When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. John 21:15-17

These verses have been read and dissected a million different ways. People have studied the questions, the answers, the emotions, the symbolism, even the animals. All agree that Jesus welcomed Peter back into the fold, not that he had left but he had to be feeling fairly low about this failure.

Jesus Christ had compassion on a broken man. That’s pretty much the gist and takeaway of this passage.

And if He has compassion like this on a man who denied Jesus three times, He certainly can have compassion on us. I’m not referring to the Salvation compassion, though it is important. I’m talking about day to day life where we blow it and seek forgiveness. For it’s in the daily grind where we need the steadying hand of God.