Dear Kelsey,
I was awake pretty early this morning and had a moment of solitude to look at our picture of Christ walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. When I first saw this print, it brought a sense of quietness and peace to my heart as I remembered another early morning watching the sun come up over the water of this same sea. The air was crisp and clean, the morning beautiful as I walked over the pebble-strewn beach. One of my favorite events written about in the New Testament is when the Savior comes to Simon Peter and the other disciples, while they are on the fishing boat. The Savior has been crucified and resurrected, and Peter and the others have returned to their earlier profession of fishing in the sea, when they spot a man on the beach with a fire going, inviting them to join him. The man is recognized by the disciples as the resurrected Lord, and Peter jumps into the water to swim to him. At this time, the resurrected Savior asks Simon Peter, three times: Simon Peter, lovest thou me? As Peter answered in the affirmative each time, the Lord followed up His question with: "Feed my sheep." With this exchange, the Resurrected Lord teaches some great lessons. First, this thrice asked question of Peter, "lovest thou me?", gives Peter the opportunity to not only know that the Lord has forgiven him his earlier denial, which has torn Peter apart, but it also allows Peter to tell the Savior, irrevocably, that he does truly love Him. Through this questioning and answering exchange, the Savior is also very clearly establishing Simon Peter as the head of the church on earth, as well as commissioning Peter, and the other apostles, with their very important mission to "feed His sheep," to be a special witness of Jesus Christ and to spread His gospel throughout the land and the world. This is a very tender scene from the New Testament, which I love. I am so grateful that you get to read this account, and many others from the New Testament, while you are in Galilee. I loved the beautiful lushness of this part of the country, and I was quite moved by the ruins of Capernaum ("his own city"), knowing that the Lord taught in the synagogue there and walked along those streets, and gathered to him the men of the area that would serve as His apostles. It is in Galilee where the Lord's ministry began, where he performed many miracles and taught his most powerful sermons. I am so happy that you, too, get to experience the powerful witness of our Savior in the land where He was raised and where he began His mission. I add my own testimony of the life and love of our Savior and His atoning sacrifice for us all.
Love,
Mom
