Sunday Reflection – Love

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."  (John 21:15-17)

The New Testament actually has three different words for ‘love,’ – ‘agape’ which means a sacrificial love, ‘phileo’ which means an affectionate love, to be kind to, and ‘eros’ which means a physical love such as found between a husband and wife.

When Jesus asked Peter the first two times, “Do you love me?” He was talking about agape love, a sacrificial love.  When Peter answered each time, “Lord, you know I love you,” he was talking about phileo love, a kindness, an affection.

Basically, Jesus was asking Peter, “Will you love me in a sacrificial love?”  And Peter would only answer, “Lord, I will always have a kind affection for you.”

Finally, the third time, Jesus lowered his standard for Peter when he also used ‘phileo.’  He asked Peter only if he would have a kind affection for him.

Jesus asks us if we can meet him at his level of love – a sacrificial love that gives its all.  When we come up short in our love, the best we can do is a kind affection, Jesus doesn’t turn away from us.  He meets us at the level of love that we can offer.

I have often wondered if horses can love as we understand it?  Betty and I love our horses, Morgunn and Sugar.  It’s probably a ‘phileo’ love – one of kind affection for our horses.

Do Morgunn and Sugar love us back the same way?

After a lot of observation, reading and thought, I don’t think so.  There is no question that horses can show affection for each other, but I don’t think there’s a love basis for their affection for each other – at least as we understand love.

My latest thinking is that for a horse, to trust and respect another horse or a human, is their form of love.  Whatever their ‘love’ may be for us, we meet them at their level of love just as Jesus meets us at our level of love for him.

Trust and respect.  That’s not a bad place to start when we think about loving someone else.