07.28.2006

Can I just tell you how good God is? When we fail miserably, (and by we I mean “me”), God is so merciful.

Last night at Bible study, one of the gals talked about Peter. Honestly, I thought it was an offbeat topic, but I really needed to hear what she was talking about. She mostly spoke about Jesus’ “reinstatement” of Peter. (My words not hers.) In John 21, Jesus is talking to Peter in front of the disciples and asks Peter three times “Do you love me?”

A literal translation of the Greek text:
[15] After they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you spiritually love (from the Greek word agapao) me more than these others do?" "Yes, Lord," he answered, "you know that I love you as a friend (from the Greek word phileo)." Jesus said to him, "Take care of my lambs." [16] A second time Jesus said to him, "Simon son of John, do you spiritually love (agapao) me?" "Yes, Lord," he answered, "you know that I love you as a friend (phileo)." Jesus said to him, "Take care of my sheep." [17] A third time Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you love me as a friend (phileo)?" Peter became sad because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me as a friend (phileo)?" and so he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you as a friend (phileo)!" Jesus said to him, "Take care of my sheep."

So, what she pointed out simply was that Jesus asked Peter twice if he really loved him, with everything he had. Peter’s response the first two times – I love you with a brotherly love, all that I have. The third time Jesus asked Peter, he asked if he “brotherly” loved him, and Peter’s response is “Yes, I love you with as deep a love my friend that I can possibly have”. The speaker last night used percentages – phileo = 60%, agape = 100%. Peter’s final response can be translated like this: “Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you with 100% of my 60%.

Writing this down made me want to look at the four types of love:
Agape, Eros, Phileo, and Storge. I know the first three, but the last one was a new one to me. Did we talk about Storge in college? I have storge love for a friend of mine. Everytime I see him, I just want to squeeze him, but I’m also learning about the visual rolodex of men and that the only way I’ll ever squeeze him is if I marry him. Silly as it sounds, the last time I saw him, I wanted to give him a big kiss on the cheek too. :)

In light of my own oversight at work, God was very merciful to me today. That which I feared so much, which kept me from resting last night, is now past. This sounds vague, huh? I made a very material mistake (it was a good mistake, but a mistake nonetheless) for over half a million dollars. Last night, I cried and prayed and asked God for mercy. Mercy – because I know that I’m supposed to be where I am right now. Mercy – because I don’t want to relive last year. August 19th will be a year. I know God opened up the doors he did for me for a reason. God also sees my desire to move, but I’m not going anywhere until I know that I know that I know that I know that I know that I am supposed to go.

"Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me." Psalm 199:133