Lent day 17: Do You Love Me? Do You Really Love Me?? Do You Love Me??? Then Do This…

We need to put ourselves in the shoes of Apostle Peter when Jesus asked him this question, not once but three times. Given his recent denial of Jesus before his crucifixion, he must have been consumed with renewed guilt and nervousness at the same time. He probably wondered if there was going to be some kind of retribution from Christ.  But when we are penitent, Jesus is great at turning our  falls and weaknesses into opportunities for grace to flow into us, and through us into others for God’s glory.

Feed my sheep was all Christ would tell him. That’s it. Peter had shown remorse earlier and wept bitterly. Jesus had seen his desire to move on from his failure and was not going to keep reminding him about it. There was no need to dwell on the past of a man who had exhibited so much sorrow for his fall. When Jesus wipes the slate, He wipes it clean. The past is gone. He needed this zealous man to direct his exuberant energy into heading the new Church that was about to begin.

In many ways, Jesus has this conversation with us everyday. When we are reluctant or in doubt about carrying out an act of kindness or being charitable to others , we can imagine Jesus asking us – Do you love me? Do you really love me? If you do, serve others…..Be charitable….Show kindness because of the love you have for me….Show me how much you love me. The focus of our  christian service and acts of kindness is Jesus and not the recipients or beneficiaries. It is Jesus that asks for it; it is Jesus that gives us the grace, abilities and resources; and it is all for the glory of His Father.

We too fall often, denying Jesus and his teachings in some way when we sin. Sometimes we are remorseful, sometimes we are blind to the fact that we may have offended God. But we can take comfort in the knowledge that Jesus scrutinizes our hearts and sees our varying degrees of reverence and love, just as he knew exactly how much Peter loved him while asking those questions. He gives us an opportunity to express that love when we do good to others.

‘Whatsoever you do unto the least of my brothers, that you do unto me’ – Matt. 25:40. Dear Jesus, please help my inner spirit to recognize every opportunity you put in my path to prove my love to you…and help me not to fail this test of my relationship with you…because you are the source of all that I have and all that I am. Amen.