TWO WAYS YOU CAN SHOW THAT YOU LOVE JESUS.
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans
Translator: Robin Barker
Our Lord laid something on my heart that I eagerly want to share with you. Think a little back, when you truly fell in love the first time and not just in love, but were truly in love, with that person.
Can you also remember; when that person showed you that they were also in love with you, how you could not get enough of that person? What’s more, you could not talk enough about that person, and your friends must have all become bored with your wonderful relationship.
My wife had a saying that she always used when she thought I was exaggerating or talking nonsense.
Then she said to me: “Talk is cheap but money buys the whisky.”
I think that the same saying can be applied to many of us Christians. I hear so many people answering when you ask them if they love our Lord:
“Yes, I do love our Lord” but if you had not asked them, in many instances, you would not have even known that they knew Him, or even knew of Him.
Do you know, our Lord also wants to hear from our side and also see that we are in love with Him. – Especially because we sometimes truly act as if we do not love Him. Sometimes, through our actions, it may even look that we do not feel for our Lord.
Let me share with you such a classical example. Do you remember? Jesus warned Peter that he was going to betray Him and in spite of the prior warning, he still betrayed Jesus:
MAT 26:73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”
MAT 26:74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.
Then, do you remember what happened on the beach after the resurrection?
JOHN 21:15-17
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
Did you see the two ways how our Lord wanted Peter to show Him how much he loved Him? Peter was to confess it physically, or then publically, that people could hear him testifying about his loving relationship with Jesus. So important was this for Jesus, that He asked Peter three times to confess his love.
JOHN 21:15-17
15 …“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” …
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” …
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” …
Did you also see the second way that Jesus asked Peter and of us, through His conversation with Peter, how we can show our love for Him and should show it:
JOHN 21:15 … Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
JOHN 21:16 … Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
JOHN 21:17 ….” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
You see, not only must I clearly confess my love for our Lord publically and to the world around me – I must then continually work that my love for my neighbours will force me that I simply must help them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour:
JOHN 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
ROM 13:8-10
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
10 Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.
I want to encourage you. Let you and I become actors/performers and talkers about the Word. Because of what Jesus said on that occasion:
MARK 8:38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Greetings,
Sakkie