More Than These

How much do you love? What a question! Is there a way to measure the extent of our love for God? Well, Jesus asked Peter this question in John 21:15 (NASB),

"So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You" He said to him, "Tend My lambs."

What is the "MORE THAN THESE"?

Jesus could not be referring to the rest of the disciples nor the fishes, because I believe Jesus had no doubt that Peter would love Him more than these. So what does the word, "THESE", refer to?

I believe it is probably referring to the miraculous catch. You can see the impact of the catch through the fact that the disciples actually COUNTED every fish caught - one hundred and fifty-three (as shown in verse 11).

Jesus knows the conditions of our hearts. He knew, in the case of Peter, that he was attracted to Jesus through the spectacular acts of God. When Peter was called, he was called right after a catch too. It is of no wonder that Jesus created a similar experience to allow Peter to revisit his motivation to love.

Peter was confronted with this pointed question - Do you love Me more than the miraculous, more than the spectacular, more than the world could offer? And in his brokenness, Peter confessed his love for Jesus and as a result brought the much awaited healing for his soul.

Do you love God more than _________________ (fill in your own blank)?

Only when we truly love God, more than the rival thrones in our lives, can we live out the healed life that God intends for us.

Finally, from the sequence of Jesus' question and prompting, we can see love precedes labour. It matters to God that our service for Him is accompanied by our passion for Him.

So, how much do you love God?