Do You Love me more than these?

John 21:15 (NLT)

Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?

Luann and I have had a running joke for thirty-three years we signed every card, “Love you more.” Proclaiming to each other that we love the other one more than they love us, and saying its OK I just love you more. Priorities can be confusing for sure. People often say one thing and live another. Actions often proclaim that money; hobbies, vocation and even sports have more of us than do family, faith and marriage. If we really had to pick which ones would we choose?

Jesus did not just ask Peter do you love me he ask him do you love me more than these? For centuries the question has been what were “these?” Of course “these” can be a multitude of things but if Jesus is Lord then it cannot be anything. In Peter’s case I think Jesus may have been pointing at the 153 fish he had caught in verse ten. You see after Jesus death he had gone back to doing what he had done before he met Jesus, fishing.  The one thing Peter was good at, the one place he felt comfortable. And now the question is put before him, will you spend your life fishing for fish or will you fish for people. You cannot do both. Peter do you love me more than these… because it is not going to be good enough to simply love me… you must love me more.

I do love quite a few things in this world but I must love Jesus more. If I do not then something has been elevated to a place in my life that nothing should hold other than the One who seats upon the throne of my life. Can you say today there is no one nor is there anything that I love more than Jesus?