God loves me. I have heard this thousands of times. But recently, I have realized that my interpretation of the love that God has for us has fallen dramatically short of its true nature. How can I have experienced so much love in life from people and given my love to people, but be so off about God’s love. God’s kind of love is a love that is unconditional. The definition of unconditional is: not subject to any conditions. Thank you dictionary.com. Since the definition was not a lightning bolt of revelation, I started looking at the synonyms of unconditional, which are: unqualified, unreserved, unlimited, unrestricted, unmitigated, unquestioning. I think I love unconditionally, but I don’t. My love is often qualified: if I love you, you need to respond positively or I will take my love elsewhere. My love is limited: I can only love as much as I am capable in this moment. My love is reserved: I will hold back some of my love, until you prove you are worthy. My love is insecure: if I feel you have wronged me, I will I will with hold my love until I am sufficiently satisfied with your responses. My love can change, dwindle, ebb and flow. This is completely different from the agape love that God has for us. His love is complete and it is pure. Unchanging with our failures and successes. He doesn’t need us to qualify to have it, we qualify by existing as we are, loved because He created us to be loved. His love is never restricted in any way, it flows and flows, regardless if we have chosen to accept it, embrace it or turn from it. His love is unquestioning, secure and steady. He, in the simplest and most perfect way, loves us. As we are. He looked at us in the middle of our messy lives, living for ourselves, wrapped in sin, and thought, “What can I do to save these people from their sin? From themselves?”
In John, Peter is having a conversation with Jesus. This is post Peter's denial, post death and resurrection, so I can only assume that Peter may be harboring some guilt and regret for his actions. How did Jesus know he would deny him?! How can Peter recover their relationship after that epic failure?
John 21:15-17: When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
If we aren't diligent readers, we might miss in translation what is going on between Peter and Jesus. This isn's a mere testing of how many times Peter would respond. Nor is it that Jesus had to ask him three times to equal the number of times Peter denied Him. The first two times Jesus asked if Peter loves Him, He says "truly love him" while the third time, which saddens Peter, He only says "love him." If you were to look at the original word that is used in this exchange, Jesus' first two questions use to word agape love, while Peter's response is a different word for love, which is "phileo". Agape love denotes a transcendent love that is higher than all other forms, while phileo love is a friendship kind of love. As Jesus asks Peter if he "agape" loves him, Peter knows that his love falls short. Ultimately Jesus meets Peter where he is at in his love, as an act of compassion that does not go unnoticed as Peter realizes that his own love falls short of the love Jesus has for him. It's a love that was willing to die for him.
God's motivation IS HIS LOVE FOR US, not our response to His love.
God’s love is so great that it isn’t just the words, or an idea, or a feeling that comes and goes. His love is an action. Agape= a love that knows all of our parts: past, present, and everything in between, embraces it all, ACTIVELY, and doesn't need anything in return. A love that would willing pay the highest price so that we wouldn't have to. (Definition my own) This is the only love big enough to save us.
