There are a lot of organizations in the world which run on volunteer labor. Go into any hospital or museum and notice the people serving without pay. Sometimes the leadership of the group is highly paid, but often the grunt work is done free of charge. Why do those volunteers give of their time? Often it is out of love and thankfulness.
Love is a critical ingredient of Bible Christianity. True Christianity is not just a matter of baptism and doctrine, churches and Sunday services. Among other things, James included “visiting the fatherless and widows in their afflictions.” in godly religion. True saints “love thy neighbor as thyself.” In order to “see” God “we must be holy as He is holy,” and we must love “as He first loved us.” Knowledge of the Bible, faith in the Lord, hope in Heaven, tithing and praying for missions are all good. But these things will crumble into dust without the kind of love we see expressed in God’s Word. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”
This episode with Peter highlights the importance of love.
Notice, first of all, the triply repeated question – “Lovest thou me?”
The word which the Lord uses was the strongest possible – “lovest thou me with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength and with all thy mind?” And He asked Peter if he loved more than the rest of the disciples. It needs to be remember that Peter had once said, “Lord, though the others all forsake you, I will never forsake you,” but he had.
Think about this question – and the One who asked. Did Christ have to ask? Did He need to ask? Absolutely not. Christ knows the heart and mind of every man – the mind of every soul. “He needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man.” And the disciples once testified, “Now we are sure that thou knowest all things.” The Lord knows your deepest secrets. He knows your sins and He knows your joys and hopes. He knows that the Pharisees are hypocrites and He knows who are the liars – fakes and frauds. We all need to be prepared for exposure. The Lord knew the heart of Peter – and yet He asked the question anyway.
That tells us several things. First, the Lord wants you and me to open the door of our hearts and honestly look inside. Most people have no idea how much cholesterol and tarter have clogged up their hearts. Second, Christ wants a public declaration of our love, if really exists. There is no room for secret disciples in these last days of grace. We are in a battle, and it’s necessary that the army of the Lord pledge its allegiance. When was the last time that you honestly and humble said, “Lord, I love you, and I want you to be the center of my life”? Is this the central lesson in this text?
Christ Jesus has a legitimate claim on our hearts – especially if we are children of God. We owe to him as simple created beings, living in His garden palace. “Every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from Heaven….” But then, if we are true children of God, our debt is compounded ten thousand fold. We must love Him who first loved us with a love expressed on Calvary. Notice that Jesus didn’t ask for Peter’s doctrinal statement, even though there was reason to doubt Peter’s orthodoxy after his recent denial of Christ. As is often the case, Peter’s love was a far more basic and practical test.
We recall that Peter had denied the Lord three times as he warmed himself at the enemy’s fire. And Jesus asked His erring disciple that question three times. Judy and I have been married 45 years, and from day one, my wife as been asking me, if I love her. I admit that more often now, it’s not a question, but a statement for which she expects a returned statement. I suppose that the reason for the question was because like most husband, I didn’t verbalize my love as often as she wanted to hear it. When she asked, she didn’t have ask twice – I have always known that a quick reply was appropriate. “Thou knowest that I love thee.” In Peter’s case, there had been a public question after his illicit liaison with the servants of the high priest. The Lord wanted a confession of love. A return to work wasn’t enough, nor was a mere expression of grief – “Sorry, Lord.” Why? Because its all too easy to make sin seem trivial. Public sin requires public confession and public restoration.
God will test our love for Him. In Peter’s case it was intimate and personal – Jesus may have even pointed to him. And the question was repetitive and searching – like the blows of a hammer. It was inward not outward – at least initially, the Lord didn’t ask Peter to do something outstanding. And as I suggest, it was public – both the question and the required answer were in front of the others. Don’t whisper your love and think that you will be believed. Its not love at all if it can’t be shouted from the roof-top. Love for Christ is proof that we are children of God. Jesus said, in John 8:42 – “If God were your Father, ye would love me.” I Corinthians 16:22 – “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” God’s saving grace is only with those who love Christ, as we see in Ephesians 6:24 – “Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.” And only those who love the Lord find that “all things work together for good.” If someone lacks genuine love for Christ, scripture teaches that they bound for Hell. And it doesn’t matter how many times they have uttered the so-called “sinners prayer.”
Now let’s think about Peter’s tripled answer.
The first thing that he did was appeal to the Lord’s deity. “Lord, you know my heart. Why do you even ask me; I know that you know all things. And whereas before I thought I knew myself, today I’ll make no rash boast. Lord, you know that I love you.”
Peter’s reply was sweetened with honesty and humility. Jesus asked Peter if love Him with all his heart – “agape.” Peter answered the Lord, “My love is with human emotion” – “phileo.” Perhaps Peter reminds us not the boast of more than what we know ourselves to possess. Be honest, if you must acknowledge that your loves is inferior to what the Lord deserves. If we refuse to admit that there is a problem, there will be no correction of that problem. Perhaps we need to ask, “why it is that we love Christ.” Is it because we want something from Him? In Peter’s case, his love was because of what the Lord had already done. We should love Him because He first loved us and gave himself a ransom for our souls.
And beyond his, Peter has learned more of Christ – He is infinitely worthy of love. To love out of debt is not necessarily a sinful thing, but to love the Lord for who He is is better. He who is worthy of our tithe, our Sundays, our service, our worship, our fear is worthy of our love.
As the little conversation came to a conclusion, the Lord gave Peter a three-fold commission.
By the very fact that this command was given is evidence of the Lord’s forgiveness. Oh, thank the Lord that He has allowed us to be His servants. Don’t curse His commands – we don’t deserve to have them.
Now to Peter the Lord said, “Feed my lambs and my sheep.” Perhaps the commands given to you are slightly different. Maybe you can’t think of anything specific. But there are those general things. When a person loves another, he will do all that he can do to please that person. Do you please the One who loved you enough to die for your sins? Jesus said, “If you love me keep my commandments” – do you? When a person loves another, he longs to be with that person – to hear about him – thinking about him. I know that the Bible is said to be the most published book in human history. But on a weekly basis, at the grocery check out counter, how many Bibles are sold in comparison to the gossip magazines? Lovers love the friends of the one they love. And they love to talk about the One whom they love. And even though jealousy can be an evil thing, it can also be a good thing – are you jealous for the name of the Lord Jesus?
Jesus asked, “Peter, lovest thou me?” I believe that we have every right – perhaps even the responsibility – to substitute our name for Peter’s in that verse.