When God Says …
“He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third 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.” (John 21:17 KJV).
Studies by Bible scholars of the original texts of these interactions between the risen Lord Jesus Christ and Apostle Peter reveal the contrast of the words they used. The Lord, when asking Peter “Lovest thou me?”, for the first and second time, used the Greek word for love ‘agape’ the highest form of love. The kind of love that is unconditional and unchanging (Romans 8:38-39). Peter, on the other hand, responded using the Greek word for love ‘phileo’, which refers more to a brotherly and friendship type of love. It seems that the Lord is trying to get Peter to understand that our love must be established to its highest form. One that's far beyond our limits.
In this last of threefold “Do you love me?” questions of the risen Lord, having just gone through on the cross to experience our human frailty, He shifts His question reaching down to our limitation. The Lord used the Greek word ‘phileo’ the kind of love Peter and all of us can grasp on. This grieved Peter, responding with surrender to the Lord’s omniscience, recognizing that He knows the contents our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7). As the Lord commanded Peter for the third time to “Feed my sheep.”, the Lord is reminding Peter and us that we never cease feeding and caring for each other as children of God in Him. We care bound by love. Not our by our 'phileo' love, but by His 'agape' love.
In restoring Peter from his three denials of knowing Him, being His Lord and Master, He reminds Peter and us to surrender to His love. Giving the Lord Jesus the permission to love us is the only way we can care, feed and tend for each other as lambs and sheep in His flock. Scriptures exhort us: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:7-11 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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