"So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of Jonas, Lovest thou Me more than these?" John 21:1515So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. (John 21:15).
The moment that the Lord chose for this question appears to carry a great lesson for us. Supposing a brother gets astray and backslides a little, do you know the way to restore him? Would you go and tell him he has slipped away? That will not do him much good. Very likely if you were to say to him, "Brother, come and have a cup of tea with me," and then talk to him about the Lord, that would help him.
After the seven disciples had been fishing all night and had caught nothing, they were, no doubt, cold, hungry and disappointed. What does the Lord do? He says, "Come and dine." They get both warmth and food. Do you know a spiritually cold and consequently hungry brother? Feed him, warm him up. Give him spiritual food, I mean. The great thing for you and me to do is to warm him. He needs cherishing and nourishing, warmth and food. It is always thus put in Scripture. "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church." Eph. 5:2929For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: (Ephesians 5:29). What is the nourishing? Food. What is the cherishing? Warmth.
Beloved friends, I am quite sure if we took this way, the Lord's way, with a saint that has got a little aside, we should do real shepherding work. You try and get such to your house, give him a nice cup of tea, and then speak about the Lord, and you will be able to help such, minister to their soul's need, and recover and restore them. It is a great thing to be able to restore a person, and the way in which Peter is here restored is very touching. I am fully persuaded that this story as related by John is given with deep design of God for our instruction and profit.