remember to love

¹⁵After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Master, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." ¹⁶He then asked a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Master, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Shepherd my sheep." ^{17 -19}Then he said it a third time: "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, "Do you love me?" so he answered, "Master, you know everything there is to know. You've got to know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I'm telling you the very truth now: When you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wished, but when you get old you'll have to stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you where you don't want to go." He said this to hint at the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And then he commanded, "Follow me." ^{20 -21}Turning his head, Peter noticed the disciple Jesus loved following right behind. When Peter noticed him, he asked Jesus, "Master, what's going to happen to him?" ^{22 -23}Jesus said, "If I want him to live until I come again, what's that to you? You—follow me." That is how the rumor got out among the brothers that this disciple wouldn't die. But that is not what Jesus said. He simply said, "If I want him to live until I come again, what's that to you?"²⁴This is the same disciple who was eyewitness to all these things and wrote them down. And we all know that his eyewitness account is reliable and accurate. ²⁵There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can't imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.

John 21

i was supposed to read this passage this morning but i ended up talking about it with bob yesterday morning haha. so i've heard this verse and listened to a message concerning it about two months ago during a conference. the speaker talked about how some people thought Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him to redeem himself of the three times he denied Jesus. our speaker then gave his point of view and suggested that Jesus had to be sure that Peter loved Hm and was ready for the task laid out for him. if we remember, Jesus calls Peter the "rock." after Jesus ascends into heaven, the disciples get together and pray. peter stands up and preaches and 3000 people accept Christ and are baptized that day. Jesus said that He was going to build the church on this "rock." so our speaker thought that Jesus was asking Peter this to make sure that he was ready to be the first leader of the first church of Jesus Christ.

as i talked to bob yesterday, God revealed to us one more interpretation, and it's something that spoke directly to me. Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him three times. peter says yes three times. we know that when someone repeats themselves, there might be something there that that person wants to get across. when Jesus repeats Himself, we know for certain that He wants us to pay attention! how do we stop serving? how do we stop being friends? how do end up getting divorces? why do we end up arguing and fighting with one another? why do we get frustrated when things don't go our way or people don't act how we expect them to act? we forget what Jesus is asking peter to do. to love Him. we forget to simply love each other. we forget to love Jesus. i forget to love Jesus. and that's why i get so burnt out. i forget why i do these things. a while back, i learned that i should remember that i'm doing everything for God and that gave me strength. but months later, God is teaching me something new to add onto that! i've been serving God but i forgot why i was serving God in the first place! i've been getting stressed and frustrated because i'm been doing things for God but without my heart! you can be serving God all your life and still be frustrated. we have churches and churches that do things for God. but then we forget why we serve! we forget our first love! we forget that we do these things for God because we love Him!! we stop serving, we stop being friends, we end up getting divorces, we argue and fight, and get frustrated because we forget that all of our actions should stem from love for God and love for the people around us! i think we we have to remember the greatest command! Matthew 22:35-40 "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments." everything hangs on it. we have to remember that we do everything because of our love for God and when we do that, joy and love overflows into everything that we do! remember to love.