What Does the Lord Know About Us?

He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (John 21:17 KJV)

What Does it Mean to Love Someone?

In the Bible the word love is characterized by different words.  One is sacrificial love like the word used in John 3:16.  One is the personal love or affection shown to a friend.  The word that is used for love between lovers is not found in the new testament.  

When we are told to love God and to love our neighbors, sacrificial love is meant.  It is the love of duty and of doing.  The essay on love in 1 Corinthians 13 is dealing with that kind of devotional love.  There are 15 characteristics associated with that kind of love in that chapter by my count.

We all Have Trouble with Devotional Love!

One of the reasons that we have trouble with devotional love is that it is not a part of our DNA.  That is one reason why we need to be saved–our hearts need to be changed.  John says,  “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10 NKJV).”  This is the sacrificial devotional love often called charity.  I don’t think any one of us loved God in this way until we came as lost sinners to the cross and realized that God loved us enough to allow His Son to pay the price of our salvation.  

Peter had trouble with this kind of love.  He expressed his intent to love the Lord in this way when he said, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times (John 13:37-38 NKJV).”  And so before the night was over, Peter had denied him three times.  He had tried to defend the Lord, even cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant.  But still when faced with identifying with the Lord before the high priest, he failed.  And he knew he failed.  He wept bitterly.

The Real Question

After the resurrection when the Lord was meeting with Peter and his fishing companions, Peter was asked three times about his love for this One who was now raised from the dead and standing before him.  The Lord asked him twice if he had charity for Him.  Peter would only say that he was truly his friend, he would not use the word charity.  He was confessing his failure.  He knew that if he said he had charity for the Lord, he might fail the test again.  But he did  love the Lord as a friend.  

The last time the Lord asked Peter if he loved him, he used the word friend and not the word charity.  He (the Lord) said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me (are you my friend)?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me (as a friend)?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You (as a friend) (John 21:17 NKJV).”  

I know Peter denied the Lord three times and he had three chances to reaffirm the kind of charity for the Lord at which he had failed.  But he would only tell the Lord, “You know all things; You know that I love you.”  He was saying, “I am truly your friend but I don’t know if push comes to shove, I will be able to act like I truly have charity for you.”  Then the Lord goes ahead and tells him that he actually will show that charity when he dies.  He tells him that he was going to die by crucifixion and historians say he was crucified upside down.  He never again professed a love that humanly speaking he might not be able to fully demonstrate.  Yet, in dying he did demonstrate that love.

What About Us?

Sometimes I wonder if I really know what love is all about.  I have found out that when people set up a meeting with you and  start out with the statement, we are telling you this because we love you, normally they don’t.  They are only trying to control you.  That is not a scientific statement, it is just my limited observations.  But I know that I cannot possibly love the Lord or love my neighbors in the devotional sacrificial way that the Lord loves me.  But Peter could say, “Lord you know all things, you know that I am truly your friend.”  If the Lord knows all things, what does he know about my love for Him? What does he know about your love for him?

I would like to believe that the Lord knows that with all my failures, I am truly His friend.

Bruce Collins

Meditation for the week of February 23, 2025

If you would like further conversation about the issues in these meditations, contact me at collinsbd@yahoo.com and I will try to accommodate you with a virtual Bible Study.