It's All About Love?!Àpẹrẹ

Do you love Jesus?

Jesus said:“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” (John 21:16)

This verse needs a bit of context for us to understand Jesus’ question. When Jesus Christ was arrested, Simon Peter rejected Him and solemnly declared three times that he did not even know “this man.” Afterward, Peter was very sorry and upset about his own behavior.

Today’s verse takes place after Jesus’ resurrection. The Lord had conquered death and appeared to His disciples many times. On one such occasion, He asked Simon Peter three times: “Do you love me?”.

Jesus did not ask: “Why did you reject me?” or “Are you truly sorry?”. Nor did Jesus turn Peter down. Instead, He gave him the important task of caring for the church in response to Peter’s threefold declaration of love.

For Jesus, it is crucial that we love Him. Therefore Paul exclaims: “If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed!” (1 Corinthians 16:22).

Many religions require people to perform certain rituals or to keep certain rules. To a certain extent, the Bible does too, but this is never the main point. The most important commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

Can you think about why God values love over outward obedience or achievements?