-How Many Times Do I Have To Ask?-

So last week I began a two part “blog series” with the idea that when Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” He was talking about the fish that Peter had just caught. I won’t recap it because if you really want to, you can just read it again so I’ll just pick up where we left off in the 17th Chapter of John’s Gospel. Continuing from last week it reads:

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly 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 truly 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. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

So here is Jesus who just guts Peter by asking him whether or not he loves Him more than some dead fish and Peter responds by saying, quite sincerely, that Jesus already knows that he love Him. But then Jesus asks again, and then a third time and Peter responds the same way each time. But the third time Jesus asked, John records that, “Peter was hurt.” Why was Peter hurt? The common teaching I’ve heard on this is that Jesus asked Peter three times because Peter had denied Jesus three times and by affirming his love for Jesus three times, Peter was now “even” and could once again assume his role an Apostle. I think there is much validity in this reasoning but I think it misses it a little.

If you read the Gospels, you will see they paint a picture of Peter as someone who is very self-deprecating. Peter strikes me as a man who wants to do the right thing so bad, that sometimes he speaks or acts too soon. In fact, Jesus corrects Peter more times in the Gospels than the other 11 apostles combined. In short, all his mistakes weigh heavily on Peter and he demonstrates very little self-esteem. Peter seems to have the idea that he can’t do anything right. I mean look at his occupation. He was a fisherman by trade but both times we see him fishing in the Gospels, he sucks at it. Seriously, the only recorded times of Peter catching any fish are because Jesus intervened. So what does all this have to do with Jesus asking Peter if he loves Him three times? Jesus was making a point.

Of course Peter loved Jesus. Peter knew and Jesus knew it. Peter even said, “You know that I love you,” all three times Jesus asked. I think Jesus real message was more about making Peter feel OK about what happened than anything else. He didn’t ask him so that Peter would be “even.” Jesus’ death and resurrection already made Peter “even” and Jesus would have known this. This questioning was about Peter knowing he was “even.” It says “Peter was hurt,” when Jesus asked the third time because in asking three times, Jesus is once again saying so much more. Can you hear the rant hidden so gently in Jesus’ words? “There Peter! If you say you love me three times will you stop feeling sorry for yourself? If you feel like I know you love me will you get over this whole denying me thing? Can’t you understand? Do you know why you suck at fishing? It’s because it’s not what you’re supposed to be doing! I told you when we met that, “From now on you will fish for men.” Do you know what “from now on means?” So get up and lets go! Stop feeling sorry for yourself! You have no idea how much of an impact your life will have on this world. So take my hands, the ones with holes in them that were put there so could stop feeling guilty, get up and get moving.”

Jesus wanted to Peter to accept the fact that the past is that past and not the present. Jesus wanted Peter to accept that he had denied Him but to also accept the fact that Jesus is already past that. Maybe Peter couldn’t let it go but he could certainly move on. And the same is true for us. What is it about you that you can’t move on from? What is holding you back from being what Jesus has called you to be? Not just your occupation but your effectiveness. What is it that is holding you back and how many times does Jesus have to ask YOU if you love Him before you finally get it? For Peter, it only took three times. I think for most of us, it’ll take more. So the next time you meditate on Jesus. The next time you are in prayer. Listen for His voice. Listen for that question. Because He’ll ask it as many times as He has to until it sinks in. “Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?”

-What's Your "These"?-

So this is actually going to be a two-part blog about a few things that have been working on me lately. Fortunately for anyone reading this, I have no story to tell to lead into my point like I usually do. But I want to discuss a couple of things that have been on my mind. Not detail things but big picture things about life. Both topics can be pulled from the story of an encounter that the disciples, and more specifically Peter, had with Jesus after His death and resurrection. The story is found recorded by John in the 21st chapter of his gospel. Verses 11-15 read:

"Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

If you’re anything like me, when you read this and get to the part where Jesus asked Peter if he loves Him, “more than these,” your first inclination is to think the “these” Jesus is talking about are the other disciples. But when we really consider that question, wouldn’t it be an inappropriate thing for Jesus to ask given that the other disciples were all sitting right there? And wouldn’t be even more inappropriate and arrogant for Peter to respond, “yes I do.” Especially when you consider that the author of this gospel refers to himself as, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” throughout the gospel. When I really started thinking about it, I can’t imagine Jesus was talking about the other disciples. So then who are the “these” Jesus is talking about?

If we examine the story a little closer we see that the disciples had just been fishing, (unsuccessfully), but once again Jesus showed up and helped out. Exactly like he did the first time Peter met him. We are told that they dragged the net in and there were 153 large fish and that they ate some of them for breakfast. When they are done eating, Jesus poses His question to Peter. I am convinced that the “these” in Jesus’ question were the fish. Jesus was asking Peter if he loved Him more than he did the fish. But why?

Well, if you’ll recall, Peter was a fisherman prior to being one of Jesus’ talmudim, (disciples). It was the family business and, before following Jesus around for about three years, it’s all he knew. Then something Peter did not plan happened. Jesus was arrested and executed. Peter was crushed. His Rabbi and Messiah had been killed. Then a few days later Peter was told that Jesus had risen from His grave. Not long after this Jesus actually appeared before Peter and others and proved His resurrection to them. How frightening, and beautiful would that be to Peter? But Jesus’ appearances were erratic and unpredictable so Peter couldn’t just follow Him around like he had before. So, not knowing what to do, Peter went back to the only life he knew. He went back into the family business and started fishing again. An interesting decision I think and I don’t think it was the one Jesus was hoping for. So He paid Peter another visit and asked him, “Do you love me more than these (fish)?” Because when you meet the resurrected Jesus, life shouldn’t ever be the same.

Jesus question to Peter was to prod him in the right direction. You can almost taste the divine sarcasm of such a question. In those seven words Jesus was able to convey several questions to Peter. “You’re fishing again Peter? Weren’t you paying attention Peter? Who gave you the name Peter to begin with? Do you remember when I first called you that? It’s because you knew who I really am. You were the first to say it out loud. I named you Peter, (rock), because there is strength in you. There is power inside of you Peter. And here you are, right back where I found you…fishing. God has made you for so much more!”

Peter loved Jesus and knew, even more than we do today, that Jesus was and is the Christ. He followed Jesus for three years of his life and was even willing to kill to defend Him. But obviously Peter allowed areas of his life to be totally unaffected by his encounters with the resurrected Christ. And Jesus wasn’t about to let that slip by. So He did something about it.

I think many of us Christians today are the exact same way. We have met the resurrected Jesus. We get filled with zeal and passion. Then when we don’t “see” Him for a while our lives go back to business as usual. But God has created us for more than just business as usual. Our WHOILE life should be transformed not just the bits and pieces that make us feel “right.” Jesus asked, “Do you love me more than these?” For Peter, the “these” were fish. If Jesus visited you, and asked you the same question, what would you “these” be? What would your “these” be?

“Do you love me more than these?”
-Jesus