When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me?   Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  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.”

 John 21:15 – 17 (here and there)

 Dear Peter!  Terribly confused.  In the hall of judgement, he declared that he never knew Jesus as Jesus was being ridiculed by the Jewish leaders nearby.  Peter enjoyed a moment of peace, shall we say, as eyes shifted from him.  But that was not the end of the story.  He recalled that Jesus had said, before the dawn he would do exactly as he did.

Now, the turmoil was not external but internal. He had denied that he ever knew Jesus!  This tore him apart.  A river of tears of regret and hurt flowed from his eyes.  He had to get out of there!  He was overcome with grief.  By himself in the night, he wept bitterly, feeling the hurt that only the tender conscience can feel.

Peter had declared three times that he did not know Jesus.  Fast forward a few days – to the shore of Lake Galilee where the disciples had gathered early in the morning, with the risen Jesus.  Now, Jesus asked Peter a question, three times, “Do you love me?”  Three times Peter declared his love for Jesus.  Jesus knew that Peter, in his heart of hearts, loved him dearly.

I am much like Peter as are many believers.  We know how we are tempted to still the waters by disowning Jesus and how it hurts when we find that is what we are doing.  Nothing compares to the hurt this causes us. No, we who love Jesus love him with eternal love!  A far greater hurt is to deny that we love Jesus.

Life again has eternal focus as Jesus sees us undone but full of living faith, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”  So be it.  That love-bond is stronger than life itself.