Do you Love Me (more than these)? John 21:15

 Do you Love Me (more than these)? John 21:15

This is a critical question that Jesus asks Peter, and it is a critical

question that Jesus asks each one of us. He calls us by name, as He

did Peter (Simon), and He asks, “Do you love Me more than

these?”

Jesus actually asks Peter this question three times. Some say that it

is in response to the fact that Peter denied the Lord three times

during His trial, before the crucifixion and resurrection. Now the

risen Lord addresses this Peter, bringing him back into the fold, and

commissioning him for the work that is ahead. And, it seems,

loving Jesus is critical to the mission, for all of us.

It is only in the first question that Jesus includes the words, “more

than these.” And yet, I think these words are helpful for all of us.

Love in general can be quite abstract. Love in relation to other

things becomes much more objective.

Whenever we sin, we do so because we want to. We do what we

want. It is the action of our will, our “want to.” We sin because we

love something about that sin, not necessarily everything about

it, but there is something that we love that moves us to do it. When

I sin, it is because I love something about the sin more than I love

Jesus. That’s the question Jesus asked. And here is the ugly answer. I

prove over and over that there are things that I love more than

Jesus, at least with that issue, in that moment. And it is called sin.

As believers, we want to love Jesus more than anything, and we

assume that we do. But assumptions can be wrong. That is why this

question must be applied to ourselves, and we must examine and

answer carefully. In that failure, or moment of unfaithfulness, or

selfishness - whatever it was, let’s identify what it is that we love

so much that we were willing to transgress one of the

commands of Jesus. Because we know, don’t we, and we take it as

fact that love is shown by the keeping of His commandments - John

14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one

who loves Me.”

Lots of people say “I love you,” but it is just words and they fail to

love in deed. Love is proved as we say “yes” to the things that we

should say “yes” to; and “no to the things that we should say “no” to.

If we say “yes” to things that are not in keeping with a walk with

Christ, in agreement with His will, when we should have said “no;”

or, conversely, if we say “no” to things that are in keeping with a

walk with Christ, to which we should say “yes,” but fail to do so - we

have to ask, “Do you love Jesus more than these?"