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"Do you love Me?"
Jesus asked Peter this question (see John 21: 15-17). Peter's answer (see Matthew 26: 33-35) revealed that he "...loved Jesus in the way any natural man loves a good person. Yet that is nothing but emotional love. Emotional love may reach deeply into our natural self, but it never penetrates to the spirit of a person." (1)
Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God's word is sharper than a two-edged sword, cutting between the soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. "...Nothing can cut through to that part of our being but the word of God." (2)
"...When the Lord asks us this question ['Do you love Me?'] it is impossible to think and respond properly, because when the Lord speaks directly to us, the pain is too intense." (3)
Jesus' question: "Do you love Me?" can cause such a tremendous hurt "...that any part of our life which may be out of line with His will can feel the pain." (4)
Oswald Chambers goes on to say that after the third time Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love Me?" he began to see how very much he loved Jesus, and there was no need for him to say to Jesus to look at this or that as proof of his love. Peter, "...discovered that his eyes were so fixed on Jesus Christ that he saw no one else in heaven above or on the earth below. But he did not know it until the probing, hurting questions of the Lord were asked." (5)
Jesus asks me and each of us, who have received Him as Lord and Savior, that same question, "Do you love Me?"
Lord, search and speak to our hearts. Reveal the truth to us. Thank you Jesus.
(Footnotes 1-5: portions were taken from a devotional by Oswald Chambers)
Jesus asked Peter this question (see John 21: 15-17). Peter's answer (see Matthew 26: 33-35) revealed that he "...loved Jesus in the way any natural man loves a good person. Yet that is nothing but emotional love. Emotional love may reach deeply into our natural self, but it never penetrates to the spirit of a person." (1)
Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God's word is sharper than a two-edged sword, cutting between the soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. "...Nothing can cut through to that part of our being but the word of God." (2)
"...When the Lord asks us this question ['Do you love Me?'] it is impossible to think and respond properly, because when the Lord speaks directly to us, the pain is too intense." (3)
Jesus' question: "Do you love Me?" can cause such a tremendous hurt "...that any part of our life which may be out of line with His will can feel the pain." (4)
Oswald Chambers goes on to say that after the third time Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love Me?" he began to see how very much he loved Jesus, and there was no need for him to say to Jesus to look at this or that as proof of his love. Peter, "...discovered that his eyes were so fixed on Jesus Christ that he saw no one else in heaven above or on the earth below. But he did not know it until the probing, hurting questions of the Lord were asked." (5)
Jesus asks me and each of us, who have received Him as Lord and Savior, that same question, "Do you love Me?"
Lord, search and speak to our hearts. Reveal the truth to us. Thank you Jesus.
(Footnotes 1-5: portions were taken from a devotional by Oswald Chambers)
SO TRUE, AND JUST WANT TO SAY, I WONDER IF THE LORD ASKED THREE TIMES, TO SEE IF HE WAS REALLY PAYING ATTENTION, AND LISTENING WITH HIS SPIRITUAL EARS. SOMETIMES WERE DISTRACTED AND JUST DON'T HEAR.