John 21:15-25
Dear RTB’ers,
Today we end John’s gospel. It will be early next year that we’ll read Matthew and be through with all four gospels. But today, John’s closing. And for many people, a bit of a confusing closing! So, first, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” (vv. 15, 16, 17) It’s easy for us to connect Jesus’ three times asking the same question with Peter’s three denials on Good Friday. But a question remains, why did Jesus change His follow-up response from Feed My Lambs to Tend My Sheep to Feed My Sheep? I don’t have an answer for that, even though I’ve heard numerous sermons and talks on that very question. One item of information is that Jesus uses the Greek word, agape (a deep, abiding love) the first two times He asks, then the word, phileo (more like “friendship”) the third time, so maybe Jesus is challenging Peter’s love – is Peter’s love for Jesus a really deep agape love? My guess is that there is something about increasing demands that Jesus is asking of Peter with each additional response. Maybe the rest of you have heard better explanations?
I could make more comments on this reading, but so could you! Let’s hear from you, comments or questions!
Blessings!
See also:
So how about it? How about hearing from some of you? For the past few months I’ve been exceedingly discouraged by the utter silence and lack of participation in this RTB group. It has seemed that Fred is just speaking out into a void, with no one listening, no one responding (except a bit from his own wife). Is Jesus really of such little consequence to us that we’re bored and find the weather to be a more engaging topic? Has the Crucifixion lost its impact? Is it worthy of only a sigh? Does the Resurrection mean nothing to you? Really?