Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
I wonder if you’d agree that the word LOVE may be one of the most overused and least understood words in the English language? When you hear or read that word, what emotions well up in you, what thoughts come to your mind? While I was visiting Israel this word LOVE, as applied to God, stirred up in me from the Israel landscape. The love of God for humanity, and especially His people Israel, is clearly seen through hundreds of Biblical stories, both Old and New Testament. God’s LOVE is the centerpiece of the story of God’s long journey with Abraham and Sarah and their family, isn’t it? God’s LOVE is what the story of Moses and God’s deliverance of the Hebrew slaves is all about, isn’t it? Of course, God’s LOVE is the reason for the events we celebrate at Christmas and at Easter, right?
And the other day I sat under a sprawling tree, looking out over the rocky shoreline at the Sea of Galilee, in a place where the love of God was made clear to Peter. God’s love powerfully struck me that day and I invite you to join me there today for a few moments of reflection.
The disciple John records the story for us in John 21. It occurs several weeks after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The disciples had seen the resurrected Jesus a few times, so they knew the impossible was true: Jesus who had died in His crucifixion, was alive, raised from the dead by His heavenly Father, Almighty God. But what these simple men didn’t know was what that hard to believe reality meant for the rest of their lives. They were confused about what they should be doing since Jesus was no longer with them physically each day and they never knew for sure when they’d see Him next.
Back home in Capernaum evidently Peter and some of his fishermen friends felt an urgency to get busy. Their old vocation of fishing called them back out in their fishing boats. That makes sense to me. They returned to what they knew well and what they were confident would put a few shekels in their pockets and food on their tables. John tells us it happened like this: “Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee (John & James) and two other disciples were together. Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing’ and they said, ‘we’ll go with you’. So, they got into the boat but that night they caught nothing.” (John 21:1-3)
That picture came alive to me as I sat on the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee and in the early morning light a fishing boat and two fishermen with their nets came by! I snapped a picture!
Perhaps you recall as Peter and his fishing friends drew up the net, empty again, a lone figure standing on the shoreline in the early morning light called out to them asking if they’d caught anything? They answered that single word every fisherman hates to say, ‘NO’! Amazingly that man on the shoreline urged them to throw their net out on the other side of the boat, right there, where they were at that moment. They did, and suddenly the boat lurched, pulled down by their net full of fish! It was a miracle! They’d fished all night and caught nothing, and now their net was nearly torn by such a large catch of fish. Six fishermen disciples were busy pulling on the net and dumping flapping fish into their boat, but one, John, was peering at that lone figure on the shoreline. John pointed and with one simple statement changed the focus of that boat from flapping fish to the man standing in the morning fog on the shoreline… “It is the Lord!” John said!
I wonder what you think my friends. Why was John the only one disregarding the fish and looking at the man on the shoreline? Why was John the only one to recognize that man as the Risen Jesus? John writes: “As soon as Simon Peter heard John say, ‘It is the Lord’, Peter wrapped his outer garment around him and jumped into the water.” (John 21:5-7)
As I sat looking at the Sea of Galilee the other morning, I asked myself which of these two men am I more often like? John, fascinated by the miracle worker on the shoreline, or Peter, fascinated by the miracle? Peter leaped into the water, I believe, because he longed for some alone time with the resurrected Jesus. Those three denials haunted Peter and I’m sure he desperately wanted to try and see his relationship with Jesus restored, if possible, to what it had been before that dreadful night when he heard the rooster crow! (Matt. 26:69-75)
Jesus had prepared breakfast for these seven friends who had worked hard all night with no results. What does that tell you about the love of God my friends? Are you convinced God loves you and understands what you are feeling when you are weary, or disappointed, or frustrated, or struggling to make ends meet, or rushing to meet a deadline or in great pain because a relationship you treasure is breaking? Oh, I’ve often wondered what it was like on the shoreline that morning as they ate Jesus cooked breakfast and talked, as they had so often before, but now with the RISEN Jesus!
All of them loved this place. The Sea, the towns of Capernaum, Tiberias, Bethsaida and others along the shore and in the foothills around the lake. They loved fishing this lake, especially at night. As they looked out over the lake, I wonder if one of them pointed out over the water and said, “Jesus, I’ll never forget it, as long as I live. The night we were in our boat in that terrible storm. We thought we were going to die, and then YOU came walking out on the waves.”
I wonder if another of the disciples slapped Peter on the back and said, ‘Yeah Peter, and you thought you could walk on water! I admit of course, you were the only one of us courageous, or maybe foolish enough, to try.”
Maybe it was right then that Jesus looked at Peter, put his hand on Peter’s shoulder and asked the question “Simon son of John, do you LOVE (Agape) Me more than these?” (John 21:15) Jesus had used the word Agape love. It’s the strongest, most enduring love that can weather any storm! But Peter answered, “Yes Lord, you know that I love (Phileo) You.” The love word Peter used was a friendship love, not nearly as strong as Agape love. Peter was being honest with himself and with Jesus. He wasn’t about to fall into that trap of boasting in which he’d found himself caught so many times before. “Feed My lambs” Jesus said to Peter in response, perhaps indicating Peter was to care for the vulnerable people who might believe in Jesus.
Later, Jesus said it again: “Simon son of John, do you love (agape) Me?” This time no comparison, simply a straightforward, gut check question. And Peter’s response? “Yes Lord, You know that I love (phileo) You.” Once again Peter was cautious, careful, wanting desperately to assure Jesus he’d never fail a love test again, but being honest with himself and painfully remembering his past failure. Jesus again invited Peter to make his life purpose caring for others: “Take care of My sheep”. Peter’s mind flushed. Who are those Jesus would consider His sheep and how would Jesus guide Peter to care for them, as Jesus would?
Finally, a third and final time, Jesus spoke again to Peter “Simon son of John, do you love (phileo) Me?” Jesus had this time used the same phileo love word which Peter had used. Peter again responded, “You know all things, Lord, you know that I love (phileo) You.” Peter knew Jesus could see all things past, present and future and Jesus could see deeply into Peter’s heart. Honesty and humility were Peter’s careful response. Jesus lovingly said to Peter, “Feed My sheep… and follow Me.” Evidently Peter and Jesus then took a stroll down the beach together as Jesus continued to explain His unwavering love for Peter and the life journey ahead Peter would have if he chose to follow Jesus and fulfill the three mandates Jesus had given him on the beach that morning.
We know Peter did in fact spend the remainder of his life traveling throughout the Roman empire telling all who would listen to him, about Jesus who changed his life. Peter wrote two books of the New Testament which bear his name. In those letters Peter sought to greatly encourage his fellow Jewish Christians who were suffering under great persecution. And the theme of the remainder of Peter’s life? I think it was assuring people of the unwavering, unconditional, life changing, powerful LOVE of Jesus Christ for every person! That love changed Peter’s life as he experienced the forgiving love of Jesus.
May I ask, are you overwhelmed with the love of God and is it healing your heart wounds and giving you the purpose of being a person who brings God’s love to our world like Peter did? Here’s a song to help us reflect on that, my friends…
Today’s Scripture is John 21.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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