Do You Love Me?
Friday in the Seventh Week of Easter
My dear encountered couples:
Love means sweat and tears. It does not mean music and bells. “Now what is Father talking about?” you might ask. And justifiably so. Certainly, there can be music and bells and fireworks in a heart that loves. There can be good feelings, joy, and ecstasy. But we must never think, like some people seem to do, that that is the all of it. There are many divorces and many ends to close friendships because love is much more than saying, “I love you,” and then sitting back waiting to enjoy the benefits of love.
Love is work! Love is movement! Love is doing and suffering! As I said: LOVE MEANS SWEAT AND TEARS! Whether it be the love commanded by Jesus that we are to give to ourselves, or love that we are to give to somebody else, it means sweat and tears.
“Do you love me?” Jesus asked Peter. “Yes, Lord,” the big fisherman answered. Then “Feed my lambs.” “Are you sure you love me?” Jesus went on again. “You know that I love you,” was Peter’s answer. Then “Tend my sheep.” And a third time, “Are you really, really sure you love me?” asked Jesus. Peter became a little emotional when Jesus asked him the same question a third time. “Lord, you know everything. You know well that I love you.” And Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
If Peter loved Jesus he was going to have to show it. The rest of his life was going to have to be filled with sweat and tears. Do you love Jesus?
