Tag Archives: lambs

DO YOU LOVE ME? – 28

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John 21:15-17 NLT‬
[15] “After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. [16] Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. [17] A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.”

What do you do when someone you love fails you? Cut him out of your life? Ostracised her? Send him to “rehabilitation Siberia”? Put her on probation? Demand repentance and an apology?

Do these methods work?

The first thing that failure does is to destroy trust. How does one rebuild trust? How does one forgive an act of betrayal? What if it happens again?

It all seems so complicated and so futile. What was done was done and no one can turn the clock back. So, where do we go from here? How can we repair the damage? Do we want to repair the damage?

Jesus had a revolutionary and effective way of taking care of this situation. Peter had denied knowing Him… three times…with oaths and curses…in front of a group of people…and Jesus heard him.

Jesus bypassed all our methods of dealing with this kind of pain. First, He made Peter feel the heat of the moment all over again. Early morning in the beach! Remember, Peter? Early morning in the courtyard of Caiaphas’ house, dawn breaking, sun coming up, Jesus over there, listening? Can you feel it, Peter? On the beach, dawn breaking, sun coming up, Jesus over there?

Gharcoal fire, Peter, cold morning, warming your hands. Remember, Peter? Can you feel it, Peter?

Hot tears run down Peter’s cheeks. The flashbacks! How can he forget?

Not a word about it at breakfast. Peter almost chokes over his bread and fish. “I just wish He’d say something!”

A quiet word, “Come with me, Simon.” Why Simon? “Because I’m talking to the old Simon.” An intent gaze into Simon’s eyes and then, here it comes!

“Simon son of John, do you love me?”

What! Not a word of rebuke, not an angry accusation! Just a gentle question. So unexpected. So deflating. Is that all you have to say? But so effective! Not, “Look what you did to me.” but “Look what you did to yourself!”

Have you noticed how Jesus never ever, focused on His own feelings, His own suffering in tough situations? Even at the height of His agony, He was concerned about others. So, now too, it was Peter on His mind. A blunt, straightforward question, ignoring motives, attitudes, purposes, getting to the the heart of the matter. In the heat of the moment, Peter’s love for Jesus got run over by his urge to preserve hinself. Self-preservation became priority. Fear gave love a knockout blow. It was time to put his love for Jesus back into perspective.

Although love seems a weak reason for guarding against fear, love is the powerful protector of all relationships. Think of it! It’s love for a husband, wife, child, friend, that overrides fear and gives one courage to act in a time of crisis, ignoring one’s own feelings or safety for the sake of the other .

This love motivated Jesus to endure the cross.

Peter’s love for Jesus failed at the crucial moment, too fragile to endure personal threat. Isn’t this the crux of the battle between flesh and Spirit? Love against fear! Isn’t it love that empowered the Spirit-filled apostles to endure even to violent death for Jesus’ sake.

When love for Jesus is rekindled, even after gross failure, and energised by God’s Spirit, there is no need for accusation, recrimination, or even rehabilitation. Love’s steady flame will burn through every reason to doubt, every qualm about trusting Him, and every threat to personal freedom and safety.

Love for Jesus will protect us from failing to love others at our expense.

‭John 13:34 NLT‬
[34] “So, now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”

John 14:21 NLT‬
[21] “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

As always, Jesus got it right. When we fail Jesus or others by denial or betrayal, check the love thermometer. Is it hot or cold? There is no value in lukewarmness.

‭Revelation 3:15-16 NLT‬
[15] “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! [16] But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”

‭1 John 4:16-18 NLT‬
[16] “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. [17] And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. [18] Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

What a beautiful solution to a sticky problem! How do we overcome our cowardly attitude when self is threatened? How do we deal with our or another’s failure to protect love?

Back to basics! Gaze at the Father; gaze at Jesus!

‭1 John 4:10 NLT‬
[10] “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

‭1 John 4:19 NLT‬
[19] “We love (Him, each other) because he loved us first.”

Only God’s love for us makes it possible for us to love Him and to love one another…and this love, through the Holy Spirit, protects us from fear. We focus on Him under threat. And “love never fails.”

When we look at Jesus and love Him because He loved us first, we can get on with feeding, caring for, and protecting His sheep without fear. His live with keep us loyal to Him to the end. It did for Peter!

The Power Of Love

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THE POWER OF LOVE

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’ Again Jesus said, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’ The third time He said to him, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’ “John 21:15-17.

This was not Peter’s first encounter with Jesus after the resurrection. He had seen Him in the Upper Room on the morning of His resurrection. He had been there a week later when Jesus reassured Thomas that He was really alive.

I think that Peter did not doubt that Jesus had forgiven Him. He did not take off and commit suicide like Judas had done. He knew his Master well enough to know that He would forgive him for his failure. After all, hadn’t Jesus answered his question about forgiveness, ‘Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother for the same sin against me?’

So what was this encounter all about? It was not about forgiving Peter; it was about Peter’s future. How did he stand with Jesus with regards to his calling? Would Jesus trust him enough to count him among His disciples or must he step down and go back to his fishing? What were the thoughts that were running through his head when he saw his Master cooking breakfast on the beach?

There was significance even in that simple action. Jesus was inviting His disciples, all of them present there because they had all deserted Him at the critical moment, to a fellowship meal. Eating together meant relationship – reconciliation – nothing to disturb their togetherness. And Peter was also invited. They were all in it together; failure and restoration.

But Peter needed to have his nagging insecurity settled once and for all, and Jesus knew it. Would He put Peter through a period of probation, a time to rebuild trust in him?  Would He suspend him from service for season so that Peter could be “rehabilitated”? Would He demote him to a lesser status, a sort of “tea boy” for the others?

Peter was shocked at Jesus’ question; not “Why did you do it?” or “What do you think I should do with you?” but “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Three times the same question! It was not what he had expected. Perhaps he would have felt better had Jesus given him a good dressing down and suspended for a while. After all, he was guilty and he needed to be punished, but “Do you love me?”

What was Jesus doing? He was redirecting Peter to the core of his future ministry. Nothing but love for his Master would steady him in the days to come when all hell would break loose against him. He would need the same power of love that held Jesus steadfast to Him mission in the face of hatred, antagonism and opposition – the power of love – to keep him loyal to his Master even in the face of a brutal death. It was Jesus’ love for the Father that kept Him true to His commission, and so it would have to be for Peter.

An invisible bond as strong as a spider’s silk, held Father and Son together through every human experience Jesus had to endure. Now it was Peter’s turn to learn the power of that love. Not even love for the sheep would hold him – only the power of Jesus’ love flowing back to Him through Peter.

“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

“Many waters cannot quench love, rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.” Song of Solomon 8:7.

So sang the beloved of her lover, and this is the love that Jesus had for Peter. “Peter, my love for you is as strong as death, burning like an unquenchable fire. Peter, do you love me?”

No amount of discipline or rehabilitation will hold our hearts to Jesus when we fall – only the love that holds us in an unbreakable bond. That alone is the foundation of our calling. “Do you love me? Then take care of my sheep.”

Acknowledgement

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.