John 21:15-19
Peter was not ready to answer that he had AGAPE for Jesus. He got to PHILEOS, but could not bring himself to say AGAPE.
Jesus - "Simon, do you Agapao me?" (unconditionally, self-sacrificingly love)
Peter - "Yes, Lord; you know that I Philo you." (I love you like a brother)
Jesus - "Feed my lambs"
Jesus - "Simon, do you Agapao me?" (pressing Simon to Agape love)
Peter - "Yes, Lord; you know that I Philo you."
Jesus - "Tend my sheep."
Jesus - "Simon, do you Phileis me?" (are you sure you even have Phileos love for me?)
Peter - (grieved because of the third time and its implication) "Lord, you know that I Philo you."
Jesus - "Feed my sheep" (even if you are not "there yet", out of Phileos love, do what I command)
Still, even in his limited ability to love, Jesus commanded Peter to care for Jesus' followers - for all humanity.
How many of us would, if completely honest with Jesus and ourselves, be able to say anything else?
AGAPE is easy to understand, but hard to live. There is no "payback", no "return" on the investment. It is doing the right thing for the right reasons. It is loving unconditionally, even when we don't "like" folk, when our emotions or knowledge of them would not allow it. It is loving in a self-sacrificing way, even when we want to be selfish. It is loving in ACTION and not feelings, even though we want to be swept away and guided by how we "feel". AGAPE is active commitment on behalf of the other - our Neighbor, according to Jesus, even stranger and enemy (Luke 10:25-37). Agape is not about the "object" of the love, but about the SUBJECT. Like Peter, the question is - "Do we have it in us?"
We are COMMANDED by Jesus to live Agape in the world around us. This is clearly shared in all four Gospels. It is what identifies us with Jesus (John 13:35). THAT is what sets us apart in THIS part of God's Kingdom - not our purity or holiness, praise or tithes. Those things can be manipulated for self gain in power or prestige. We are known by the love that Jesus taught, commanded and LIVED among us - that which has no payback or return - Agape. If we follow Jesus, we follow what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us, His followers.
So, we must care for HIS sheep, lambs. It is not about each of US being righteous, but about living within Christ who IS our righteousness and who claims THIS Agape Love as our faithfulness to Him. We must care for HIS sheep and lambs, not those WE think are worthy, but those who Jesus loves. It is not about how WE FEEL. Yes, those Jesus loves are pretty much EVERYONE - the disenfranchised, the poor, the sinners and even the religious leaders and political leaders that Jesus bothered to address with His Good News, regardless of outcome. It is so important to Jesus, that this central teaching culminates in HIS vision of criteria for salvation in Matthew 25:31-46 - the active commitment on behalf of other in the world around us.
If we love Jesus, we will ACT in Love with those who Jesus loves in the world around us. If we want to have Jesus as Savior, we MUST have Jesus as Lord of our lives. If we want to say we are people of the Christ, we must FOLLOW the Christ. Even if our love is "not there yet", we practice loving in an unconditional, self-sacrificing way - Jesus' Way.
Pastor Jamie
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