"Follow Me" / 「私に従って来なさい」

I was reading the end of John this morning and was stuck by the mercy of Jesus. In John 21, Jesus appears to his disciples again, but this time is especially for Simon Peter's benefit. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him and three times Peter tells him that he definitely loves him. Jesus did this as a way to show Peter that he was forgiven for denying him three times before Jesus' death. But what Jesus says after that was something I'd never noticed before. Verse 19 says this: "And after saying this he said to him "Follow me." Peter had made many mistakes throughout the course of the Gospels, culminating in his denial of Christ. Yet Jesus reminded him that the original call Peter had received from Jesus way back at the beginning of his ministry had not changed, despite Peter's failings. Peter was called to follow Jesus at the start, and Peter was called to continue to do that, despite what he had done. Following Jesus does not depend on our ability to do it 100% and as such the call does not change no matter how much we fail. You were called to follow Him and today He again calls you to follow Him.

今朝、ヨハネの福音書の終わりを読んで、イエス様のあわれみにストの影響をこうむりました。ヨハネ２１書にイエス様はもう一度、弟子たちに、今回は特にシモン・ペテロのために、姿を現して。３回にイエス様はペテロに「わたしを愛しますか？」と聞いて、ペテロは絶対に愛すると答えました。３度イエス様を知らないと言ったのにイエス様はペテロが赦されたことを見せるためにそうしました。でも、その後のイエス様が言われたことをまだ気がつきませんでした。「こうお話しになってから、ペテロにいわれた。「わたしに従いなさい。」」が１９節には書かれました。ペテロは福音書の中にいろいろな失敗して、一番悪いのはイエス様を知らないと言ったことですけど、ペテロの失敗にもかかわらず、最初のイエス様から受けれた呼びかけは変えらなかった。最初にペテロはイエス様に従うことに呼びかけられて、したことにもかかわらずに、ペテロは続けて従うことに呼びかけられました。イエス様に従うことは私たちの能力によるとわけではないので、よく失敗しても、私たちの呼びかけは変えません。最初にイエス様に従うことに呼びかけられて、今日もイエス様に従うことに呼びかけられます。