Day 28: Greek Questions

5th Saturday in Lent

Scripture: John 21:15

^{NRS 15} When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs."

Devotional: The fishing failure, the full net, the recognition of the Lord and the breakfast of bread and fish are the final pieces to set the stage for what is truly the main act of John chapter twenty-one. The stage setting began all the way back with Jesus explaining Agape love as giving up one’s life for another and Peter professing that he would go to the grave before he denied Christ. The charcoal was but embers, their plates were empty and their bellies were full. Breakfast was over and it was time for conversation, despite the disciples’ fear of asking questions. Jesus began to speak. His words were not directed to the entire group; they were only for Peter. As we read the text in our English translations of the Bible, Jesus poses the question, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” Peter replies, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus then tells him to, “Feed my lambs.” If this were the only question and response in this story, we wouldn’t give it any further thought. It would be a completely reasonable exchange understood as Jesus establishing Peter as the head of His Church, but this is not the lone question. In fact Jesus is going to ask this question two more times which causes us to label this exchange a little peculiar. The peculiarity only exists in the English translation. For a full understanding of the exchange we must look at the original language of the New Testament, Koine Greek. The English language has only one word for love, but Greek has many. This exchange employs two different ones. Here is their conversation substituting the Greek words for love. “Peter do you agape me?” “Yes Lord, I phileo you.” We know agape is a self-sacrificing, give-up-your-life kind of love. Phileo is brotherly love, hence the city of brotherly love being Philadelphia. Now let’s consider the exchange, with the expanded meanings instead of just the words for love. “Peter do you love me enough to give up your life like you said you would?” “No Jesus, but I do love you like a brother.” Jesus is beginning the process of restoring Peter’s faith and confidence. At the same time, he needs to see if Peter has the humble heart required to lead His Church. “Peter are you still willing to make bold statements that you cannot possibly fulfill?” “No Lord, I am not.” As Christians, we need to have humble hearts that place others before ourselves but we have to be bold enough to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. Let us never forget that humility always precedes boldness.

Prayer: Lord, today we pray that you would make us humbly bold in our Christian walk; that you would humble us enough to be most effective in our service to Your Kingdom, yet bold enough to die for you, Amen.

Song of praise:         Your Love is Extravagant by Darrell Evans

                                                

Spiritual discipline challenge: Today we confess our misplaced boldness, ask for humility and then seek areas in our life where we can be humbly bold.