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So the disciples had come ashore and had breakfast with Jesus. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, do you love me?”

There we have it. The most important question Jesus asks any of us, “Do you love me?”

We are not asked by God how many not for profit groups we support or if we have volunteered at church lately. God doesn’t want to know whether we are theologically liberal or conservative. Rather, God wants to know about our heart. (one of God’s favorite shapes!) “Do you love me?”

Do you remember what Peter had done a few weeks earlier? Do you remember what Peter had said before that? “Even if everyone else leaves you, Jesus, I never will.”

Then came the horrible nightmare of Jesus being arrested and ultimately killed. People associated with Jesus, his friends and followers, were in danger of being arrested and quite possibly killed. Gone were the cheers of Palm Sunday. It was time to hide.

Peter was standing in a courtyard, part of a crowd milling around. Someone pointed to him and said, “Hey you, weren’t you with that Jesus guy who was crucified today?” Peter was stunned and afraid. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” Another person spoke up. “Yeah. I remember seeing this fellow alongside Jesus. They were friends.” Peter grew more afraid. “I tell you, I do not know Jesus!” Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times. As the rooster crowed Peter realized what he had just done. He had betrayed his dearest friend and God’s messenger, Jesus.

Peter now meets Jesus on the beach. They are thrilled to see one another again. Easter had happened. God had raised Jesus up from the dead. It was enough to take your breath away, and it sometimes did. When the disciples had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, do you love me?” Peter’s reply is hardly a surprise. “Yes Lord, truly I love you.” Jesus asks again. “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter answers again, “Yes, Lord. You know that I love you.” Jesus then asks Peter “to feed my lambs and tend my sheep.” For a third time, Jesus says to him, “Do you love me?”

Poor Peter. How many times did he need to answer the same question? Why didn’t Jesus believe him? Peter felt hurt. “Lord, you know everything. You know my heart better than I do. You know that I love you.”

Some consider this Peter’s healing. Three times Peter denied Jesus and three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved him. Jesus wasn’t asking Peter this question to be mean or to rub his nose in the wrong he committed. Jesus was symbolically and literally expressing his forgiveness to Peter. Jesus is telling Peter and each one of us that there is nothing we can do that is so wrong that we cannot be forgiven. God loves us unconditionally. No strings attached. We call this grace. God’s unconditional love.

Peter has experienced this love. Peter has learned humility. Peter has learned that he is capable of making the kind of mistakes he thought he never would. He abandoned his friend, Jesus. And his friend and Lord is still his friend and Lord.

Repetition isn’t a bad thing necessarily. Hearing I love you more than once a day is a good thing. Saying I love you is also a very good thing to repeat to those we love. If we are honest, it takes some repetition to get our attention sometimes. Parents to kids, kids to parents. “How many times do I have to tell you…?” “Mom, did you hear me?”

A good reason to come to church is to hear and experience over and over that God loves you. God forgives you. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. It’s not rational. It’s an amazing gift and reality.

Peter knows in every cell of his body that it is Jesus and Jesus’ love for him that is unshakeable. It is his heart and soul filled answer, “Yes Lord. I love you,” that underlies every thing that is next. It is our love of God that inspires and empowers us to love ourselves, our neighbors and our enemies.

“Receive my grace, my love, and get on with it,” God says. “Let’s move on because I have great things in store for you. Your past is the past. You are forgiven and chosen. Follow me.”

Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Jesus is giving Peter and each one of us a command. We are to reach out and care for God’s sheep and lambs. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are his flock. Before Jesus returned to heaven he commissioned the disciples to be shepherds, caring for Christ’s sheep. If we love Jesus, we will care for others.

Today we recognize and celebrate the many that help feed God’s sheep. We are grateful to teachers, mentors, shepherds, group leaders and all those who make Christian education happen here at CCC. We are teachers and students of all ages. We span the generations and the generations comprise the church – past, present and future.

In just a few moments, we will gather round the water. It’s not exactly a beachfront but it is holy ground. In baptism we hear God’s question, “Do you love me?” It’s not asked that directly but it’s there. Listen for it. Hear also the command to feed and tend my sheep. I will give you a clue. Pay attention to the covenant we make with one another.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus led Oscar and his family to the water. Come Holy Spirit, come.

Amen.

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