“LOVEST THOU ME MORE THAN THESE?”
-John
21:15-22. - May 5.-
WE
NOW come to our Lord’s fifth manifestation of himself after his
resurrection-some would say the seventh, not counting, as we do, that our Lord’s
manifestation to Mary was the same referred to in Matthew as his appearance to
“the women,” and that his showing himself to Peter was in the walk to Em-maus.
All of these manifestations, whether we count them four or six, occurred within
the first eight days after our Lord’s resurrection-on the two first-days or
Sundays, and were in or near Jerusalem. What we des-ignate the fifth appearance
was in another part of the country altogether-in Galilee-and was probably at
least two weeks later. No account is given of the do-ings of the apostles in
the interim, but we can surmise them. They probably waited in expectation at
Jerusa-lem over the third and possibly over the fourth Sunday after the
resurrection, and were disappointed that our Lord made no further manifestation.
They then remembered, perhaps, the message which Jesus had sent by Mary, that
he would meet them in Galilee.
Having no business further at Jerusalem, and their Master and leader
having thus disappeared, “changed,” so that altho they believed him to be no
longer dead he was invisible to them except as he would appear for a few
moments talking to them, and again disappear indefinitely, they were at a loss
what to do, and decided to return to their home country on the Sea of Galilee.
More than this, as active men in the prime of life, they must be doing.
Several of them had been fishermen, and Jesus had called them from their nets
to be “fish-ers of men,” and they had left all to follow him; but now they
could no longer follow him. Everything was changed when he was changed, so far
as they could see. They could not carry on the work longer, for what could
they preach? How could they tell others of their hopes in a King who had been
crucified, and whom they, altho he was risen, could no longer see nor point out
to others? They had not yet received their new commission; nor were they quite
ready for it.
It is not surprising that under these circumstances seven of them with one
consent, under the lead of Peter, determined to re-engage in the fishing
business. This was the one business in which they had experience, and that
only three years before. They fished with nets, and the habit seems to have
been to do the fishing at night. This was the very occasion Jesus was waiting
for. He wished the disciples to reach the extremity of thinking and reasoning
on the matter of his resurrec-tion, and what they should now do, in order that
they might be prepared to receive definitely and profitably the instructions he
had to give respecting their future course. The reactionary tendency to turn
from preach-ing to the fishing business would be sure to come; and he
considered it expedient that it should come while he was with them, that they
might be profited to the utmost in respect to it. Now that they had re-embarked
in the fishing business the time had come for our Lord to dem-onstrate to them
two things: (1) That he had a mission for them to perform in connection with
the fishing for men which they had not yet accomplished, and which his death
and resurrection would not interfere with, but rather stimulate and make really
effective. (2) It would enable him to demonstrate in a most practical manner
that the divine power by which he had hitherto provided for their necessities,
and had at times fed mul-titudes, was still his, and would be continually
exer-cised in their interest if they would continue to obey him.
It is interesting for us to note thus that while our Lord was invisible to
the disciples they were visible to him, and all of their plans, arrangements
and doings were fully known to him; and he was ready to take advantage of every
circumstance and to make all things work together for their good. Thus, by
miraculous power exercised in some manner unknown to us, he hindered fish from
going into their nets that night. They, not knowing the true situation, were no
doubt greatly disappointed, grieved, vexed, at their poor suc-cess, and perhaps
classed it as a part of failure and tribulation which had in some respects
followed them ever since they had espoused the cause of Jesus. And there is a
lesson here for each and all of the Lord’s people today: We know not what is for
our highest welfare. Some-times those things which we crave and desire to
grasp, considering them to be good, might really be to our disadvantage.
Blessed are they who are able by faith to pierce the gloom of every trial and
difficulty and perplexity, and to realize that “The Lord knoweth them that are
his,” and that he is causing all things to work together for their good. So it was with the
apos-tles: their disappointment became a channel of blessed instruction.
In the dawn of the morning Jesus appeared to them as a man, standing on
the seashore. He called out to them to inquire if they had any fish, as tho he
would purchase. They replied that they had toiled all night and caught
nothing. The stranger then suggested that they cast the net on the other side
of the ship, and so humbled were they by their disappoint-ment that they did
not stop to argue the question and to declare that they were old experienced
fishermen, and that they did not know if he had any experience whatever; they
merely concluded that as they had been lifting and casting the net all night
they might just as well do it again, and thus demonstrate to the stranger that
there were no fish in that vicinity. But behold! immediately the net filled
with great fish, so that these seven strong men (Peter, Thomas, James, John,
Nathanael, and two others whose names are not given) were unable to draw it,
and were obliged to drag it ashore.
Immediately the disciples grasped the thought that the stranger on the
shore was Jesus, and none of them more quickly than loving John. The devoted
and impulsive Peter whose heart still burned as he remem-bered the Lord’s
words, and perhaps as he remembered also his own weaknesses in connection with
our Lord’s last night of earth-life, could not wait for the boat to take him to
the shore, but swam,- apparently fearing lest the Master should disappear again
before he would have another opportunity to see and converse with him. When
the disciples got to shore with their netful of fish they found, not only
Jesus, but a fire and fish thereon already cooked. Here they had the lesson
that under the Lord’s care and supervision they could either be successful or
unsuccessful in the fish business, and that he had the power, not only to give
them fish in the ordinary way, but to provide cooked fish by miraculous power
if it better served his pur-pose so to do.
They breakfasted with Jesus, for they knew him-not by any marks of nails,
but by the miracle which he had performed. We read rather peculiarly, “None of
them durst ask him, knowing it was the Lord;” they were so sure that it was he
that they could not think of even seeming to question the fact by inquiry. The
conversation while they breakfasted is not record-ed, the Evangelist coming
directly to the important words by our Lord addressed to Peter, the senior and
leader of this new fish-business partnership. He addressed Peter, not as he had
been accustomed, by his new name, Peter, but by his old name, Simon, possibly
as an intimation to Peter that he had not manifested in the last few days the
rock-like qualities implied in his surname, and was now inclined to leave the
work for the Church for secular business. And the inquiry was most pointed,
“Lovest thou me more than these ?”-boats, nets, fishing tackle, etc.? You
started out to be my disciple, and now I ask the question, In which place is
your heart-with me in the service of the Kingdom, or in the fish business?
Peter’s answer was prompt, “Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.” Jesus
responded then, “Feed my lambs”-my little ones-instead of longer following the
fish business. Then Jesus said the second time the same thing, and Peter made
the same reply, and then our Lord answered, “Take care of my sheep”-give your
thought, attention, care, to them, rather than to these fishing implements,
boats, etc. Jesus asked him the third time the same question. Peter was
grieved with this: it seemed to imply doubt on the Lord’s part, and perhaps the
third time reminded him that he had denied the Lord three times, and that now
the Lord was requiring him three times to confess his love for him. It touched
a very tender spot in Peter’s heart and experiences, and we may be sure that it
was not done by our Lord, even in this delicate manner, with a view merely to
pain Peter, but with a view to his blessing, his profit. Peter’s confession
this time was still stronger: “Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.” Jesus said
to him, “Feed my sheep.”
It is worthy of notice that our Lord’s words on these three occasions were
not exactly the same altho the Common Version so represents them. In the New
Tes-tament Greek two words are used for “love,” agapee and phileo. When
our Lord said “lovest” in the first two inquiries, he used the former word, agapas,
which signifies kind love in its strongest, purest and most
dis-interested form; but in his third inquiry our Lord used the other form, phileis,
which signifies attachment, duty-love, the obligatory love such as relatives
bear toward each other, even when the other, deeper, love is lack-ing. Peter
in all of his answers uses the latter form of the word, thus asseverating his
personal attachment and devotion to the Lord, but, in view of recent
experiences, he refrained from claiming the highest love for which our Lord
inquired. This humility was an excellent sign, as showing that Peter had
learned a needed lesson and had ceased to boast, but rather to fear his own weakness.
Our Lord’s use the third time of the word indicating duty-love grieved Peter
specially because by changing the word he implied-Are you sure that you have
even the duty-love, Peter? This discrimina-tion as between these two words is
borne out by other uses of the same in the New Testament.
DUTY-LOVE (PHILEO) ILLUSTRATED.
------
“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of
me.”-Matt. 10:37.
Duty-love to our family relatives is right, but it must not equal our
duty-love toward the Lord, else we can never follow him as “overcomers.”
“He that loveth his life shall lose it.”-John 12:25.
It is our duty to love life, in the sense of appreciating it
and being unwilling to destroy it or waste it foolishly; but he who has become
Christ’s disciple and who is pledged to walk in his footsteps even unto death
is to remember that he has already surrendered his life as a man, exchanging it
for the hope of life as a “new creature,” a spiritual being. He is no longer
to be controlled by phileo or duty-love toward earthly life, but, moved
by agapee love, he is to willingly lay down his natural life in the
service of God-“for the brethren.”
“For the Father himself loveth you, BECAUSE ye have loved me.”-John
16:27.
In both of these cases phileo signifies duty-love. This was the
highest form of love the disciples as a whole could as yet appreciate, as Peter
testified. And the Father’s love for them was the same duty-love: the disciples
had not yet received the holy spirit and its agapee or higher
disinterested love and its character, and hence the Father could not love them
for themselves but exercised a duty-love toward them merely because they
had attained a duty-love toward Christ and had be-come his friends and
disciples.
“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own.”-John
15:19.
Phileo or duty-love is exercised by the worldly par-ent and child
and neighbor on the selfish basis-“his own.”
“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema
Maranatha [-he shall be accursed or condemned to the Second Death when the
Lord comes].”-I Cor. 16:22.
An appreciation of the work of Christ will be ex-pected of all when
brought to a knowledge of the salvation which God has provided in him: and
whoever refuses to respond in phileo or duty-love will be cut off from
life early in the Millennial reign. But those who exercise the phileo or
duty-love will be expected to press forward and to attain the “mark” of agapee
love, true, disinterested character love,-if they would attain life
everlasting. Thank God that the present life does not close the door of
opportunity to any that have never known phileo or duty-love, nor to many
who have known this, but have not yet attained agapee.
“Love of money,” “lovers of their own selves,” “loveth to
have pre-eminence,” “lovers of pleasure,” “love of hospitality,”
and friend, are from phileo, duty-love or a love which has a
cause or demand upon it. Peter ex-horts that we add to brotherly kindness
(phileo) the next and higher grade of disinterested love-agapee.-2
Pet. 1:7.
DISINTERESTED LOVE (AGAPEE) ILLUSTRATED.
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“God so loved the world that he gave his only be-gotten Son.”-John
3:16.
The love prompting man’s redemption was not phileo or duty-love,
for God had not wronged his crea-ture in the sentence of death; nor had man
ever done anything for his Creator which could put the latter un-der obligation
or duty-love in return. God’s love prompt-ing to our redemption was agapee, or
disinterested char-ity, benevolence, love.
“God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet
sinners Christ died for the ungodly.”-Rom. 5:8.
This love (agapee) which God exemplified is the kind he sets before
us as the highest standard or “mark” toward which we must run if we would gain
the prize;-a mark which is impossible to our fallen flesh, but which is
attainable by our renewed minds, wills, hearts. This standard is expressed in
the words:-
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, mind, strength; and
thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”-Luke 10:27; Rom. 3:9.
“The end of the commandment is love.”-
I Tim. 1:5.
That is to say, the object of all instruction and dis-cipline on God’s
part is to bring us to this character likeness to himself represented in this
word agapee-love; for “God is love [agapee], and he that dwelleth
in love [agapee] dwelleth in God and God in him.” - I John 4:16.
We are to recognize as “brethren” those who have only the phileo degree
of duty-love, as Paul did when he wrote, “Greet [for me] all that love
[phileo] us in the faith” (Titus 3:5); but we are to see to it that we “love
the brotherhood” (I Pet. 2:17) with agapee or higher love, which
counts not present life precious and to be saved, but gladly lays down life for
the brethren-in daily and hourly sacrifices of time and money and all earthly
interests on their behalf.- John 3:16.
Peter contrasts the two loves in one verse, saying, “Seeing ye have
purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto [the extent
of] unfeigned love [phileo] of the brethren, see that ye [go on to] love
[agapee] one another with a pure heart, fervently.”-I Pet. 1:22.
“Love [agapee] worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love [agapee]
is the fulfilling of the Law.”-Rom. 13:10.
It is agapee that is mistranslated “charity” in I Cor.
8:1-“Knowledge puffeth up, but agapee buildeth up.”
It is agapee that is misrendered “charity” in the Apostle’s great
discourse on love in I Cor. 13 :1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 13; 14: 1. Here he styles agapee
love the prin-cipal thing of Christian character, the crown of all
Christian graces, telling us that without it all sacrifices and self-denials
would be valueless in God’s esteem, while with it as the inspiring motive our
feeblest efforts are acceptable through Christ.
PETER WISELY AND GENTLY REPROVED.
------
So far as the record shows these questions respect-ing his present love
were the only reproof our Lord gave Peter on account of his temporary
deflection and denial of his cause; and here we have a lesson which many of the
Lord’s people will do well to lay closely to heart. Many feel as tho they must
exact from a brother or a sister a very decided apology for any act of
discourtesy, even tho much less important than Peter’s misdeed. Let us learn well this
lesson of re-proving others very gently, very considerately, kindly, by a hint
rather than by a direct charge and detail of the wrong-by an inquiry respecting
the present condi-tion of their hearts, rather than respecting a former
condition, in which we know that they have erred. We are to be less careful
for the punishments that will follow wrongdoings than for the recovery of the
erring one out of the error of his way. We are not to attempt to judge and to
punish one another for mis-deeds, but rather to remember that all this is in
the hands of the Lord;-we are not in any sense of the word to avenge ourselves
or to give a chastisement or recompense for evil. This is not to be
under-stood as annulling parental obligation to judging and chastening
children; tho the principle of love is to have full control there also, to the
extent of our judgment. We are to have kindness, love and benevolence toward
all, especially toward those who are followers of Jesus. As for Peter and his
denial of the Lord, and as to the offenses which may come to us through
brethren, we may know that under divine providence some cor-rective penalty or
discipline, direct or indirect, always follows; but we are not to attempt to
inflict those pen-alties, nor to impress a condemnation, upon those who are in
error and who realize their error, but rather to sympathize with them wisely,
by helping them to learn the good lessons.
On the other hand, however, we would all have considered it a noble act on
Peter’s part had he fallen at our Lord’s feet at his first opportunity and
entreated his forgiveness for the weaknesses of the past. We would have loved
and honored him the more for so hearty a manifestation of his repentance:
indeed, altho the account does not so state, he may have done this. And
brethren who at any time trespass upon the rights, interests or feelings of
others, however unintentionally, should be prompt and hearty in their
apologies; even tho brethren filled with agapee would not demand this as
a condition of fellowship.
In replying to Peter our Lord uses three different Greek words in his
three different exhortations: the first time he exhorts him to feed the lambs;
the second time to care for or tend the sheep; the third time to feed the weak
or delicate sheep. This gives us three views of the Lord’s flock. There are
the young, the beginners, the lambs, the babes in Christ, undeveloped in
Christian character, and who need special feeding with the truth,-“the
milk of the Word.” Secondly, there are the more matured sheep of the Lord’s
flock, of riper knowledge and character, who have learned to attend to their
own feeding upon the precious truth; but who, nevertheless, need tending or
guidance, direc-tion, oversight. Thirdly, there are the weak sheep, who for
the time ought to be strong, ought to be able to feed themselves upon the
bounties which the Lord has graciously provided in his Word, but who, through
weaknesses of the flesh, or besetments, or bad provender, or some reason, have
not made progress, and are there-fore weak in the faith. These are to be fed,
cared for. And all of these matters are parts of a bishop’s or overseer’s duty
in the Lord’s flock.
While the Lord’s words were addressed specially to Peter, as the leader of
the group, undoubtedly the instructions were meant also for all of the
“eleven,” for the apostles were all bishops, all caretakers of the Lord’s
flock. And the same message is applicable, tho not in the same degree, to all
ministers of the truth today; whoever, by the grace of God, is placed in a
position of opportunity to feed the Lord’s flock should consider it one of the
highest privileges of life, and should gladly lay aside every weight and
hindrance, that he might thoroughly enjoy and perform this ser-vice. Thus the
Apostle said to the elders at Ephesus, “Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves,
and to all the flock, over which the holy spirit hath made you over-seers, to
feed the Church of God.”-Acts 20:28.
These three classes of the Lord’s flock are to be found today: the young,
the advanced and strong, and the weak and delicate, who need special
assistance. Of this latter class many today are in Babylon, and need the
helping hand which the Lord’s people are able to extend to them-they are weak,
impoverished through lack of nourishment, through a famine, not of bread nor of
water, but for hearing of the word of the Lord. (Amos 8:11.) They have been
hearing the words of human theory and “tradition of the elders” for a long
time, and have been starving upon its inconsistencies; and so, wherever found,
they are hungering and thirst-ing for the truth, and need that Peter and all of
the Lord’s followers shall do with their might what they are able to do to
deliver such from the chains of error and darkness by which they are held-to
liberate them and bring them in contact with the spiritual food which the
heavenly Father is now so abundantly supplying.
In view of Peter’s prompt and unhesitating answers respecting his filial
or duty-love, the Lord gave a prophecy indicating that he would indeed be
faithful to the last; and implying that he would be a martyr by cruci-fixion,
his hands being extended. And tradition tells us that Peter was faithful even
unto death, and that being ordered to be put to death by crucifixion by Nero,
at his own request he was executed head downward, as being unworthy, according
to his own statement, to be crucified as was his Lord.
Our Lord’s words, “Follow me,” referred not merely to a spiritual
following, but he walked along the shore of the sea, the disciples following.
Peter having heard the Lord’s prophetic declaration respecting himself, seeing
John near, inquired respecting his future-What will he do? What will happen to
him? Will he be faithful unto death, and will he also be a martyr? Our Lord’s
refusal to answer may be con-sidered rather in the light of a reproof to Peter
and a lesson to us all. We are not to question divine provi-dence, but rather
to submit ourselves thereto. It seems to be a trait of human nature to think
of companion-ship even in trouble, persecution, etc., and many, like Peter,
have wondered why they should have trials and difficulties different from those
which came upon some others of the Lord’s flock. The Master’s answer to Peter
is his answer to all such: “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.” Each of us
should learn the lesson of reliance upon the Lord’s wisdom in all of our
affairs, whether he has particularly indicated them or left them still
obscure. We may know of his love and wis-dom and power, and may trust him
where we cannot trace him, and be contented whatever lot we see, since we know
it is his hand that it is leading.
“IF I WILL THAT HE TARRY TILL I COME.”
------
These our Lord’s words respecting John, seem to have raised the suggestion
in the minds of the disciples that John would not die-that while the others
would die he would remain alive until the second coming of Christ. But John
himself tells us that Jesus said nothing of this kind; it was purely an
inference on the part of the disciples. We may see in John a figure of some of
the Church living in the end of the Gospel age-unto the second presence of the
Lord. John is not alive, but a class whom he represented has continued and
still remains and will then be “changed,” etc. Let us who are privileged to remain to
this time of favor and blessing and enlightenment give glory to the Lord, and
see to it that the loving disposition of John is man-ifested in us, and also
his energy, his zeal; for while he is called the loving disciple we are to
remember also that he was, because of his impetuous zeal, styled, with his
brother, Boanerges-sons of thunder. Let us be full of energy, full of
sacrifices which love prompts, that we may glorify our Lord in our bodies and
spirits which are his. To this end it will be well that we remember the Lord’s words,
which applied to the entire seven as well as to Peter, tho he was spokesman for
the entire number: “Lovest thou me more than these?” The same question arises
with all of the Lord’s people today. It is necessary that we have more or less
contact with the world, with business, with home duties, with social amenities,
etc., and the question is, How shall we dis-charge our duties, balancing them
with our duties to-ward the Lord, as “new creatures,” his “royal priesthood”?
Shall the Lord see that we love the earthly things better than him? If so, he
declares that we are not worthy of him, and he will not recognize us as members
of his Bride. He will have in that select little flock only such as love him
supremely-more than they love houses or lands, husbands or wives, or chil-dren,
or any earthly thing.-Matt. 10 : 37.