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Meeting Us Where We Are At
After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten
breakfast with them, he said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John,
do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes,
Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my
lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time…” John
21:15–16
Today’s resurrection appearance is the third time Jesus appeared to
His disciples, as recorded in John’s Gospel. It took place while
seven of the Apostles were fishing. Following a miraculous catch of
fish, they recognized Jesus on the shore. After they went to Him,
Jesus cooked breakfast and asked Peter three times if he loved
Him.
The first time Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, Jesus used the
verb agapáō (from the noun agápē), but Peter
responded with the verb philéō: “‘Simon, son of John, do you
agapáō Me more than these?’” Simon Peter answered Him,
“‘Yes, Lord, You know that I philéō You.’” The word
agapáō refers to a deeper form of love—a self-sacrificial,
total commitment that reflects the love of God for humanity. It
involves a love that is not just affection but is marked by a
willingness to sacrifice for the good of the other, the kind of
love exemplified by Jesus Himself. Peter’s use of the word
philéō, on the other hand, refers to a more affectionate,
friendly love, often associated with a deeper, more humanly focused
bond of friendship. While sincere, it is less intense and
self-sacrificial than agápē love.
The second time Jesus asks the question, He again uses
agapáō, and Peter again responds with philéō. The
third time, Jesus shifts His question to match Peter’s response,
using philéō: “Simon, son of John, do you philéō Me?”
Peter responds again with philéō: “Lord, You know
everything; You know that I philéō You.”
This shift to philéō in the third question shows that Jesus
meets Peter where he is, acknowledging Peter’s limitations and his
current ability to love with a more affectionate, rather than
sacrificial, love. This exchange also highlights Peter’s awareness
of his weakness and his humility in acknowledging that he cannot
yet love with the full depth of agápē to which Jesus is
calling him.
At the end of the conversation, Jesus states: “Amen, amen, I say to
you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where
you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want
to go” (John 21:18). Jesus was not only prophesying that Peter
would die as a martyr, but also that through his martyrdom, Peter’s
death would glorify God, as it would be the ultimate expression of
the sacrificial agápē love to which Jesus had called him.
This promise to Peter would have given him hope for the future,
even as he faced the challenge of his calling.
Despite Peter’s weakness and inability to express agápē,
Jesus not only meets Peter where he is but also gives him a
threefold mission of divine importance. He says, “Feed My
lambs…tend My sheep…feed My sheep.” While these commands might seem
similar, they differ in their emphasis. To “feed My lambs” implies
Peter’s mission to care for those who are weak in faith and in need
of the initial nourishment of the Word of God. To “tend My sheep”
means to shepherd and guide the mature Christians. To “feed My
sheep” emphasizes the need for those mature in their faith to
receive nourishment through a deeper understanding of the Word of
God and the gift of the Eucharist, the Bread of Life. Though Peter
was imperfect, struggling with guilt and discouragement over his
inability to express the depth of love Jesus was asking of him,
Jesus still entrusted him with a divinely inspired mission.
Reflect today on God’s invitation to you to love Him and fulfill
His mission. Though we are each imperfect and fail in many ways,
Jesus continuously asks us for agápē love. Though we
struggle to live that depth of love, God, in His mercy, does not
wait until we are perfect to send us forth to be His instruments.
He wants us to nourish those with little to no faith, strengthen
and encourage our brothers and sisters who are stronger in faith,
and nourish them by becoming instruments of His pure love. The
extent to which we embrace agápē is the extent to which we
will be able to fulfill that mission well. But we start today by
responding the best we can because Jesus meets us and uses us where
we are, while calling us higher.
Most loving Lord, Your love for me is perfect, yet mine is
imperfect. Please give me hope and draw me ever closer each day to
the pure agápē love to which I am called. As I grow in this
love, please use me as I am to fulfill the mission You have
entrusted to me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: Christ's Charge to Peter by Raphael
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