Title: Do You Love Me?
(After they had had breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon the son of John
Oh, do you love me more than these people?" He said, "Is it so, Lord?
You know that I love you, saying, Feed my lambs.
And he said to him a second time, Simon son of John, do you love me?
Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
And he said to him the third time, Simon son of John, do you love me?
For the third time your Lord said, Do you love me, Peter was troubled and said,
Lord, you know all things, and you know that I love you.
and said, "Feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17)
Among the problems between people during the life of the world, more than forgiving
There will be no hard work.
Forgiveness is undoubtedly the tolerance of the wrongdoer when he asks for forgiveness.
If so, Jesus Christ's forgiveness for Peter in today's text is not like that.
was a different dimension.
Peter denied Jesus three times last week as we thought
Not only that, he even swore and cursed and denied that he knew.
In a nutshell, how far-fetched is it?
It was a feeling of betrayal that cannot be expressed in words.
However, as shown in today's text, Jesus asked Peter one such question.
Instead, he appeared to Peter first and called him.
And he asked the disciple who had denied him, 'Do you love me?'
I asked the same thing over and over again.
Among Bible scholars, this three-fold question restores Peter's three-fold denial.
Some say it was meant to be done.
But that's not necessarily the only way to see it. But today we think
It is this question that I am trying to share grace with.
1. Did the Lord ask Peter, who denied him, if you love me?
All.
This question is asked of the disciple who failed to keep the foundation of faith.
This question is asked of the disciple who denied himself by taking an oath.
Today, this question is asked of a traitor who denied knowing even while cursing him.
Question.
This question is also a question we ask all of us Christians.
Aren't we also beings who said we didn't know the Lord several times?
In the face of political threats or economic crises, understanding the advancement and fame of the world
I don't think it's the beings who said they didn't know the Lord in front of relationships.
The Lord comes back to us and asks us.
'Do you love me?' he asks.
The question 'Do you love me?' is not a question to be asked lightly.
In other words, this question asks about the maturity of our faith.
Instead of saying, 'Do you believe in me?', I asked, 'Do you love me?'
is.
We need to think deeply about the meaning of these words.
This is a question that asks the stage of maturity in our religious life.
This is a question that asks us to examine how much we say we believe in the Lord.
2. If you look at the stages of faith toward the Lord, you will think of several stages.
As we look at Abraham, we can think of this stage of faith.
1) First, he said, 'Leave the mainland, your family, your relatives, and your father's house'.
In this way, the first step in faith is a step.
Here, means to set apart.
It sets them apart from the places they used to hang out with the people of the world.
The first step in faith is the step of leaving the seat of sin that followed the old customs.
EX: So this is the question that missionaries asked when they answered baptism in the old days.
I heard
I checked to see if I had left the place to leave.
Have you done away with all your idol worship?
Did you throw away all the jars?
Have you stopped drinking and smoking?
Have you stopped playing all your games?
Double life Have you given up your job as a housekeeper? etc...
Everyone asked if they had left where they were supposed to be. this is still the case
is.
The first step of faith begins with the step of leaving.
2) The next step is to follow. It is the way to follow the Word.
That is the way to 'Mount Moria'.
The reality of our Christian life is now the road to Mount Moria.
It was a command to 'Go to Mount Moriah and make a sacrifice'.
Abraham obeyed the command and went.
But the road was not that comfortable.
Conflicts arose in my mind.
And doubts arose.
Why does God give this command? And it would have been disappointing.
This is our reality right now.
A life of faith is a life of following God's promises.
It is a life of obedience.
So, how intense is the conflict?
Sometimes doubts arise.
Sometimes it's painful.
Living according to the Word is not an easy life.
Still, living the life of faith is obedience and living according to it.
If so, I think this is probably the most common step.
3) Not only that, but the final stage of faith is the stage of giving.
Abram went up to Mount Moriah and sacrificed his son Isaac.
In other words, this is called dedication.
Dedication is giving yourself to yourself.
The final stage of faith is the stage of devotion.
If we look at this level of faith,
??the step of leaving;
??following steps,
??And this is the step of giving.
Seen in this way, the question I asked Peter today is the same.
The question 'Do you love me?' is a question asking the stage of Peter's maturity in faith.
It was.
Each of us has several stages when we look closely at our own religious life.
There are cases where the life of faith is simply because it is good.
In other words, it is a level of faith that likes that kind of faith.
EX: This is the case among young people these days when they get married because they like them.
?쏡o you like me???So I ask.
There are marriages where the other person just likes it.
Of course, if you don't have feelings for love, how can you get married?
Isn't marriage something you can only do because you like it?
I go to church because I like it, I try to believe in Jesus because I like it, and I like to participate in church work.
I'll try too.
But likes can change at any time.
It's a marriage we did because we liked it, so if we don't like it, we have no choice but to break up.
You cannot believe in Jesus only because you like it like this.
The true life of faith is to follow the Lord in both happy and sad times.
There are cases where the religious life always asks for help.
It is true that marriage is a life of dependence on each other and helping each other.
However, if you always ask for help for either side, that is a perfect relationship.
will not be
In our religious life, in most cases, we ask for help when we are in trouble,
There are cases where people believe in Jesus just to try.
This can't be any bad.
Since all humans are weak and limited beings, we seek the help of the Almighty.
And it can't be bad to wish for.
Therefore, these steps are considered normal.
Most of the time, we're all just asking for help.
It was the same in the days of the Lord.
All the people who came before the Lord were all asking for help.
However, the deepest level is not a favorite level,
It is not a stage to ask, but a stage to love.
Because to love is to give up what is one's own.
Love is never just an act for yourself.
Love is the act of giving my all.
This giving is not conditional, but from an unconditional mind.
That is why mother's love is the most precious love.
That is why there is no way to surpass love.
Jesus is asking this.
Rather than believing and following, did you ask 'Do you love me?'
All.
One day a lawyer asked which commandment was the greatest.
To this question, the Lord said, 'Love the Lord your God, and in the same way love your neighbor as yourself'. This is the fulfillment of all the commandments (Matthew 22:36-40).
3. Jesus is still asking us.
how much do you trust me how much do you follow me see,
"How much do you love me?" he asks.
Jesus said to Peter, 'Do you like me?'
Not 'Do you believe in me?' but 'Do you love me?'
How should we answer this question?
Are you still following the Lord only because you like the Lord?
Aren't you still following the steps by wishing for the Lord?
We must reflect deeply.
And at this stage, we must enter the stage of deeper love.
We work tirelessly to keep the commandments.
We try very hard to live by the law of the Word.
As a result, only people are still conscious of it.
Who is the closest follower of the Lord?
Who is the disciple approved by the Lord?
So they envy each other and competitively pledged allegiance.
'Even if I forsake everyone else, I will not leave the Lord.'
That is what Peter said to the Lord.
This stage of life of faith is still the stage of legalistic faith.
It is the same level of faith as the lawyer who asked which commandment was greater.
Now we need to get out of this stage.
So now the Lord said, 'Simon Peter! you are still
Can you say that you love me more than other people?'
Before this question, Peter is now different.
'Now how can I dare say that I love the Lord more than others?
are you! But doesn't the Lord know my inner heart'...
We, too, should have this attitude.
??In love, I disappear.
As long as I'm alive, that love is still not a deep love.
??Love is nothing that is mine.
As long as I claim mine, that love is still not a deep love.
??Love also loses self-esteem.
As long as pride is alive, that love is still not deepened.
??Love is only the heart to give everything to him.
True love is what you feel is not enough even after doing that.
Such love is the love of the woman who broke the alabaster jar and poured perfume on the feet of the Lord.
This woman's faith was not what others expected in the Lord's day.
It was different from the kind of faith that was trying to get something from the Lord.
And it was not for the sake of being recognized for his actions in front of people.
So I offered the expensive perfume to the Lord.
It was a love that counted the heart of the Lord.
So the Lord praised him.
'The poor man is always by your side, but this woman prepared my death.
' and, where the gospel enters, what this woman has done will also be preached.
and praised him as much as possible.
If this is not a mature faith, then what is it?
Let us pray that we all reach the level of loving the Lord.
And, like Peter, let's live with such a confession.
?쏧 believe in the Lord better than other people, and I keep the word of the Lord more.
Can you say that you live?" Ma...
"Don't you know that I love you!"
I hope that all people of faith who have reached this stage can be. ??