Scripture: John 21:15
When they finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
Thought for the Day: To whom was Jesus referring when he said, “…more than these”? Who are the “these”? He could have been referring to the other Apostles who were seated close by, or maybe he was referring to a larger crowd of folks. I tend to hear it as both generic and specific. What I mean is that Jesus probably had some specific group in mind when speaking to Peter, but when I say it is also general, I think there is a different “these” for all of us. Who is the “these” in your life? Who are the people or things who consume your time, energy and resources in a way that does not reflect the life of Christ? Years ago, I had a tough conversation with a member of my congregation (he no longer was a member after the conversation) who had come into my office to complain about my sermon the previous Sunday. It had stepped on his toes. He told me that I had no right to go where I had gone in the sermon. All I had asked was: Does the way you conduct yourself in your work life and business dealings reflect Jesus? I’m not too sure where the conversation went from there, except to say that he wasn’t going to give into the idea that Jesus was interested in how he did business. Now I don’t want to make this guy the villain in the story, but I imagine Jesus asking him, “Do you love me more than your desire to make a profit at any cost?” Again, I don’t want to make him sound like some outlier. I’m pretty sure Jesus is whispering in my ear, “Bruce, do you love me more than….” I want to be able to respond, “Of course, Lord,” but I have a feeling there are parts of my life that do not necessarily demonstrate it.
Prayer: There is always something else to discover, always something new to be revealed. Continue to increase my capacity to discern, O Lord, for I seek to follow you with more and more of who I am. There is much that remains within my grip, things I have not even noticed. In your grace, help me to both acknowledge and relinquish my hold upon that which is not you. Amen.
