WATCHWORD:
15 After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He then asked a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Shepherd my sheep.” 17 Then he said it a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, “Do you love me?” so he answered, “Master, you know everything there is to know. You’ve got to know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. John 21:15-17 The Message
Meditation:
Do You Love Me?
Peter has his hands full. Jesus knew the worth of Peter, but Peter didn’t understand his real worth. Peter, the impulsive one, whose words often got him into trouble. Peter whose heart was golden, but he had a lot to learn, and some of those lessons were painful. Can you relate? Peter loved Jesus in the same way that we love a truly good person – emotional love.
Jesus says to us: “Do you love Me?”. Then in Luke 12:8 we read His words that define Love, “Whoever confesses Me before men [that is confesses his love by everything he does, not merely his words], him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.” That is a definition of love that strips away all pretense, all deception, anything that interferes with the work of the Word of God in our lives.
How can we measure up to that? We can’t on our own. Jesus asks us. How do we answer? The unvarnished truth hurts too much because so much of our lives are out of whack with the evidence that we truly love Him.
Oswald Chambers sums it up this way: “When the Lord asks us this question, it is impossible to think and respond properly, because when the Lord speaks directly to us, the pain is too intense. It causes such a tremendous hurt that any part of our life which may be out of line with His Will, can feel the pain. There is never any mistaking the pain of the Lord’s word by His children, but the moment that pain is felt is the very moment at which God reveals his truth to us.”
We are like Peter, Jesus knows our true worth, but we don’t fully understand. We still have a lot to learn, regardless of our age. If divine pain is the marker where we divert from a life in Christ, then that is what we prayerfully bring to our Lord, and place at His feet in repentance. A hard lesson to be learned. Amen.
Tuesday’s Lenten Passage to Ponder:
Matthew 6:1: 1Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Bulletin Board:
Daily Scripture passages through next Tuesday –
Wednesday, Philippians 3:10-11 ✞ Thursday, Luke 13:3 ✞ Friday, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ✞ Saturday, Psalm 35:13 ✞ Monday, Psalm 42:1 ✞ Tuesday, Colossians 3:1-5a ✞ Wednesday, 2 Corinthians 5:17
Lenten Prayer:
Lord, in these 40 days, help me to focus on you above all else. Show me how I can be your hands and feet in my community – may I live out my faith in this season in new ways that give you glory. Thank you for not expecting perfection from me. You know I make mistakes, and that’s why you sent Jesus to save me from all my sins. Here I am, Lord, trying again, despite all the times I have fallen short. Thank you for your grace. Amen.
