John 21:13-19
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love (agape) me more than these?”
He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love (philo) you.”
He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love (agape) me?”
He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love (philo) you.”
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love (agape) me?” Peter was grieved 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 (agape) love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”
19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.)
And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Today, we saw Hollywood have a laughing response to a Responsibility Pledge.
Did the Hollywood actors expect to have snickering?
I imagine they thought it wouldn't be a Heaven.
Perhaps the Hollywood community wanted only the support of one another? Hollywood has a peer pressure system, however, overall - the audience is key. So - we might find this was brave - knowing it wasn't going to be applauded.
How would Scriptures react to the other worldliness of this First Century Culture?
The Culture of First Century Rome embraced Marriage. Re-marriage. Marriage to same sex. Marriage to your slave. Marriage to underage slaves. Married again, and, definitely, not giving one dime to the step-children. Protests with Riots? Send in the General and his Legion. Elections? No. Every other year march on Rome. Plague? Well, ok, but usually ten percent live to be 70 years old. Live hard, eat eels and die young. Eels are delicious... until, ecologically, it's all over fished.
Speaking of Fishing. Jesus has done all things well. He has fished in these conditions before.
Jesus has some very advanced ways - seeing and healing guilt. In fact, this is His First Confessional. Love, Forgive, go forth and abolish guilt. We can believe this to be a fact, knowing the guilt of the French Revolution didn't bring forth a stronger nation. Jesus is of the opinion we should find Him strengthening, helping and comforting us to love one another.
The Arts Academy recognizes this:
Sally Fields, 1985, would recognize this as the final scene in: "Places in the Heart."
J.K. Rowling would recognize this as: "It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends." Albus Dumbledore
Jesus is not a side-walk hack seeking a guilt handle. Jesus seeks to bring in Love, we are placed second to our God and next to each other. The First Confessional of John 21 has sibling rivalry. Jesus isn't all that put out.
Jesus did face His Friends.
And gave breakfast, bringing up something they would recognize in their past - 70 Disciples had deserted Jesus. Jesus had told them they would eat His Body and Drink His Blood. The Disciples ran off.
John 6:60-71
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”
61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.”
(For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)
65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
Why would Jesus press home again to His Disciples about food? Because Jesus expects His Disciples to have meals taken together and Eucharist in His Love. Jesus does not expect His Beloved and His Church to be about Ideas. Or Guilt. Jesus tells of Life being Joy in multiple Chapters of the Bible. Jesus expects the beauty of meals taken together. And knows there will be fusses and sibling rivalry.
The First Confession is a beach party, homecoming party with a meal. Guilt is not a sauce or a filling. Jesus expects Love will change the world.
Jesus expects His Beloved to be fed. To pray Luke 11 believing with shameless audacity and impudence - we Pray with Jesus Christ - to find more of Your Heavenly Kingdom on earth. The Beauty of Love, Faith, Hope and Encouragement. To believe in the Light of Jesus in mankind and feed this Love.
Abba, Our Father!
Abundant Life seeks the Glory only God has to give.
To believe in Luke 11 to pray with shameless audacity and impudence
- we Pray with Jesus Christ
to find more of Your Heavenly Kingdom on earth.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
According to the riches of our Father God's glory,
You may grant us to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in our inner being,
Finding Jesus Christ, daily His Mercies Renew, and dwell in our hearts through faith.
We pray to all, all , ALL be rooted and grounded in Love
In Your Power to have Strength, with all the Saints
finding God's Love!
God's Love - is the breadth and length and height and depth,
the love of Christ surpasses knowledge
and ALL are filled with all the fullness of God.
Jesus is God
He is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,
according to the power at work within us,
to Jesus be Glory in the Church
and in Christ Jesus. light of mankind, throughout all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.
Father God, Abba,
Let us Pray to Seek You, Find You in Jesus Christ.
The Glory of Your Heaven on earth..
The Wonders and Mercies of God Prevail.
We are People with the Help of Jesus,
we can make
Redemption
Strength.
Praying the Victory!
And Virus end!
Jesus Son of God - Bless, Sustain, Comfort, Guide
President Donald Trump, and his family,
Vice President Pence,
The White House Staff,
The Administration Coronavirus Response Team,
Dr. Deborah Birx, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Robert Redfield, God Bless Them!
Safety and wisdom for:
Governor Abbott
and all 50 United States Governors and our Legislatures
Fruitful Justice for ALL.
The Freedom in Jesus we call
Liberty and Justice for All!
We ask Jesus to dwell in us always,
and we say Amen!
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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