"Do You Love Me More Than These?"

And the cock crowed! Oh, how Peter must have felt to hear that shrill harking out in the night. Such bitterness, remorse and regret. Weeping bitterly Peter called to mind the words of Jesus just hours before. “Truly I say to you, you today, yes, this night, before a cock crows twice, even you will disown me three times.” - Mark 14:30  

Even Peter, a rock of a man, weakened and broke apart before Jesus’ eyes. This was evidence of man's fall and the need for Jesus to finish what he had come to earth to do and that was to “give his soul a ransom in exchange for many.”- Mark 10:45.

As Jesus gazed upon Peter he seen not a rock of a man but witnessed at first hand the frailty and weakness which dwells in all men and yet what Jesus was about to accomplish would raise all of mankind from the affects of Adamic sin. (Romans 5:12) In that moment Peter may not have realised that Jesus’ imminent sacrificial death stood to truly make amends for his weakness and furnish not just Peter but all men with forgiveness from sin and error. Not only had Peter denied the Christ once but he denied the Christ three times, cursing and swearing; “I do not know the man!”
 

This regretful action, although born from weakness, brought with it much guilt and sorrow for Peter. Compounding his own guilt, he also later that day grieved the loss of his loving friend having witnessed the torture and execution of Jesus.

Is it any wonder he lost heart and went back to his former occupation of fishing, apparently abandoning the prospect of becoming a fisher of men?  Peter may have been the only one to verbally deny Jesus but he was not the only one to display fear and a lack of faith on that occasion. The rest of the disciples also scattered in disarray. The words of Jesus at Matthew 26:31 certainly came to pass.
“All of you will be stumbled in connection with me on this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered about.’ As it was written according to Zechariah’s prophesy, so it happened.

A few days after his resurrection, Jesus “manifested himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias” where he would re-affirm his love for Peter and the other Apostles. At the urging of Peter, six others of the disciples followed him back to the boats. After a whole night fishing they caught nothing, however just as the light of dawn began to appear on the horizon, the Lord stood on the beach and entreated the men to cast their net on the right side of the boat, saying, that they were sure to catch fish. To their amazement, because of the multitude of fish, they were unable to draw in their net. At once John, the beloved disciple declared to Peter, “It is the Lord.” and on hearing this Peter finds himself once again plunging overboard into the sea, such was his happiness at seeing Jesus. It was John who first recognised Jesus but it was Peter who was the first to go to him.

The miracle of the great haul of fish would have been a reminder to Peter of the very first time he was called to a new type of fishing work. (Read Luke 5: 1-11) Looking back, it was just another ordinary day while Peter, James and John where busy washing off their nets by Lake Gennesaret when crowds began pressing in close around Jesus wanting to listen to the word of God.

To more easily address the crowds, Jesus requested to board Simon Peter’s boat and “asked him to pull away a bit from the land. Then he sat down and from the boat he began teaching the crowds.”- Luke 5:4

How Peter and the other men with him must have marvelled at the life giving words that Jesus spoke on that faithful day. After Jesus had finished speaking to the crowds Jesus reciprocates Simon Peter’s kindness for the use of his boat by instructing them to go out into deep water and let down their nets where he would perform for them a miracle that would change the lives of these men forever. “Well when they did this, they enclosed a great multitude of fish. In fact, their nets began ripping apart.” – Luke 5:6.

It took two boats that day, almost sinking from the weight of the catch, to haul in the fish. What was Peter’s reaction to this? So astonished was he that he fell down at the knees of Jesus declaring in all humility, “Depart from me because I am a sinful man, Lord…but Jesus said to Simon: “Stop being afraid. From now on you will be catching men alive” – Luke 5:8, 10.  In that very hour Peter, James and John abandoned everything and followed Jesus. 

Back on the beach when the other disciples joined Peter “they beheld lying there a charcoal fire and fish lying upon it and bread.”- John 21:9 and Jesus served them breakfast. In the company of Jesus again, Peter was made to confront his own guilt for the last time. Although he may not have known it at that time, Jesus had already forgiven him. Far greater than Peter’s sin was Jesus’ love for him. The weight of this burden upon Peter was lifted off.

It may not have come into Peter’s mind just then, the words Jesus had mentioned earlier concerning him, – “Simon, Simon, look! Satan has demanded to have you men to sift you as wheat. But I have made supplication for you that your faith may not give out; and you, when once you have returned, strengthen your brothers.”- Luke 22:31-33. There it was. Jesus had always known that Peter would return to him and that he would from then on, become a strength to his brothers.

The discussion that followed between Jesus and Peter on that early morning, in the spring of 33 of the Common Era, not only had great importance to those two men but has far reaching meaning and benefits to all mankind. For an analysis of this conversation confirms to us the depth of God’s love for fallen mankind and the sure hope of redemption from sin and error and the restorative and healing properties of Christ’s love for us.

Most likely the words recorded for us in John chapter twenty-one were originally spoken in the Aramaic language, which, like most languages today, do not differentiate between the different facets and meanings of love. Although the Apostle John may have heard these words spoken in Aramaic, he did not miss the opportunity to record for us in the Greek language of the Bible, some of the more interesting aspects of the conversation and its meaning.

The ancient Greeks had four basic words, used in various forms, to describe love: Stor·ge′, the Greek word used to refer to the natural affection that exists between members of the same family.  E′ros, the Greek word used to refer to romantic love. *(E′ros is not used by any of the Bible writers.) Phi·li′a, the Greek word for “affection” or “friendship”, a love between friends and  A·ga′pe, an uncompromising and self sacrificing kind of love; a love that is governed, or guided, by principle, the kind of love which most eminently describes our heavenly Father Jehovah, who is “the God of love.”

Each of these different aspects of love can indeed be intertwined with each other. In some relationships they become inextricably linked, such as the relationship within a marriage; interwoven, as it were, into a beautiful tapestry which, when exhibited in a Godly way can lead to great happiness and contentment and identify us as indeed, made in God’s image.

There can be no doubt that the love Peter felt for Jesus was a love of great affection as one would have toward a dear friend but Peter was to realise that a greater love was needed, a self sacrificing, principled, Godly love. The type of superior love that God and Christ displayed was needed now in order for him to accomplish the great work that the Lord had in storefor him.

It may have been that the conversation took place in Aramaic but the nuance of the conversation was not lost on the Apostle John who recorded this account for us in the Greek in order for us to make a distinction between just friendship and the superior agape love of the Christ. It may have been that after so many years of faithful service to Christ, John realised the message Jesus was trying to get across to Peter. That it was the agape kind of love that could elevate all the other kinds of love in a Christians Life.

Listen as Jesus now speaks to Peter...

“When, now, they had breakfasted, Jesus said to Simon Peter: “Simon son of John, do you love [A·ga′pe] me more than these?” He said to him: “Yes, Lord, you know I have affection [Phi·li′a] for you.” He said to him: “Feed my lambs.” - John 21:15

At once we see Jesus here questions Peter about his agape love, a principled and unselfish love and Peter answers Jesus affectionately by declaring how he has a great phileo love for him. In this Peter was not wrong as it shows the great depth of feeling and emotion he had towards Jesus, his close friend and companion whom he loved very much. To Peter, an impetuous, forthright but loving and affectionate man full of feeling, he naturally declares his friendship to the Lord, maybe not realising that in this instance Jesus wanted him to declare to him something greater, if that were possible; a greater, self sacrificing love, that transcends the emotional attachment of human friendship towards one another. How does Jesus respond to Peter's declaration? Jesus continues...

"Again he said to him, a second time: “Simon son of John, do you love [A·ga′pe] me?” He said to him: “Yes, Lord, you know I have affection [Phi·li′a] for you.” He said to him: “Shepherd my little sheep.” -  John 21:16

Again Jesus questions Peter about his agape love and once again Peter declares affectionately his phileo love for his close friend. By this time Peter must have been wondering why Jesus asked this a second time.

"He said to him the third time: “Simon son of John, do you have affection [Phi·li′a]  for me?” - John 21:17a

How worried must Peter have felt? Indeed, how ashamed and demoralised this would make any one of us feel if we were to find ourselves in this same situation but Peter continued to declare his friendship and his love for Jesus despite all of this. He knew so well how he had denied his friend in his most crucial time of need just days before but he also knew that his friendship with Jesus could heal those scars. The following verse tells us how Peter really felt...

"Peter became grieved that he said to him the third time: “Do you have affection for me?” So he said to him: “Lord, you know all things; you are aware that I have affection [A·ga′pe]   for you.” Jesus said to him: “Feed my little sheep." - John 21:17b

There is a lesson here and there was a point to be made. Jesus in his love and wisdom was not trying to demoralise Peter or rebuke him for his denials but he gave Peter a chance to resolve his own shame without condemnation. Peter, three times denied the Christ and three times Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to retract his triple denial and in sorts cancel the equation out as it where. Peter was given a chance and he took it. He declared his love for Jesus, knew he was forgiven and resolved in his heart to move on.

What a lesson to have learned and what a way to have come to the realisation that the emotional human attachment of friendship does not always shine through when most needed.

In many cases, the principled and self sacrificing agape love, can give us strengths that we did not know where there.


(to be continued)

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Do You Love Me More Than These? by G Thomas is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.