I am trying to comprehend this �JEALOUS kind of LOVE� from Jesus when he was too concerned if Peter really loved Him. This was after His overwhelming and distressful ministry has been accomplished...Crucifixion!
Jesus and Peter:
�15�When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, �Simon, son of John, DO YOU LOVE ME MORE THAN THESE?� He said to him, �Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.� He said to him, �Feed my lambs.� 16�He said to him a second time, �Simon, son of John, do you love me?� He said to him, �Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.� He said to him, �Tend my sheep.� 17�He said to him the third time, �Simon, son of John, do you love me?� Peter was GRIEVED because he said to him third time, �Do you love me?� and he said to him, �Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.�
Now Jesus was awaited by His heavenly prize, glory and honour from the Father himself not to mention eternal intimacy in the Father's presence that He should be �bothered� (so to speak) if Peter loves Him. As if asking the same question 3times wasn't disturbing enough, He still emphasised in verse15, �DO YOU LOVE ME MORE THAN THESE?� I believe He was referring to those who were around for breakfast. Please correct me if I'm wrong!
Can I kindly ask you to share your background insight of this passage, John 21:15-17 fore I am wondering if it was to settle the score that Jesus should ask Peter the same question 3times cause he denied Him 3different times OR there's something mysterious hidden deep in what I pensive as �jealous love?�
I think Jesus was trying to teach Peter a lesson. Peter seemed to be pretty obsessed with trying to do things for Jesus to prove that he loved Him, he was jealous because He thought Jesus loved other disciples more, he coveted the highest place. Jesus didn't say "if you love me, walk on water" or "if you love me, slay my enemies" or "if you love me, be the greatest disciple". He said "if you love me, this is my commandment, that you love one another", I think Jesus was just trying to get that into Peter's think skull, and He was still trying to do that when Peter had the dream about the sheet filled with unclean animals. The end result was that Peter, that stubborn, arrogant, and hot-headed disciple, became a vital and stable part of the foundation for the church. He learned his lesson!
I'm glad you shared in details about Peter's character! And yes to a certain extend it does seem like Jesus managed to get through him cause knowing the former Peter, he was suppose to argue that, there's no way he was gonna to be led where he'd desired not to go in verse 18,
�but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.�
I'm not very sure though if it was through fruits of repentance that he taken this prediction silently without arguments like he did when predicted to deny Jesus, or he missed it altogether fore most things Jesus said started to make sense after he ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit.
Here's another interesting reply that I thought I should share with you dear brother, I hope you'll learn something from it cause I did too. Though I didn't explain to John that I'm doing a reseach on love, hence my current questions are often revolving around God's love and how it should influence our lives.
Here is his reply:
My Sister
May God bless your questioning.
If a person were working on building a house, what area of that house should he focus upon. Should he start with the roof so that the sun would not blister him? No there would be no walls to hold the roof up. Should he build the windows so that he would be able to see outside and be able to close them to keep out the wind? No, there would be�no walls to hold the windows. So then we should start with the walls so that they would hold the roof up and encase the windows. But wait, what good are walls without a foundation to build those walls upon. Jesus taught that a house build upon the sand, or to follow this analogy a house built without a firm foundation will certainly fall.
Dear One. The reason that you were enrolled in the seminary course was so that you would have a firm foundation in scripture. Please believe me when I tell you that I understand and have been in your place of seeking answers to so many questions. But seeking answers to every question is like looking for a roof to bring comfort and security or looking for windows to look through to try to find a fresh perspective that brings enlightenment. What is accomplished from these things will not bring the lasting comfort and security that comes with building a firm foundation. If work upon building one section of the house for a little while and then without completing that section move to another section of the house before moving to another and another..... Then it is unlikely that we will ever complete building the house and will not then know the warmth, comfort and security of having a completed house. My sister: Build your foundation with the word of God brick by brick in an organized manor following the building plan that you have. You do not have to work on the course that I had sent you. That is not my point. My point is that we have little time on this earth and if we do not build our knowledge of God brick by brick we will come to a point, later in life, were we will realize that we have studied much but have accomplished little. Please don't wait until you are old like me to find out that you could have accomplished if you had stuck to your studies.
As for your question about Jesus asking Peter "do you love me?"
This is a section of verses that it really helps to go to the original Greek language. Jesus is asking Peter do you love me and Jesus is using the Greek word "agape" for love. Agape is a sacrificial love. (when I write letters I use the capitalized Love to signify "agape") Peter however answers "Yes Lord, you know that I love you." The word that Peter uses that is translated as "love" in the Greek is "phileo. Phileo means a friendship kind of love. Remember that Peter had said that he would follow Jesus to death and die with Jesus if need be. Lets reread this in context now.
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love (sacrificially) me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love (as a friend)�you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love (sacrificially) me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love (as a friend)you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love (sacrificially) me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love (sacrificially) me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love (as a friend)�you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.��
John 21:15-17
So what do we learn from this?
1. Jesus accepted Peter with Peter's weaker love. Jesus accepts us as we come to Him when we come to Him in humility and honesty. Jesus did not tell Peter that he had to love Jesus in the correct way before Peter would be accepted. Again Jesus accepted Peter as Peter was.
2. Jesus took Peter's imperfect love and turned that love into a perfected sacrificial love where we are told in church history that Peter was crucified upside down. Peter's sacrificial Love for Jesus was proven.
3. Jesus asked Peter once for each time that Peter had denied Jesus, if Peter Loved Jesus. If Jesus had asked Peter only once of twice if he Loved him, then Peter would not have been laid bare and the healing for Peter's denial would not have been complete. If you have ever truly wronged somebody were the guilt was eating you up from the inside and you asked that person to forgive you..... if that person flippantly or quickly said "yes I forgive you" and then walked away. Would you not wonder if that person really meant it. Remember how Joseph's brother doubted that he had truly forgiven them and they were in fear of a reprisal from him. Jesus did not want Peter or YOU or me to doubt our His forgiveness for us. God knows that fear of Him will be something that keeps us from enjoying an intimate relationship with Him.
As for Peter loving Jesus more then "these." WE are commanded "Thou shalt�have no other gods before me." If we�Love anyone more then God then we will never be right with God.�
If we have a wound deep within us a, doctor would be cruel to give us a topical salve to heal the wound. A good doctor would have to cut deep to the wound to cut it out that it will heal. Jesus does not give us simple solutions or even simple verses to make us feel better. No, Jesus Loves us too much to not heal us completely.�Jesus will go deep into our pain and fear so that He can remove all of that pain and fear so that we can be made whole and�healed completely. We may experience pain when this happens, just like the pain that Peter experienced we will may also experience pain when Jesus comes to heal us. But we can be comforted while experiencing that pain in the knowledge that Jesus is the true Healer, the Great Physician, and He has already experienced the same pain that we have and therefore he will�turn our pain into relief. "Though our sorrows (pain) lasts for a night, rejoicing comes in the morning."
My Sister know that you are Loved more then you can imagine and more then you can even accept at this time. Your Heavenly Father has placed such a great value upon you that even if you were the only person ever created, Jesus would still have died for You. God did not stop there. He continues to Love you so much that He has placed faulty vessels of His Love into your life to show you His Love. If teach and I can care about you and Love you from so far away then that should be an indicator of how much your Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit Loves you who is close to you.
May your heart be filled to overflowing with the healing waters of Jesus
Ok as far as why Jesus asked Peter three times, it's really quite simple. Remember how Peter denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed for the coming dawn the morning he was crucified? Jesus asked him three times to remind him of that, and to reinforce perhaps his forgiving him doing that. Note how Peter is pained by it especially after the third time. Also Jesus gives Peter his marching orders in his answers, and tells his future.
Peter went on to be of cardinal importance in founding the church, and some regard him as in a way the head of the brothers. That he'd be singled out in this exchange isn't surprising in light of both things. Peter some say had a quick temper and was impulsive. However he was given the name Peter for a reason, and in his later life after this event he stood very strong for Christ through much persecution.
Sorry should have read your post more clearly. Personally I think it was less to 'get back at him' and more to encourage him to leave it in the past forgiven. And the other stuff I also mentioned.
