Title Conditions of Discipleship/John 21:15-17
Content Conditions for discipleship/John 21:15-17
Key Verse: “Do you love me more than these?” (verse 15).
Word: The person who truly loved the Lord deeply, yet betrayed the Lord most deeply, was the Apostle Peter. Today's text is Jesus testing Peter's love for the Lord with three questions before Peter. To these three questions, Peter clearly answered that he loved the Lord. That's right. The absolute condition of discipleship is to love the Lord. But there is a problem. It is only how much you love the Lord to be a disciple. What are the cut-off points for love to become a disciple?
First, as much as I love the Lord more than these people. A disciple must truly love the Lord more than my people, my family, or myself. If it is not clear here, no one can be a disciple of Jesus.
Second, as much as the Lord conceded. When Jesus asks, “Are you agape me more than these people?” in Jesus’ first question, Peter does not answer, “Yes, I love the Lord more than these people.” What do you mean? A disciple of Jesus must be someone who loves Jesus more than anyone, more than anything else. That's right. Even if a disciple abandons all of them, he must not forsake the Lord alone, he must be a man who loves nothing more than Jesus, and he must be a man who can even be martyred. Like Peter, who promised, “Even if I forsake everything, I am ready to die for you.”
But now Peter speaks honestly. “Lord, it was a mistake. It is certainly true that I love the Lord, but as the Lord said, I am no longer confident to say that I love the Lord more than anything else. Because I have abandoned the Lord because my life was more precious than the Lord. what do you mean? It means that I am not worthy to be a disciple. The Lord foretold three betrayals of Peter. But, “I love you, but I don’t have the qualifications to be a disciple,” he said to Peter, who acknowledged his weakness and incompetence. From now on, take care of my sheep.” Rather, he acknowledges his discipleship. Guys, who can be a disciple of Jesus? A disciple is someone who knows he has no qualifications at all. And because God has seen them, those who know that they have become disciples with only a pull-up become disciples. Jesus asked about love, not to re-educate Peter to be a disciple, but to make him know that he was qualified to become a disciple because of God's unchanging love for Peter. And that's three times.
Prayer: Lord, who questioned love three times to confirm God's unchanging love to Peter who failed, grant us to live as faithful servants, always receiving the confirmation of God's deep love for us in humility knowing that we are not worthy. Please. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Lord's Prayer