“Do You Love Me?”
By Elizabeth Cole
“Again Jesus said, ‘Simon, son of John, do you truly love me?’”
John 21:16
By Elizabeth Cole
“Again Jesus said, ‘Simon, son of John, do you truly love me?’”
John 21:16
I’ve been thinking about that poignant
moment in the second act of Fiddler
on the Roof where Tevye asks Golde, his wife of 25
years, if she loves him. Tevye is intrigued by his daughter’s love for a young
man and it causes him to tentatively ask, “Golde…do you love me?” She quickly
brushes off the question as simply a sign of indigestion, given all the stress
and trouble that’s taking place in their turn-of-the-century village. But he
persists…“Golde, I’m asking you a question…do you love me?”
And here’s the part that has caused me to dwell on this scene lately. Golde answers, “For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked the cow…” How quickly her mind moves to actions…good actions, for sure. Basically, she’s replying, “Good grief, look at everything I’ve done for you! I’ve spent my whole adult life doing things for you…”
How often does that become our answer when we stop to think about how we love Jesus? “Lord, of course, I love you. Look at everything I’ve been doing for you. In fact, I’ve spent my whole adult life doing things for you…” The tone of voice in my mind uncomfortably echoes what I imagine Martha’s to be when her friend Jesus came to visit. While her sister Mary sits with Jesus, Martha does things for Jesus. Martha’s about accomplishments and results; Mary’s about first things first.
Love is first. Henri Nouwen writes of Jesus’ exchange with Peter as He restores him, “He whose only concern had been to announce the unconditional love of God had only one question to ask, ‘Do you love me?’ The question is not: How many people take you seriously? How much are you going to accomplish? Can you show some results? But: Are you in love with Jesus?” (1)
Am I in love with Jesus? Am I in love with One who laid aside every divine right in order to obey the Father and drag a way-too-heavy cross up a hill? Am I in love with the One who calmly tells the wind to cool it, tenderly holds a child, and speaks unvarnished truth for the sake of Love? Do I love Him as my First Love, with fervency and passion…with all my heart and soul and mind and strength?
Actions matter…for sure. But His question’s got to be answered first: Do you love me?
GOING DEEPER:
What will you do today to be with Jesus?
FURTHER READING:
Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10; John 21; Philippians 2; Revelation 2:1-7
(1) Henri J.M. Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus, The Crossroad Publishing Company, New York, p. 37
And here’s the part that has caused me to dwell on this scene lately. Golde answers, “For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked the cow…” How quickly her mind moves to actions…good actions, for sure. Basically, she’s replying, “Good grief, look at everything I’ve done for you! I’ve spent my whole adult life doing things for you…”
How often does that become our answer when we stop to think about how we love Jesus? “Lord, of course, I love you. Look at everything I’ve been doing for you. In fact, I’ve spent my whole adult life doing things for you…” The tone of voice in my mind uncomfortably echoes what I imagine Martha’s to be when her friend Jesus came to visit. While her sister Mary sits with Jesus, Martha does things for Jesus. Martha’s about accomplishments and results; Mary’s about first things first.
Love is first. Henri Nouwen writes of Jesus’ exchange with Peter as He restores him, “He whose only concern had been to announce the unconditional love of God had only one question to ask, ‘Do you love me?’ The question is not: How many people take you seriously? How much are you going to accomplish? Can you show some results? But: Are you in love with Jesus?” (1)
Am I in love with Jesus? Am I in love with One who laid aside every divine right in order to obey the Father and drag a way-too-heavy cross up a hill? Am I in love with the One who calmly tells the wind to cool it, tenderly holds a child, and speaks unvarnished truth for the sake of Love? Do I love Him as my First Love, with fervency and passion…with all my heart and soul and mind and strength?
Actions matter…for sure. But His question’s got to be answered first: Do you love me?
GOING DEEPER:
What will you do today to be with Jesus?
FURTHER READING:
Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10; John 21; Philippians 2; Revelation 2:1-7
(1) Henri J.M. Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus, The Crossroad Publishing Company, New York, p. 37
Elizabeth is a wife, mother to
three grown daughters, and Director of Connecting and Women’s Ministries at
Oakwood Church.
