Articles
I Love You
“You know that I love You.” (Jn. 21:17)
The words seem to roll off the tongue with ease without a second thought. When a young girl or boy experience their first crush, saying “I like you” or “I love you” seems only natural. Maybe those words aren’t spoken, but holding hands or passing a note expressing one’s affection is commonplace in adolescence. Anyone that has ever experienced puppy love recognizes that there is only a superficial infatuation. Some exceptions may exist, but generally, there is not a true deep intimacy that has developed.
From an early age, there is a need for love and connection. Healthy touch. Listening ears. Children that have both their father and mother while growing up hopefully receive this nurturing love. We can conclude from childhood that emotional intimacy is a life necessity.
Love takes time to grow. It is not going to spring up overnight. Similar to flowers. It requires care. Care that consists of watering and feeding. Maintain contact. Love takes effort. Work. Work that is not one-sided. It takes two.
True love comprises humility. The needs of others come first. Looking out for number one doesn’t exist. In a self-absorbed society, this idea may seem bizarre. When we step away and evaluate love in its purest form, it is an unfathomable wonderful thing.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13). He lived by His words. He gave His life because of His love for His friends. The life of Christ was the complete expression of love. Peter describes the Lord’s character even while He suffered, “…And while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while, suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet. 2:23). Directly opposes, “Well, if you attack me, then I will attack you.” The last words of Jesus are among the most sobering of all, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk. 23:34). Who conveys such love for those that seek to take your life? We may not, but the Lord did!
Throughout His brief life, Jesus loved without hypocrisy. In one of His most difficult lessons, Jesus said, “Love your enemies” (Matt. 5:44). A typical reaction may be, “Who does that? or Are you nuts?!” As already stated, the Lord didn’t withhold His love from those that struck Him or crucified Him. Nor did He deny His love, even those who denied Him. He sought to restore and did so to His disciples, especially Peter.
After Peter had failed to acknowledge His Lord, at least for some time, He chose to be the Lord’s enemy (cf. Matt. 26:74). Not until after Jesus rose from the dead did He approach Peter and restore His fallen soldier (cf. Jn. 21:15ff). It would appear that Peter, this “rock,” had crumbled and needed to be molded again. In a sense, Peter ran away to what he knew, and that was fishing. However, the Lord had to remind Peter that his job was to fish for men (cf. Matt. 4:19). If we were in Peter’s sandals, we would surely be uncomfortable. We must realize what the Lord was doing. He needed to teach Peter what matters most. Peter’s priority was to leave his old life behind and share the word of God (i.e., feed the Lord’s sheep, cf. Matt. 28:18ff; Mk. 16:15).
Before we utter the words, “I love you,” let’s pause for a moment and make sure it is for the right reason. Do not use these words merely because of an infatuation or any other flippant manner. Hopefully, we acknowledge with these words that this person is a child of God. A child made in His image. A child that the Lord Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself for in the hopes that they might live. Most of all, may we declare, “I Love You, Lord.”
