Today's Scripture Reading (February 25, 2024): John 21
Has anyone ever told you that they
have to love you, but they don't have to like you? I have, but I believe that
loving someone but not liking them is impossible. It elevates like above love.
The command to go and love is the ultimate reaction. If like is the more
challenging emotion, then Jesus would have said, "Go and like your
neighbor as yourself." It is amusing that the same people who are forced
to love me but can choose whether or not they like me are some of the same
people who in a romantic relationship who are willing to say I like you but worry
about using the word "love" too early in the relationship.
Peter and
Jesus go on a walk, and they have a conversation. During this stroll, Jesus
asks Peter if he loves him. The word that Jesus uses is "agapao."
"Agapao" is used to denote someone that you love dearly. And Peter's
reply is, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you," except he uses the
word "phileo," which means to give approval of, to sanction, essentially,
to like.
So here is
the conversation between Jesus and Peter. "Peter, do you love me dearly?"
And Peter responds, "Yes, Jesus, you know that I approve of you, I back
what you are doing. You know I like you."
They walk a
little further, and Jesus asks the question again. "Peter, do you love me
dearly?" And Peter responds, "Yes, Lord. You know that I approve of
you. I sanction your works, and I like you.
The two
friends walk a little further before Jesus asks Peter one more time, "Do
you love me?" Only this time, he doesn't say do you love me dearly, he asks,
"Do you approve of me? Do you sanction what I am doing? Peter, do you even
like me?"
The words
stung Peter. And I think part of the reason this scripture is so important to
me is that I can identify with Peter. I mean, hang out with Peter for a minute.
Jesus calls him as he is fishing. Jesus comes to the water's edge to teach the
people around him. Rabbi Jesus was so close to the water that he asked if maybe
Peter would allow him to teach from his boat, a little way from the shore. After
the teaching, Jesus told Peter, Andrew, James, and John to row their boats back
into the water to catch some fish. They had already been out on the lake, and
fishing is always better early in the morning because the fish tend to rise
toward the surface of the water. Then, the men had caught nothing. And now, the
sun was up, and fish had dropped into the depths long ago. The time for fishing
was finished.
But Peter
decided that he would humor the rabbi. He took the boats out onto the lake and
then dropped the nets into the water. And the nets filled with fish. When Peter
returned to the shore to confront Jesus, he declared, "Get away from me. I
am not good enough to stand in your presence."
Jesus's
reply? "That's too bad because I am calling you to stand with me. Together,
we will change the world and make a difference. You know how to catch fish, but
I will teach you to be a fisher of men."
Now, as the
two men walked along the shore of that same lake in the days after Jesus's
crucifixion, Peter's problem was that he knew he hadn't shown up when Jesus
needed him most. As a result of his cowardice, Peter didn't feel he deserved
Jesus to be there when Peter needed him most. But Jesus had a response to Peter's
recognition of the situation. "Peter, I know you didn't show up. I was
watching for you. But three years ago, I called to do a task for me. The job
isn't finished yet. And I still believe in you. So go and feed my sheep."
Tomorrow's Scripture
Reading: Acts 1
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