Pass It On

John 21:15-19 (NRSV)When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt 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 love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."

YOU'VE probably heard the old story of the Sunday school teacher who asked, "How many of you children want to go to heaven?" All raised their hands except little Johnny, who said, "I can't, teacher. Mummy told me to come straight home after school 'cause we're going to Grandma's." Like the little boy in that story, so many people do not see the possibilities of the bigger picture. We can be so caught up in the immediacy of our small worlds that we may not grasp the possibility of a quality relationship with Christ now and eternal life with him beyond our death.God calls us to follow Christ and to reach out to the larger world. "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15-16) were Christ's last words to his followers. The Christ who calls us as individuals and as the church to take his message to the whole world first calls us to love him; then our service flows from this love. God touches our lives in Jesus Christ, and our love relationship sends us into our world, God's world, to share the Good News.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:Relationship with Christ is more important than anything.