In the Gospel of John chapter 21, Jesus is talking with Peter. Jesus simply asks Peter three times, “Peter, do you love me?” Peter’s response, which to me seems rather heart-breaking is, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!” In Luke’s Gospel it is reported that when Peter denied Jesus three times before the crucifixion, that Peter went off by himself and “wept bitterly”. Some writers focus on the reason for Jesus asking three times if Peter loved him is because Peter denied him three times. There is an obvious parallel.
Let me ask you the question asked of Peter, “Do you love Jesus Christ? Do you love God?” In our comparatively small towns in America, you find that there are many churches and that almost everyone has a church affiliation. While there seems to be more people who don’t believe in Jesus the majority still do. The majority of children are baptized, most people attend services, receive the Eucharist, are confirmed, and I would dare say get married in churches, and funerals also are happening in churches. Some research shows an upswing in church attendance, especially among young people. But is it enough?
While most of us participate in Christian lifestyle and morality, that alone is not enough to assure living with Jesus for eternity. The two great commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor. We learned as children that the reason that God made us was for us to know him, love him, serve him and to be happy with him forever in heaven. I think most of us want to know him, want to serve him and want to be with him in heaven and not hell for eternity. By the way eternity is a long time. Yet, can you honestly say that you love him? Can you honestly say that you have a “personal relationship with Jesus”? Can you honestly say that you try to live a holy life, keeping the commandments? Can you honestly say that you spend a little time with God in prayer, reading the Bible, and setting aside a little time each day seeking his will for your life? If you truly love someone, you make time for them, want to be with them, trust them, and are confident in the promises made by them, and over time know them and become intimate with them. You make them the center of your life as you joyfully serve them. Do you do that?
Jesus said that not everyone who says.”Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom. Only those who do the will of the Father.” What is that will? First to love God and then neighbor. We can go through all the actions of being a cultural Christian without love, just as we can go through all the actions of a contract without feeling. Jeus asked Peter and he asks us also, “Do you love me?” As one author put it. You can be baptized, receive the Eucharist, be confirmed, attend church regularly, and live a moral life, but that is not enough. You must love God with all that you are.
“May the Lord bless and keep you. May he let his face shine upon you, be gracious to you and give you his peace.”
