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Gospel: John 21: 15 – 19
After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them,
he said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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It’s time to be reconciled. Jesus has been raised from the dead. Now he’s appearing to Simon Peter, who denied him three times during his darkest hour.
It’s only fair to ask Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
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A repentant Peter responds the only way a Christian can, “Lord, Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
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“Lord, Lord,” Peter says.
In Latin, “Domine, Domine.”
It’s from the Latin word, Domine, that we get the English word, dominate.
It’s a beautiful play on words:
Lord, Lord…Domine, Domine…dominate.
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To “dominate” means to have a commanding influence; to be the central figure; or primary force behind action.
It’s not something we’d ordinarily say to someone, “dominate.” But what Peter is saying to Jesus is that he has become the central figure – or commanding influence – in Peter’s life.
Peter will prove this while he preaches to the nations for the next thirty years, and finally as he dies upon a cross in Rome, much like his Lord.
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Perhaps we could ask ourselves the same question: Is the Lord the very center of my life? Or are there others competing for my affection?
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“Lord, Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
You are the center of my life.
May we all repeat Peter’s words, not only with our lips, but also with our lives.
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Image credits: (1) Subsplash (2) The Sacred Page, WordPress (3) Christianity. Why did Jesus ask Peter if he loved him?