"Feed my sheep."

This past Friday was the second official meeting of our Home Groups, which we host at our home. It has been a great time of deep fellowship, discussing applications of God's Word, and praying together.
This past Friday we discussed John, chapter 21. Wow, talk about something I had never seen or understood before. The background is this: Christ's followers, the 12 disciples, are broken. Christ has just been crucified. The man they dedicated to following with their lives, the man that they gave up everything for, was just killed. They have scattered and fled and hid, Peter has even denied knowing Christ 3 times. Peter decides to go fishing. I can just imagine him thinking, I don't know what's going on anymore, so I'm going back to what I DO know, what I DO understand : fishing. Who's with me? So him and some of the disciples go fishing, if you know the story, they didn't have much luck.
Christ appears on the shore, and then lovingly recommends that they try the other side after they tell Him that they haven't caught anything. The nets become so full that they couldn't even bring it in! Then, Peter knew it was Christ. He jumped out of the boat and swam to meet Him.
Christ prepares breakfast for them. PAUSE. Christ has just appeared to them since dying on the cross, and He makes breakfast for them. For the people that denied Him and ran away. He wants them to come, rest, sit and eat. Isn't that what He always wants first and foremost? That would would just BE with Him? Whoa.
Unpause.
Christ Then he directs his conversation to Peter - Peter, do you love (agapae - God's love) me? Peter answers - Lord you know I love (phileo - brotherly love) you. Christ replies - feed my sheep. Christ asks again do you agapae me? Same answer, phileo. Same reponse to Peter - feed my sheep. Third time - Peter, do you phileo me? Peter answers, yes Lord, you know I love you. Same response: feed my sheep.
The take away is this - all Peter could muster up was phileo love. Brotherly love. He couldn't claim that he had agapae love for Christ, unconditional love, after just denying him 3 times. But the third time Christ meets Peter where he is and says even if you can't muster up agapae love for me, even if you are in a pit because of what has happened recently, even if you feel lost and confused, even THEN - feed my sheep. Pour out to others. Take care of MY people.
Christ gives Peter the solution, the key: don't go back to fishing, to your old ways, to where you are comfortable. Don't try and fix yourself by focusing on yourself. Don't go back to your old life because you are in despair... take care of my people. Just feed my sheep.
That is what he offers Peter. Peter, don't stay in that hole; don't hide; He lovingly tells Peter to pour himself out into His people - for that's how he will heal. That is where the abundant life is. Continue to pour out onto others. This is God's plan for us through Christ.