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Pope Francis Believed
Though I am not a Catholic, I recognize Pope Francis as a man of faith. He believed as I do that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for our sins.
Some of you reading this are Catholic, and some have strong feelings against the Catholic Church. My prayer is that, however you feel, you will open your mind to what Jesus taught and stand on that.
I was pleased to see that Pope Francis and I share a favorite Scripture. He loved John 21:15-17 and tried to apply it to his daily work. I find it a constant reminder of God’s calling on my life.
He loved people as all followers of Jesus should. I, along with many Christians, am opposed to his socialist views, but I believe that he honestly thought that it would help some of the poorest people.
All of us, whether church leaders or new followers, are influenced by events in our lives. We live in the world, looking for ways to make it better for ourselves and the ones we love.
I was raised in a church that believed anyone who did not belong to it was lost. This false teaching caused me to condemn many devoted believers. I am so thankful that, as I studied God’s Word, His Holy Spirit convicted me of my sin of judgment.
We are not to judge!
Whether you are a new believer or holding to your church’s teachings, you need to remember what Jesus said about judging others.
Jesus says in Matthew 7:1 NKJV, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Our Lord goes on to point out that we need to overcome our sins before we can help our brother or sister. If we wait until we have overcome all our sins, we will never have time to judge others.
Many will waste their time and energy judging what Pope Francis did right or wrong during his life and as the head of the Catholic Church. Mostly they will judge from a worldly point of view.
From a Scriptural point of view, this is dangerous ground. We need to examine our lives to make sure that we are serving God the way He has called us to do.
The favorite Scripture we shared is John 21:15-17.
You may have heard sermons on this Scripture over the years. It is usually used in conjunction with Peter’s denial of Jesus. You may remember that Jesus had told Peter that he would deny Him three times before the cock crowed.
I am sure that there is a connection, but let us focus on the questions Jesus asked and the answers Simon Peter gave.
First, read these verses.
Then I will ask you to do something a little different. I believe that it will help you understand why we share a love for these verses.
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. John 21:15-17 NKJV
We know that this must have been a crushing experience for Peter.
Now I ask you to read it a little differently.
Take your time and substitute your name for Simon Peter’s as you read it.
Read the whole thing as if Jesus is speaking to you.
If it does not bring you to tears you need to pray about your commitment to Jesus and read it a third time.
Feed My sheep.
Jesus calls all of us, every denomination, every single believer who claims to follow Him to feed His Sheep. It is not just a calling to a Pope, Priest, or Preacher. Jesus has called all of us to share the Good News of His Kingdom.
It is not up to us to look at Pope Francis and judge his strengths and weaknesses. Jesus is his only judge.
However, it is good to look at the Scriptures that helped shape the Pope and many others.
Once you have personalized those Scriptures you will have a better relationship with Jesus. It will change how you look at people. You will have a different perspective if you read the above verses and make them personal to you.
I have much more to say.
However, it is more important that I leave you with your thoughts on what we have covered. Jesus loves you just like He loved Peter. He wants you to love Him and show it by feeding His sheep.
Don’t stop here. Go back and read the verses again. Each time you read them, using your name in place of Simon Peter’s, you will grow stronger.