¹⁵When 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.” ¹⁶A 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.” ¹⁷He 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…” (John 21:15-17)

I love the image of Resurrected Jesus sitting on the beach with his disciples in John 21, cooking their meal. In this scene, Jesus demonstrates at least two truths (other than a reason for me to not feel guilty about how often my husband does the cooking…which is nearly 95 percent of the time): First, Jesus is resurrected in body and soul and consuming food illustrates the aliveness of his body. Second, even in a post-resurrection state, Jesus still assumes the role of a servant leader. When Jesus said the Son of God came not to be served but to serve, he meant beyond just the scene with the foot-washing.

When we imagine what it looks like for us to “put on the same mind as Christ” (Philippians 2:5), we might imagine what it means to live as Resurrection People: as those who use our new lives in Christ to serve others. Having served his disciples, Jesus then instructs Peter to go and do likewise. Do you love me? Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep. Three times, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him and tells him to feed his sheep (echoing the three times Peter denied Jesus, reminding us that even when we have fallen moments, Jesus is never done with us!). Loving Jesus means feeding Jesus’ sheep. Serving Jesus means serving one another – loving one another just as Jesus first loved us.

We are Resurrection People, with the gift of new life made possible for us through and in Christ. It’s a joy and a privilege to serve alongside one another and love one another, doing the best we can with what we’ve been given. It’s living for more than just “random acts of kindness.” It’s living for deliberate acts of kindness, conscious that what we do for others, we also do for Christ.

Writer Anne Lamott puts it best and most simply when she writes, “Gratitude and service are the two best paths to joy. I mean, I’m not stupid – if you want loving feelings, do loving things. Period.”

May we each live as a part of the Resurrected People, loving and serving each other as Christ taught us to love and serve.

Rev. Rebecca Mallozzi, Faith Presbyterian Church, Emmaus, PA