Life Marks – “The Greatest of These”

Most of you have, at one time or another, heard of or even read the “Love Chapter” in the Bible. It’s found in Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, Chapter 13 (1 Cor. 13). In that chapter, Paul spends a lot of time talking about Love, and then wraps up the chapter by identifying the three top Christian virtues, namely, Faith, Hope, and Love. In his last words of this chapter, Paul states categorically that, “The greatest of these is love” (I Cor. 13:13).

In the English language, we use the word “love” to cover a broad range of affections. One might speak of loving baseball, ice cream, a beautiful painting, a sunset, or one’s spouse and children. But the Greek language (the language in which the New Testament was written), is much more specific about its use of the word “love.” For example, the Greek word eros, refers primarily to “romantic love,” phileo, to “brotherly love,” and agape, to God’s kind of love, which is both unconditional and sacrificial. There are no “strings attached” to God’s kind of love, and in fact, is usually costs someone a great deal to love someone else, including loving God.

As we think about Good Friday coming up in April, we are reminded of how Peter denied Jesus three times as he warmed himself by a “charcoal” fire outside of the quarters where Jesus was being tried by the Jewish High Court. Fear overwhelmed him as many gathered around the fire recognized him as having been with Jesus, but Peter denied even knowing Him. And then, after the resurrection, Jesus met the disciples by the shores of the Sea of Galilee. As the disciples were catching nothing during their fishing expedition, Jesus had prepared another “charcoal” fire by the shore as He told the disciples to throw the nets on the other side of the boat. They did so, and hauled in a huge catch of fish. Recognizing that it was Jesus on the shore, Peter jumped into the Lake and swam to meet Him first.

Wanting to encourage Peter, Jesus had carefully “reset the stage” to take Peter back to the night of his greatest failure. And so, after preparing a similar “charcoal” fire, Jesus asked the same question of Peter three times, as a reminder of his three denials. The question was simply, “Peter, do you love me?” It seems so redundant in English, but the Greek is incredibly instructive for us.

Jesus’ first question: “Peter, do you love me?” Jesus used the word agape, meaning unconditionally and sacrificially. He asked him if he loved Him with God’s kind of love?

Peter’s response: “Lord, you know that I love you.” Peter did not reply with agape, but with phileo, meaning “Lord, I love you like a brother.”

Jesus’ second question: “Peter, do you love me?” Again, Jesus used the word agape.

Peter’s response: “Lord, you know that I love you.” And again, Peter responded with phileo, not agape. Peter is saying to Jesus: “Lord, I can’t love you with agape love, but I can love you like a brother.”

Jesus’ third Question: “Peter, do you love me?” But this time, Jesus used the word phileo, and not agape. Jesus is saying, “Peter, I understand that you cannot love me with unconditional and sacrificial love now, but only with brotherly love. If you are willing, give me some time to work in your heart, and I’ll show you how to love with agape love.

Peter’s response: “Lord, you know that I love you.” And again, Peter responded with phileo.

Some would criticize Jesus by saying that he lowered the bar from his ultimate expectation of Peter. In so doing, they say that Peter should have been reprimanded for not loving as Jesus expected him to do. But how can anyone do something that they are incapable of doing, at least at that moment? In each case, Jesus told Peter to “feed My sheep.” In other words, “Peter, be a faithful pastor, and as you serve Me, I will show you how to love with agape love.”

I love this story in John 21 because Jesus is telling us that He will take us right where we are. For Peter, he was only capable of loving Jesus like a brother, but knowing Jesus as he did, Peter undoubtedly sensed that he would one day learn to love Him and others with agape love. And, sure enough, over thirty-five years later, when Peter wrote his first general letter to several churches, he encouraged them to “Love one another fervently” (1 Pet. 4:8). Yes, he used the word agape as he called them to love with genuine sincerity, from the heart.

Can’t reach the high bar of agape? Indeed, it’s tough to love unconditionally and sacrificially. But give God some time to work in your heart. Ask Him to help you love God and other people unconditionally and sacrificially. And I believe that, like Peter, your love will be changed from phileo (able to love like a brother) to agape (able to love like God loves, unconditionally and sacrificially).

There is much more to say about love, and that will be our focus for next week also.