The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

John 21:15-17, “So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,

‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord;

You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My lambs.’

16 He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’

He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Shepherd

My sheep.’ 17 He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’

Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he

said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him,

‘Tend My sheep.’”

This passage always seemed strange to me –until I learned that Jesus and Peter

weren’t saying the same thing. Jesus’ word for love was different from Peter’s.

Jesus’ word was agape, of which Danker says, “having such an interest in another

that one wishes to contribute to the other’s well-being.” It’s a deep love, a love of

will and commitment. Peter’s word, however, was phileo, a devotion based on

emotion –an outward expression of affection. When a girl hears a boy say, “I love

you,” she needs to carefully assess what he means. The boy, too, needs to be careful,

so as not to mislead the girl. The Greeks avoided this difficulty by using the right word.

Our English language does not have this flexibility.

Peter was grieved (saddened and distressed) that Jesus had asked him the same

thing three times. Perhaps it was because Peter had denied Him three times. It’s

a good question for us, however. Are we saddened that the LORD has to ask us

whether we truly love Him? He has work for us to do, but we’re not prepared unless

we’re genuinely committed to Him and His will. BTW, what is His will for your life?

It commences with commitment.

We love and pray for you every, single day,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”