True Love

In John 21:15-19, before Jesus ascended to heaven, He had an important discussion with Peter about love. The purpose of this discussion was to get Peter to reflect on and examine his love for Christ. It was also to give Peter, and by extension, you and me, a better understanding of what true love really is.

Today, we'll be looking at 5 key elements of true love as seen in the discussion between Jesus and Peter:

1. True love is putting God above everything and everyone else.

Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love Me more than these?" The question was to get Peter to reflect on what and who is the most important person in his life. What or who comes first in life? Is His love for God more than his love for all the other things in his life? Is the love he has for Christ more than the love he has for the people in his life, his career, business, resources, etc.?

Is Your Love for Me More Than Your Love for Fishing?

What are the “more than these” Jesus wanted to be sure that Peter’s love for Him was greater than the love Peter had for fishing? Jesus was asking Peter, “Do you love me more than you love fishing?”

In Matthew 4:18-20, when Jesus first called Peter, it was with so much zeal and passion that Peter left his net, his fishing, his business, and his livelihood to follow Jesus. Now, after Jesus had been crucified and had risen, Peter had returned to fishing (John 21:3). So Jesus was asking him, " Do you still have that same love and passion you once displayed that you could leave your net to follow Me, or has fishing now taken My place in your life?”

This is the same question God poses to us every time we say we love Him, sing songs that we love Him. He is asking, " Do we love Him more than our career, business, and money? Do we place Him far above our career, business, source of livelihood, and money? Which comes first in order of priority in our lives: is it God, or is it our education, career, business, and money?” True love is putting God first, giving Him the priority seat in our lives.

Is Your Love for Me More Than Your Love for the Privileges You Enjoy?

Jesus was also asking Peter, “Do you love me more than the things you take pride in?” In Matthew 26:35, when Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times, Peter boasted, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You." Again, in Mark 14:29, Peter is seen boasting, saying, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be." For Peter to have boasted in this way, it showed that at this stage in his life, he saw himself as better than the other disciples. He had spiritual pride. Probably because he was one of the three Jesus always selected to accompany Him on important Ministerial assignments and spiritual experiences, like bringing back to life the daughter of Jairus, the synagogue leader (Mark 5:35-43), the transfiguration of Jesus, and the call to join Jesus in prayer at Gethsemane before Jesus was crucified. Peter belonged to Jesus' inner circle; Peter had a special bond of friendship with Jesus. Peter was also the only man after Christ who had walked on water, even if it was for just a few minutes.

So, Jesus was asking Peter, "Do you really love Me, or is it benefits, privileges, and honor that come from belonging to My inner circle you love? Imagine if it were in our own day that Peter had walked on water, how people who idolize men and women of God would idolize him, how people would be flocking to see him for special prayers and counsel. Jesus was asking Peter,

"Do you love Me more than the title of a super disciple, apostle, Pastor, etc.? Do you love Me more than titles, more than honorarium and special offerings and seeds and gifts people give to servants of God? If there's no special title, position, seat, recognition, privileges, honor, and blessings attached to your service to Me, would you still love and follow Me wholeheartedly and dedicatedly?

We can easily and unconsciously take pride in our spiritual level, career success, skills, gifts, talents, family background – that if we are not careful, these things can stand in the way of our loving God the way He wants; they can make us boastful and puffed up. True love doesn't boast; it isn't puffed up; it isn't proud (1 Corinthians 13:4). If these things are in us, it shows that the love of God has not been perfected in our hearts; as to love God is to acknowledge God's grace and strength as the real source of our accomplishments and achievements in life, not our human abilities and wisdom.