IN THE BEGINNING…THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 9, 2011
MORE THAN THESE?
“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord: thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep” (John 21:15, 16)
It was the third time Jesus had shown himself to his disciples after he was risen from the dead, and he had a very pointed question for one of his disciples: lovest thou me more than these? It is not clear in Scripture what Jesus was asking Peter to compare his love to. They were sitting down having a meal of bread and of fish. Jesus may have been pointing to the food. Asking, do you love me more than that which satisfies your belly or are you given to your appetite? Or, it could have been the other disciples Jesus was pointing to. Asking, do you love me more than your love of being a part of the group, more than the praise of man, more than your friends? Jesus wanted to know if there was anything that he loved more than Jesus because if there was anything that he loved more than Jesus, he didn’t love Jesus at all, nor would he be worthy to feed Jesus’ sheep.
Today, let us allow Jesus to bring to our attention those things, persons or practices that may be in the way of our devotion to God.
