LOVEST THOU ME?
John 21:17
He saith unto him the 3rd time,"Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" Peter was grieved because he saith unto him the 3rd time," lovest thou me?" And he said unto him Lord thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him "Feed my sheep."
This is a question of few words but great depth. Certainly a question for our day and our generation.
Lovest thou me? To whom was it asked?
To the apostle of God came a searching of the heart. None are exempt from this question.
Peter was a disciple and an apostle. He had walked on the sea with Jesus. He had cast out devils and laid hands on the sick, yet still this question came to him.
Office or rank doesn’t exempt us, neither does the lack of it.
Lovest thou me will be asked of the greatest and the smallest. Large ministries have become a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal because they began to love fame more than God.
This question Jesus asked Peter 3 times until Peter was grieved. He didn’t ask Peter, "Will you keep my doctrines", or "Do you believe my words".
He didn’t ask Peter "Do you think the other disciples love me?"
He said, "LOVEST THOU ME?" Peter said, "Lord, Thou knowest." The question was for Peter’s benefit.
We must develop our own relationship with Jesus. We won’t make it because grandma loved Jesus, but if we love Him.
I pray today that the Spirit of the Lord will ask each of us this same question until we are grieved enough to search our hearts and see if we have placed any idols there that might divide our love for Jesus.
Why is the question so important?
Because a heart that is in love with Jesus has little trouble letting go of the things that grieve Him.
Many people today don’t really mind sin, they just don’t like the price.
My friend, fall in love with Jesus and you will find that the things that you thought you couldn’t do without no longer hold any interest for you.
Develop a personal relationship and fellowship with Jesus Christ, and you will begin to see with new sight. You will begin to see sin for what it really is.
Jesus asked Peter, "Lovest thou me more than these?"
I read different commentaries about what THESE might be. Some said Jesus was referring to the other disciples. I don’t think so. The Lord doesn’t measure us up one against the other.
Some said Jesus was reminding Peter of what he had said in Matthew 26:33. "Though all men be offended of Thee yet will I never be offended."
Peter had failed in this, but I don’t think Jesus is one to remind us of our past failures. God sees us by the blood of Jesus as though we had never sinned.
You know I believe that maybe Jesus was pointing at something else. Maybe the boats, the nets, and the fish. Peter would you give these up for the sake of my sheep?
THESE may refer to something different in my life than in your life.
In Peter’s life it may have been the nets, boats, and fish. In another man’s life it may be the Wednesday night ball game that comes on at 7:00 p.m. on church night.
Lovest thou me more than these?
Some people love church, but don’t love Jesus. They give constant attention to religious ceremony, but love the ceremony more than Jesus. (Remember the Pharisees)
Some believe in an Orthodox statement of doctrine, and are very pious. Friend, the most proper doctrine without the love OF JESUS and FOR JESUS is like a skeleton without flesh.
It is vain to remember the Sabbath and forget the Lord of the Sabbath.
You may take up doctrine after doctrine. You may know theological propositions and understand homoletics and expound text after text, but without the love of Jesus your heart will grow as dry as the leaves in autumn.
Some love the blessing, but not the Blesser.
Let each of us today give an ear as the Lord asks us, "Lovest thou me?" "I haven’t heard from you in a while." "Lovest thou me?" " You never mention me to your friends." "Lovest thou me?" "You haven’t introduced me to your family."
If I have grieved you today with this question, that was my intent.
Let each of us ask ourselves , "Am I where I should be with the Lord?"
Jesus told Peter, "If you love me, feed my sheep."
He has told us, "Love one another as I have loved you."
You might be saying, "I don’t know Jesus." "I haven’t met Him." Then this is your day!
Come to Him today. He is a friend that will stick closer than a brother.
Just ask Him to forgive you of your sins and make Him the Lord of your life.
The Bible says to repent and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and He will lead you and guide you into all truth.
