The Most Piercing Question Of Jesus, "Do You Love Me?"
“If you love me; keep my commandments and I will…” Jesus had just told the apostles, “don’t let your heart be troubled”; then comes these words. Words which reach out and penetrate deep into my heart as it must have Peter’s only 24 hours later when he denied Christ. What kind of love is this, Lord that I have for you? The kind of love that could not stay awake and pray while you agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane. My love, the kind that denied you before the crowd!! I fear, these words cut deep into my own heart. It burns like a light reaching deep into the recesses of heart—like the questions Jesus later ask of Peter. “Peter, do you love me?” Is that not the same question that I too must face at the end of a long day in which I have allowed some desire—some selfish thought to fill my heart and mind so that I come to God with sorrow instead of rejoicing in His Love? Or when I have become angered with someone or been unforgiving—those words of Jesus echo loudly in my heart, “Do you love me?” Or when, Satan comes to torture my mind with all my failures, those moments when I longed for things I could not have. Those moments when I cried because I could not see that “Jesus was all I needed for Joy, Love, and Hope.” When I let the worries or the desires of this world beat deep within my chest; then, I become broken hearted by the question of Jesus, “Do you love me?”
So, right after Jesus has told Peter, “You will deny me before morning break, 3 times”; His next words were: “Let not your heart be troubled; trust God and trust me.” Then comes these words, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” What commandments, Lord? I so want to!! I long to pour out my love toward you!! I want to love you better!! What commandments, Lord? “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).
A BROKEN HEART FOR GOD
We so often as a society quote this as though we could do that. Yet, the more I know of God; the more I realize, I don’t even know how to love Him as I should. Jonathan Edwards wrote, “A truly Christian love, either to God or men, is a humble broken-hearted love. The desires of the saints, however earnest, are humble desires. Their hope is a humble hope; and their joy, even when it is unspeakable and full of glory, is a humble broken-hearted joy, and leaves the Christian more poor in spirit, and more like a little child, and more disposed to a universal lowliness of behaviour.”
― Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections
A COMFORTER, A HELPER TO GUIDE THE WAY
I on my own cannot love God as I should; so, on what can I cling to for hope? Jesus, gives us that very thing. “15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (John 14). My love, my walk toward Him may be that stumbling walk of love from a heart that breaks each time I fall down before Him; yet, that is the love He seeks. He will be the one that cleanses me and teaches me how to love Him better.
A RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LOVE NOT MY OWN
John gives hope for those of us who struggle with our own hearts at times, “4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
SEARCH ME LORD
As David, I must each morning pray, “23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139). And like David, we know that He has, “O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.v2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me” (Psalm 139).
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
So, if your heart at moments is broken by your failure to love as you should, “Don’t let your heart be troubled”, if you know Jesus and seek after Him—desiring to love Him better and trusting Him to finish that work in you. It may be through broken hearted trials that you reach that place of Joy. There may be days when you question your heart and humbly fall before Him to confess your sins—then with a humbled, gracious heart you arise to love Him better and let that love be spread to all those around you.
After a day of rejoicing with a heart overflowing on Saturday morning. Then, there arose within my heart a spark of sadness for something I perceived I had lost. Then Sunday morning as I listened to Dave Cover preach “Which Resurrection will you have?” I sobbed with a heart so broken and contrite. Like King David, I had “preached to my own heart-Saturday evening and Sunday morning, “O soul, why are you sad?” Then came the tears followed by God’s comforting arms of love. In this world, we will have those moments; but be of good cheer. Jesus overcame the world—the Victory is His and God will finish the work He began in you.
Let me end today with this one final quote from Jonathan Edwards. “For when God is said by these things to try men and prove them, to see what is in their hearts and whether they will keep His commandments or no, we are not to understand, that it is for His own information, or that He may obtain evidence Himself of their sincerity (for he needs no trials for His information); but chiefly for their conviction, and to exhibit evidence to their consciences…
So when God tempted or tried Abraham with that difficult command of offering up his son, it was not for His satisfaction, whether he feared God or no, but for Abraham’s own greater satisfaction and comfort, and the more clear manifestation of the favour of God to him.”
― Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections
The song I chose for you today is: The Prayer
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2015
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.