Fall Workshop Devotion 2019

It’s probably safe to say that many of you who came here to this Christian University consider yourselves Christians and if asked would say that you love God. Many of us even are to the point where we want to get out there and serve God and demonstrate our love for God.

Shortly after Christ’s resurrection, he was on the shore of the Sea of Galilee later called the Sea of Tiberias, with Peter and John and a few other disciples. He turns to Peter and says: John 21:15, 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.” John 21:16, He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” John 21:17, He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.

Peter was starting to get frustrated with the Lord repeating the question so many times. What Peter was missing was what the Lord was saying. In the first two verses Christ used the word AGAPAO but Peter answered with another word for love PHILEO. He doesn’t say, “I AGAPAO you.” He says, “I PHILEO you.” When the Lord says, “Do you AGAPAO Me?” Peter says, “Yes I PHILEO.” In the English, it all says love and both of them are translated love so you don’t get the nuance of what is going on. Peter’s problem here is that he misunderstands the nature of the love that Jesus is demanding of him. He doesn’t really understand the love Jesus demands. AGAPAO means to love but in this case it’s a very specific type of love. This love is internal. It is a mental attitude. The attitude is directed toward a worthy object. This personal love is never self-centered as in: I love you because you are beautiful or I love you because you make me feel good or I love you because of your strength and leadership abilities. Human love is fickle. It changes. It comes and it goes. It lacks sustaining power and stability. It comes and goes with anger and disappointment.

Peter is being honest. He does love the Lord but that PHILEO love has failed him in the past. PHILEO is not a bad word, it’s just being contrasted here to the ultimate in love - AGAPAO. PHILEO actually means a tender affection. It reveals a close personal relationship or a great friendship. It carries an emotional connotation which is the type of love Peter has for the Lord at this time. Just a week or so ago Peter had denied the Lord three times even though he PHILEO loved the Lord. It was an unstable and unreliable love for what Peter’s mission requires. It is not the strength of AGAPAO the personal, virtue love based on the worthy character of the flawless Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ knew this so He asked Peter if he loved Him with a selfless, objective virtue love, AGAPAO love. Peter had experienced that type of love throughout the time he was with Christ. Christ had demonstrated it. He has just experienced the ultimate in AGAPAO love. Barely a week before this time together on the beach, Jesus Christ had sacrificed Himself for Peter and the whole world on the cross. Did Peter reciprocate that kind of love for Jesus Christ? Such that he would die for Christ? Obviously not. He had the chance to demonstrate it when they questioned him during the trials, “Don’t you know Christ?” Peter said nope three times and even cursed Him the last time and then he ran away.

How is this special AGAPAO love for Christ developed? It comes from getting to know our Lord and Savior better. It doesn’t come from what YOU do for Him. Our service to the Lord is a result of AGAPAO love. In the spiritual/Christian life we always have room to grow more. In our mental attitudes there is always room for growth. The more you know God/Christ, the more you appreciate God/Christ, the more you develop certain qualities that Peter must now develop toward Christ. Peter demonstrates that he finally gets it when he writes 2 Peter 3:18: Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior who is Jesus Christ. There is never enough. Continue to grow in grace and knowledge, don’t ever quit. As knowledge of doctrine and grace orientation increases so does your personal love. 

AGAPAO love takes time. AGAPAO for God needs to be the motive for your life, for living the spiritual life. The question is asked to you as well: Do you love Me? Inner virtue must be involved, not just emotion, or enthusiasm, or subjectivity. Serving God and praying are very important but unless you make time everyday to get to know God and learn about Him, those reflections of love will not have the full power and impact that they could have.

What does this have to do with Informatics? I will make some human applications over the next few days but ultimately if your love for God is increasing so are the qualities of integrity and leadership growing in your human life. It reflects in everything that you do including doing your job as unto the Lord.