Reflections

Lovest thou Me?

When Jesus Christ was about to leave this world He placed His affairs largely in the hands of one man - Simon Peter (John 21:15-17). Now that, you must admit, appeared a very daring thing to do, especially as Peter had not proved too trustworthy in the past. Yet Jesus did not hesitate to do it.

Before handing to him the tremendous responsibility of holding the keys of the Kingdom, however, there was something about which Jesus wanted to be sure, and so taking Simon Peter aside He asked him a thrice-repeated question . What was it? "Peter are you familiar with the principles of public speaking?" No. "Peter do you understand the technical details of my religion?" No. "Peter are you able to handle the financial matters relating to My Church?" No. What was it then? It was this. "Peter do you love Me?" And that brothers and sisters, is the core of Christianity. 

It is fascinating to watch the play upon words here, for two Greek words come into focus in this passage. The word Jesus used in His probing question was Agape- Lovest (Agape) thou Me? Peter's reply, however, was  couched in the weaker Greek word Philio- meaning friendship. But if Christ was to build a Kingdom He needed more than loyalty from Peter - He needed his  complete and unqualified love. The third response Peter made included the the word Agape - "You know that I love you (Agape)" - Peter was now ready for his new responsibility in opening up the gates of the Kingdom of God at Pentecost. But this is not just a scrap of history, for Jesus is still standing on that shore looking straight into your eyes and asking that same question  "Do you love Me?" What is your response? Agape or Philio?

Reflections

"I Don't feel Like A Quiet Time!"

We need to develop a healthy spiritual appetite, through daily prayer and the reading of God's Word - the Bible. However the question to consider is this: Do we have to wait until we want to pray and read God's Word, or do we do it whether we feel like it or not? The answer is - we do it whether we feel like it or not.  

 The Christian life is not simply a belief in certain doctrines but a discipline in which we move beyond creeds - to deeds. The deed is really the creed - the thing we really believe in enough to put into practise. We do not believe in what we do not  practise. Those who go from week to week without establishing  a daily discipline of prayer and Bible reading are severing themselves from the very life by which they grow.

"But how," you ask, "do we go about changing our feelings so that we want to pray and read the Bible?" Firstly, examine your heart and see if there is anything in your life that needs to be corrected? Is there some sin or spiritual violation that needs to be put right? If there is, then attend to it at once. The old saying that "sin will keep you from prayer, but prayer will keep you from sin" is right. Secondly, recognise, that there is nothing you can do to change your feelings.  You cannot, for example, say to your heart - "feel happy", for the power to change your feelings lies beyond your will. What you can do, however, is to exert your will so that you keep your Quiet Time, and as you expose your thoughts to God in prayer and through the reading of the Word then your thoughts, opened up to God, will soon bring about a change in your feelings.