Title: I will revive the memory of grace
John 21:18 I will revive the memory of grace (John 21:13-14)
< I will revive the memory of grace >
After breakfast, the beach was glistening in the morning sun and the disciples were feeling a little bit refreshed, so Jesus finally looked at Peter among the disciples and asked. “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Hearing that question, Peter must have thought this. "Lord! I truly loved the Lord more than anyone. But it failed. So, when my heart is so miserable, why do you so cruelly ask such a question and pour vinegar on a sore wound?”
That is Peter's idea. The Lord was not trying to touch the pain of the past, but to arouse the zeal of the past. Such intentions of the Lord can be known from the title by which he was called. Why did Jesus call Peter by his old name, Simon? It's because the old name is a warmer and more intimate expression, but more importantly, it was to bring back memories of the past.
One day, Jesus came to Simon the Reed and gave him the name Peter, meaning, “You will become a rock, not a reed!” And he made him the chief disciple among the 12 disciples and gave him numerous graces and blessings. He wanted to bring back those memories. Perhaps when Peter heard the old name, the memories of the past graced him like a panorama. The Lord cared to arouse Peter's heart by even a single title.
< Recover the passion of your first love >
When Jesus called Peter Simon, the first question he asked was, “Do you love me more than these people?” There would be many other questions as well. “How are you? Isn't it hard right now? Can you really follow the path of a disciple?” But why did he ask, "Do you love me?" That means, after all, loving the Lord is more important than anything else.
There is a lot of controversy about what ‘these people’ means in verse 15. In English, it says ‘these’, so various interpretations of ‘these people, these’ are possible. Simply put, the question is whether you love Jesus more than anything else in the world.
This is the most important question God asks even today. The biggest problem is to restore the passion and passion of the first love. If there is only love, we can have courage, bear the cross, overcome hardships, and solve almost all problems in human affairs. The important thing is to love God.
In particular, when Jesus said, “Do you love me more than these?”, he was wary of externalism and externalism. Lately, many people have come up with the phrase, 'Body handsome, ulzzang' based on their appearance. Whatever you do, you have to look good on your face. Not to mention actors, even if you are a singer, you have to have a good face, and even office workers are selected based on their faces.
If you have a pretty face, even your sins are forgiven. The other day, a woman in her 20s was wanted for robbery. But the robber had a very pretty face. At that time, I advertised to catch robbers, so I wasn't very interested in catching robbers, I was only interested in the face of the robber. Someone said, “How can such a pretty woman be a robber? You got it wrong!” he said. That's why the word 'Kang-chan' was born.
There is such externalism in the religious life as well. Many people today ignore spiritual principles and are interested in spiritual gifts and blessings. When choosing a church, it is important to look at the appearance and choose a church that is large, colorful, and has a good interior. If there is a visible target, it rushes. Targeted beliefs can be transformed into negative beliefs. The belief that fortresses are mass-produced at the talisman printing shop, and that a single sheet of paper heals one's soul is also found in Christianity.
Faith is when the soul meets the Spirit of God. God does not like grand altars or decorations. What is important is the fear of God rather than outward appearance. Gratitude and trust are more important than flashy prayers, and love for God is more important than any ritual.
People want blessings, but the most important thing is to ‘love the Lord’. You must love the Lord more than you love most right now. Human calculations must also be abandoned. Calculating love is perverted love. True love thinks more about giving than receiving. True love is to feel sorry for not being able to give more even after giving a lot. The reason the Lord wants that kind of love is not to take everything from me, but to give me more.