What Peter did with Yeshua’s Words
Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr
So 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. He saith to him again the second time,
Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest
that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He
saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was
grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said
unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus
saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither
thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands,
and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This
spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had
spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. – John 21:15-19
Wherefore I will not be negligent
to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be
established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet,
as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in
remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my
tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover
I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things
always in remembrance. – II Peter 1:12-15
Ol’ Rough-necked Kefa (Peter) who seemed to be at first a bit prejudice, too
zealously opinionated for his own good, mellowed out some after Rebbe Yeshua’s HaMoshiach’s
(Messiah’s) resurrection and a rebuke by Rav Sha’ul (Paul) and his encounter
with the House of Cornelius.
Kefa had a leg up on most of us; though he didn’t know exactly when he
was going to die, he knew how and what his mission was until then which was to
teach and edify the Body of Messiah. He was to “feed the sheep.” Kefa was
eventually arrested and crucified in Rome, but he insisted to be executed
upside down because he did not deem himself worthy to die in the same manner as
our Rebbe and Messiah did.
