Dear Friends,

I opened our Church Annual Meeting in March with some thoughts from the Gospel of St. John, chapter 21 and verses 15 to 25. I would like to return to this passage in this letter to you all. It is the place where Jesus, after his resurrection, lovingly speaks to the Apostle Peter, and restores him to his place amongst the Apostles. Before Jesus was crucified, Peter had sworn to him that he loved Jesus so much, that he was ready to die for him. But when the test came at the time Jesus was being tried and condemned, Peter failed. Peter denied that he knew Jesus because he was afraid that if he owned he was a disciple of the Lord, he would be taken and crucified too. In his terror, Peter vehemently, and supported by curses, denied that he knew Jesus. Jesus came to Peter after his resurrection on the beach beside the sea of Galilee, and asks him, "Simon, some of John, do you truly love me more than these?" (v.15)

The Risen Lord Jesus comes to all of us who call ourselves Christians and asks us this very same question -- "Do love me more than these?" When I hear this question I don't feel any superiority over Peter. What he did in denying Jesus was very bad, but I don't feel I would have been any better than him in the same circumstances; nor do I feel that I have any claim to be any better in the circumstances I am in today. How do you feel when Jesus says to you "Do you love me more than these?"

It is the very essence and heart of real Christian experience that we love Jesus. There is a chorus which expresses the true hearted response of the Christian to Jesus --

Why did He loved me? I never can tell.
Why did He suffer to save me from hell?
Nothing but infinite grace from above
Could have conceived such as story of love.
Grace! Grace! Infinite grace! Flowing to you and me.
Grace! Grace! Infinite grace from the cross of Calvary!

We have felt this love. We have felt the wonder of his love that died for us personally that we might be forgiven. A love which is so freely given and demands no payment. How can we help loving Jesus, when he has so freely loved us and opened heaven for us!

Although the love of Jesus demands no payment, nor asks for any reward, and our salvation is free and without cost, Jesus looks for our love. We are in a difficult area here. Our place in heaven is secure the moment we respond to the Saviour's love and receive the forgiveness he purchased by his death, and does not depend on our loving Jesus, but upon his great love for us. If we just took his salvation and then gave him little or no love, we would still be saved. But it is just inconceivable that anyone could receive Jesus' love and not respond with love.

When Peter said to Jesus, "Lord you know I love you", Jesus said "Feed my sheep". Whether others hear of the love of Jesus and have opportunity to be saved from hell, seems to depend on the love for Jesus of those who are already saved, as they share his love with others. Jesus makes his love known through those who have experienced his love. The more we love Jesus, the more others will be brought to know his love, because Jesus depends on us to share his love with others. "Feed my sheep" means to share the love of Jesus with others, that they may be saved. What an awful thought to arrive in heaven alone, having never shared the love of Jesus with anyone else.

Jesus said to Peter, "Do you love me MORE THAN THESE?" (v.15). Bible commentators spend a lot of time trying to decide what Jesus meant by "more than these" in his question to Peter. I believe the Holy Spirit never meant us to know what they meant for Peter. What is important is what they mean for us. I remember being challenged at Theological College by another student, when again I had declined helping in some service for Jesus, because it would prevent me from using my time the way I wanted to. "More than these" was for me at that time those personal selfish pleasures I did not want to give up. I did not love Jesus enough to sacrifice those pleasures for him.

Jesus comes to us all, at different times in our lives, and asks for some personal sacrifice of time, or pleasure, or money, or ambition, to help forward the making known of Jesus' love to others. He says "Do you love me more than these?" Missionaries have heard this question when God's call to be a missionary meant giving up a secure and profitable career in this country. We hear it when Jesus asks us for some service, which takes up our time we would like to spend in pleasure. We hear Jesus saying "Do you love me more than these?", when we are asked to witness to a friend or a neighbour or invite people to a service, and the "more than these" becomes our pride, reputation with others, our personal comfort.

Jesus is speaking to us as a Church saying, with regard to our Extension, "Do you love me more than these?" And the "more than these" becomes the security for the future, the holiday we planned, the new car we want to buy, or simply just the day-to-day comfort we don't want to jeopardise.

Peter at least was a true Christian. He felt the weakness of his nature and was afraid to promise too much. Jesus asks, "Do you have the sacrificial love for me." Peter could only feel he could say he had affection for Jesus. The Greek word Jesus uses for 'love' is a stronger word than the one Peter uses. But then Peter gave his life to Jesus and sacrificed all for him. May we be given grace to imitate Peter, so that the people in our locality might be fed with the Word of Christ's love.

Your servant for Christ's sake,