An Older Perspective
(This quote is more on prayerfully listening to Scripture. With God's leading, Groeschel had helped a young man in a reawakening of his faith by directing him to key Scriptural texts. This quote occurs right after that event.)
"My own reward was an interesting one. The young man wanted to share with me his enthusiasm, his fire, the response of his whole being. I was grateful and rejoiced with him. He seemed to forget, however, that I had long since worked my way through these texts. I now listened to other questions, words, texts. He could not know I had confronted the questions of life and death in the flood-tide of youth. He could hardly be expected to realize the fire which an older person experiences when he reads John 21:17-19:"
"Then He said to him a third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me?' Peter was upset that He asked him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' and said, 'Lord, You know everything; You know I love You.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed My sheep. I tell you most solemnly, when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go.' In these words He indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this He said, 'Follow Me.'"
~Benedict Groeschel
"My own reward was an interesting one. The young man wanted to share with me his enthusiasm, his fire, the response of his whole being. I was grateful and rejoiced with him. He seemed to forget, however, that I had long since worked my way through these texts. I now listened to other questions, words, texts. He could not know I had confronted the questions of life and death in the flood-tide of youth. He could hardly be expected to realize the fire which an older person experiences when he reads John 21:17-19:"
"Then He said to him a third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me?' Peter was upset that He asked him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' and said, 'Lord, You know everything; You know I love You.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed My sheep. I tell you most solemnly, when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go.' In these words He indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this He said, 'Follow Me.'"
~Benedict Groeschel
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