“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?'” (John 21:15, NIV)
(This is a complex passage of scripture because its few words carry a number of number of applications. Today, we look at a second possible application.)
In the wake of Jesus’ crucifixion; and in the foggy days after the empty tomb, Peter and some of the other disciples had decided to return to their former lives as fishermen. After all, a man’s got to eat.
Jesus’ question: “Do you love me more than these?”, also challenges our personal desire for security and affirmation. Peter and his fishing companions had seen more in the three years of Jesus’ public ministry than most people will ever see: The dead raised to life, the incurably ill restored to health, the Lord’s command of nature, and much more. And there are God’s promises, of course, which they had either forgotten or ignored.
So they went back to fishing, because that was what they were comfortable doing; and, after all, a man’s got to eat.
Do we love Jesus more than all of the other things in this life that give us a sense of security and comfort, particularly when we know that He is calling us to do — and be — something else? – Luther
