DO YOU LOVE ME?
Blessed 3rd Sunday of Easter. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! How has your Easter been so far? Do you find that you are more joyful, grateful & faith-filled?
In today’s Gospel reading at our Eucharist, we hear the words of the disciple Jesus loved (John) in the boat declaring boldly: “It is the Lord” (cf John 21:7). Imagine, if you were feeling tentative & unsure about life, guilty about wrong choices, fearful about what the future holds – how would this declaration strike you? Would you be like St Peter & jump off the boat into the water & rush to meet Jesus?
Let’s look at Peter in the Gospel today (John 21:1-19) & see if you can identify more closely with him. Recall that Peter denied Jesus three times when staying outside the high priest’s courtyard warning himself by the charcoal fire (Luke 22:54-62). One of the most heart-wrenching images of this scene is when the Lord turned & looked at Peter after his 3rd denial (Verse 61), & Peter, after realizing what he had done, went away & wept bitterly (Verse 62). Have you ever denied Jesus? Have you ever realized that at those moments, the Lord looks at you – not with anger, disappointment or judgement, but with the tender eyes of mercy & love?
So now, Jesus gives Peter the chance to repent, reset, repair & restore the relationship; to receive mercy & forgiveness & also to forgive himself. Jesus was by a charcoal fire, reminiscent of the night of Peter’s denial. And Jesus asked Peter 3 times “Do you love me?” As Peter answered “Yes” to all 3 times, Jesus told Peter after each affirmative answer: “Feed my lambs. Look after my sheep. Feed my sheep.” In doing so, Peter had a new start & a clean slate with Jesus. It was by a charcoal fire that Peter denied Jesus; it is now by the charcoal fire that Peter is reinstated, so to speak. Jesus also restores us when we deny or reject him. All we need to do is to repent & tell the Lord that you really do love him.
Is there a deeper level to this beautiful scene? Yes. I remember hearing this from a homily preached by Fr Johnson Fernandez more than 30 years ago & reading about it years later. While English just states the word ‘love’ 3 times, it doesn’t quite capture the nuance of Jesus’ Question & Peter’s reply that the Greek text does. The first 2 times when Jesus asks Peter, the Greek word used by Jesus is “agapao me”. Jesus is referring to agape love, the highest level of love, sacrificial & unconditional love. But Peter could only truthfully respond with “phileo” love – brotherly love & affection. Note, however, that the 3rd time Jesus asked Peter, he changed his question to “Phileo” – to meet Peter at the same level of love & commitment to their relationship for that moment.
Peter would have the remainder of his lifetime to grow towards agape love for Jesus. We see the beginning of this after Pentecost when Peter boldly professed Jesus to the Jewish leaders at the expense of suffering, threats, beatings & imprisonment (as example, see today’s 1st Reading from Acts 5:27-32.40-41). And near the end of Peter’s life, when he was in Rome during the persecution of the emperor Nero, Peter finally made the great act of agape love for his Lord & Saviour Jesus. Legend has it that Peter was escaping Rome when he met Jesus on the Appian Way. He asked Jesus: “Domine, quo vadis?”, which means “Lord, where are you going?”. And Jesus replied: “I am going to Rome to be crucified again.” At this, Peter resolutely turned back & was martyred by being crucified upside-down. Peter laid down his life for Jesus in an act of agape love, in a manner like what Jesus had said earlier in John 15:13 “A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends”.
The Lord’s question to St Peter is also addressed to us today. Jesus asks you & me: “Do you love me?” And He also gives us the mandate to care for his lambs & sheep. What would your answer to Jesus be?
Here’s a moving & beautiful song “Feed My Lambs” to help your reflection.
https://youtu.be/nXwhYefjiK0?si=aBVCgoeJk5PvkEN9
Article by Damian Boon, HFC Blog Team Lead