Four simple words repeated three times that have such restorative power. Words that brought Peter and us deeper with each moment of inquiry. Words of wonder, reality, and glorious invitation.
We know the story, Jesus asks this question three times of Peter after his big-time failure of denying Jesus three times after he boasts that he would lay down his life for Jesus. Then Jesus rises from the dead and goes to where they were, where they started, catching fish, and says (ISV) “Children you don’t have any fish, do you?” He tells them what to do and In John 21:7 says “The disciple who Jesus kept loving told Peter “It is the Lord!”
The next scene, we see Jesus dining WITH them. He addresses Peter directly by name and asked Peter “…Do you love me more than these?” He replies, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you”. Look at him with all the enthusiasm and love deep within his soul as he rips off most of his clothes and jumps into the sea to see the One his heart adores. Aren’t we the same if asked “Do you love Jesus?” Our hearts burn with wonder and passion to worship Him. We think of His many kindnesses to us personally, the cross and the sacrifice. We think of the beauty of His ways and His nature. We are bursting with affection, awe and gratitude. Of course we love Jesus, what’s not to love????
Then comes the second question, not a new one just a little deeper “Do you love me?” This is when reality sets in and the words of Christ resonant John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands.” We begin to hem and haw. This time we think of the times we have failed, words we wished would have never left our mouth, our pride that made others feel worthless, bitterness that poisoned our life and others, times when our actions denied Him. And we are left with this struggle, I want to love you, but I guess when push comes to shove, Do I really love you, at least the way you deserve to be loved in both words and deed? This is a question for sure.
Then finally Jesus asks a third time “Do you love me?” Peter is hurt, deeply hurt, and replies simply, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Then comes the glorious invitation “Feed my sheep!”. The previous prayer of Jesus for His disciples applies to this moment. (John 17:26) “I made known to them your name, and will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me, may be in them and I in them.” Do you see it? Jesus loves and keeps on loving. Jesus is inviting Peter to be invited. “Do you love me?” is much deeper than our wonder, deeper than the reality of our weaknesses and failure, it is Jesus asking us “May I be invited and welcomed into your whole life, your daily plans, your weaknesses, failures, victories, sorrows, because I am inviting you into Me. Into what breaks my heart; into my passions, which is “my sheep”; into to seeking and saving that which is lost. I am inviting you to allow me to love you, and continue to love you. Then, as mentioned last week, I can flow through you. “Do you love me?” Like David, Paul, Peter, we can reply (Psalm 18) I love you Oh Lord, MY Strength, MY Rock, MY Redeemer, MY Fortress, MY Deliverer, MY Shield, MY Salvation, MY Stronghold, MY Refuge. We can say that We love the Lord because of WHO HE is TO us, not how amazing we are in ourselves to Him. We can say with confidence, “I love you!” Because HE never stops loving us.
