I Love You

Do you love me? This is the same question that Jesus asked Peter. Peter and his boys were out fishing on the Banks of the Sea of Tiberias and Jesus shows up. Has anyone ever asked you that question, “Do you love me?” If someone was to ask that question of you then, it’s obvious that they have an expectation of you. Meaning they have a reason to believe that you do in fact love them. As in the case of Jesus and Peter, Jesus had reason to believe that Peter loved him.

I just finished the Sermon Series “the Gospel According to Jesus” and I really had a lot of fun teaching through the many different teachings of Jesus. This past Sunday we ended the series with the question that Jesus posed to the Apostle Peter. John21:15 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.” You see there in the verse Jesus is asking Peter point blank “Do you love me more than these.”

I’m not a psychologist, meaning I don’t profess to be an expert on the human thought process, but I believe that it’s true to say that what a person spends money, time and energy doing reveals what they truly love. In other words if I spend lots of money and time on myself or boating, training, working, leisure or fishing then I know based on simple observation what I truly love.

So, Ok Jesus appears for the third time after he has risen from the grave to his disciples and he finds his lead apprentice doing what he loved to do. He finds Peter on the fish bank, fishing for fish. This wouldn’t be a bad thing, but the fate of the entire world was left in the hands of this Apostle Peter. Jesus gave to the apostles, a message that had to be shared. And Jesus was leaving Peter as one of the primary person who would be responsible to ignite a fire that’s still burning till this very day.

Jesus had to be sure that Peter understood what he meant by asking him “do you love me.” I love the way Jesus just makes the difficult so clear. Jesus asked Peter three times do you love me more than these. And the third time the text tells us that Peter became grieved in his Spirit because Jesus asked that same question three times. And Jesus gave the same command each of the three times Peter said "yes, lord I love you. Jesus would say, "then feed my lambs." Now remember, to be grieved means that Peter became agitated and angry because Jesus asked this same question three times mind you. I believe that Peter became grieved because he knew that Jesus was really asking, why are you fishing for fish, because if you loved me like you say that you do, you would be fishing for men, feeding the lambs.

I just finished reading a book authored by a man that God used mightily while he lived. I want to give you a quote from his book “The Pursuit of Man”; I love the way AW Tozer makes the point of what it means to know and Love God. “The man who would know God must give time to Him, He must count no time wasted which is spent in the cultivation of His acquaintance. He must give himself to meditation and prayer hours on end. So did the saints of old, the glorious company of the apostles, the goodly fellowship of the prophets and the believing members of the holy Church in all generations. And so must we if we would follow in their train.”

Jesus ask this same question of every person who professes to name the name of Jesus Christ, lovest thou me more than these. Wait, hold on a minute, don’t answer the question just yet.

What do you spend time and money doing. Are you sharing Jesus with others? Do you spend time discovering the things that the bible teaches? Are you supporting the church financially, Are you actively involved in a healthy local church? Are you feeding his sheep, are you loving people? If you’re not actively doing these things and more of what the bible teaches, then do you really Love God more than these? I Love youJ