Do You Love Me?

Jesus said “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Jn. 21:15

 If the Lord of the universe, who knows the thoughts and intents of your heart better than even you do, were to ask you this same question, how would you respond? Do you think He is looking for a response that defends your faith and devotion, or one that is honest and self-searching? As any true believer in Jesus Christ can attest to, it is only the sincerity of our love for the Lord that makes us a child of God or a child of the Devil.  There is no in-between!  As the greatest commandment commands, we are to “love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul and mind”.    

Jesus’ questioned Simon asking if he loved Him “more than these”.  We can understand this question to mean did Simon love Jesus more than he loved not only the other disciples, but more than he loved the things of this world. John, who recorded for us this exchange between Jesus and Simon, understood this. In his first letter John wrote “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1Jn. 2:15). John clearly understood the love that the Lord requires from us to be a love that cannot be shared with the things of this world. This was echoed by several Old Testament writers saying “I (He) am a jealous God”.  So with this definition of love in mind, recognizing that ‘agapeo’ love requires us to love Him “more than these”, we can ask ourselves again, “Do we love Him?” 

The Lord allows us to “search our heart to see if we are of the faith” (2Co.13:5). What He requires from us with this self-examination is that we do as Paul instructed and “have an honest estimation of ourselves” (Ro.12:4 NLT). Do we ACT as if we love the Lord more than family, friends, possession, etc.?  After asking Simon if he loved Him, the Lord gave him instructions on how he could both increase and display that love. That instruction was “feed my sheep”.  What Jesus was saying to Simon was “do what I have called you to do”.  We can compare this to James’ teaching that “faith without works is dead”, or John’s, “this is love, to keep His commands” (1Jn.5:3).  We can in this obedience both increase our love for the Lord and testify to its validity.  

Love the Lord by making Him a priority in your life each day. Choose His will over the pleasures, possessions, and popularity of this world.  At the end of each day, examine your life to see if you have “loved Him” with the priorities of your life. When we respond in obedience to His words, our love for Him will be multiplied within our hearts. 

Agapeo love, the love Jesus brought to earth, is love that only originates in Heaven. We cannot manufacture love for God by our own efforts, but what we can do is show our sincere devotion to Him by obeying His commands and then reaping the fruit of that obedience by experiencing the increasing measure of love that He creates within us.           

“May the Lord make you increase and abound in love”  1 Thess. 3:12