He oversees the total welfare of His sheep! Note that it
is His sheep and not our sheep! Jesus told Peter, "Feed My
sheep!" This reminds us that the sheep are His, and not ours! They
belong to Jesus! We are just stewards, and not owners. We cannot do
our own things! We cannot lord over them. We need to be
exceptionally careful with those sheep who are entrusted to our
care! When other parents entrust us with their kids, we must bear
great responsibility in ensuring that their kids are properly looked
after and carefully handled! There should not be any abuse or misuse
of authority and leadership! It calls for integrity and
accountability! Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, they are His sheep and
we are just His shepherds.
The job of
pastoring is not just for the pastors inside the churches. Like it
or not, God has given us some of His sheep to take care of:
|
Shepherd |
Sheep |
|
Parent |
Child(ren) |
|
Husband |
Wife |
|
Elder
sibling |
Younger
sibling(s) |
|
School
Teacher |
Student(s) |
|
Elder
Student |
Younger
student(s) |
|
Master |
Servant(s) & maid(s) |
|
Housewife |
Family
member(s) & maid(s) |
|
Employer |
Employee(s) |
|
Manager |
Subordinate(s) |
|
Supervisor |
Foremen |
|
Foreman |
Worker(s) |
|
Christian |
Colleague(s) |
Wherever we are in our workplaces, we are called to pastor His sheep
that are entrusted to our care. We cannot run away from our
responsibility. It is not the job of our church pastors to take care
of our children or students or employees or colleagues. We are His
eyes that see their needs, we are His hands to touch them, and we
are His ears that listen to their pleas.
God still uses
ordinary people like you and me to carry out and accomplish His
extraordinary plans and purposes. David was a shepherd when he was
just a young boy! Shepherding is not a matter of age or position, it
is a matter of the heart! It does not require an attitude that is
holier than thou. It simply calls for us to have a heart of flesh
and not of stone. It requires us to become human again, landing back
on earth instead of being airy-fairy up in the air. It calls for
reality checks against presumptuous omissions.
Peter declared
that he would never deny the Lord even if he were to die. But when
reality hit him, he was shattered badly. He became a coward
instantaneously! Many of us are like Peter. During the altar calls
in church services, we will tell the Lord that we will be who He
wants us to be, we will go where He wants us to go, and we will say
what He wants us to say. But back in our homes, offices, schools,
factories, streets and workplaces, our lips are sealed. Our
Christian jargons and languages don't seem to have an impact on our
communities!
Like Jonah and
Peter, we have our reservations and hang-ups, likes and dislikes. We
do not like these pagan people. We do not want to talk to them. We
are not willing to humble ourselves to be their shepherds. And we
ourselves have not received good pastoral care. But that is
obviously not true. We often forget that we do have the Great Pastor
and the Good Shepherd named Christ Jesus! Remember Psalm 23 and John
10. He watches over us day and night!
Maybe there are
just too many hurdles and obstacles to clear. But on the road of the
second mile, there are no roadblocks. If our heart are filled with
His love, there will not be any heart barriers between us and our
neighbours - the people at our workplaces. Love never fails! Love is
patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily
angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Cor. 13:4-8).
Shepherding is a dirty work. It is hard work. Sheep are often
stubborn and dirty. They cannot take good care of themselves. They
will follow the crowd. They are exposed to all sorts of dangers.
Their predators are always eyeing on them! Therefore they need true
shepherds to watch over them. The young shepherd, David, had killed
lions and bears while taking care of his father’s sheep (1 Samuel
17: 34-37). He would go after the wild animals until they released
their preys.
People around us
need the Lord. They are like sheep without shepherds. We must take
up our positions and start pastoring them. It is not about opening
the Bible and start teaching them the laws of God. It is having the
compassion of Christ for the multitudes. It is being His living
epistles to be read by all men. It is living out the Word of God. It
is actualizing the life of Christ in our homes and workplaces, and
everywhere we go! Our actions and life examples speak louder than
our words. It is more than just hard work. It is heart work! Our
hearts at work! It is caring for others and sharing with them like
no others. It is simply loving our neighbors as ourselves. It is
what Christ will do when He is in our shoes. It is being His light
and His salt to a generation that is lost. It is being real and
truthful about ourselves. It is actually saying, "I love You, Lord!"
May this song "People
Need The Lord" be an inspirational theme daily as we start
pastoring our workplaces:
Everyday
they pass me by
I can see it in their eyes
Empty people filled with care
Headed who knows where
On they go through private pain
Living fear to fear
Laughter hides their silent cries
Only Jesus hears