the conversation peter did not want to have

"yes Lord, You know that I love You". john 21: 15

the scene in question is the one in which jesus confronts peter about his denial of the Lord, but the conversation does not go the way peter probably anticipated.

instead of rebuking peter, jesus merely asks peter whether he loves Him. the first time He asks this of peter is especially interesting. jesus asks, "simon son of john do you truly love me more than these?"

more than what, we might ask.

i think jesus meant, "peter do you truly love me more than these other disciples love me?" which recalls the times that peter boasted that even if all the other disciples fell away, that he would follow jesus to the death.

the denial that he ever knew jesus undoubtedly cured peter of any illusions that he was better than anybody else at loving jesus. i think peter truly loved jesus, but did not know the extent of his own weakness.

peter's no different from any of us. we may all say we love jesus, but the test as to whether this is true really comes when the confession costs us something.

i think peter learned a profound lesson from this experience. he loved the Lord but he no longer boasted that he loved Him "more than anyone else".

and peter was not afraid to confess, even after such a serious failing, that he loved the Lord. he knew that "the Lord knew all things" (john 21:17).

this passage showed me that true and genuine love for jesus covers over a multitude of sins and failings. i suppose almost anything can be forgiven if the Lord who "knows all things" looks into our hearts and sees genuine love for Himself.