May 9

Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?—John 21:17.

PETER, it will be remembered, had denied his Saviour; and, although Christ had been seen of him after his resurrection, yet we do not read of any direct and intimate intercourse until Christ proposed to him this striking and affecting question. It is not likely that Peter had forgotten his own frailty and sin in denying his Lord. He still must have felt how cowardly, how ungratefully, and how unworthily, he had acted on that occasion—how must he have been affected, then, when this question was proposed! Would he not conclude that his sincerity was still doubted?—and how painful to be the object of suspicion, and especially from those we highly esteem and love, and whose confidence we are anxious to secure. But the question was designed to give Peter an opportunity of again expressing his attachment to the Saviour. Before he could consistently go and invite others to love Christ, it must be a matter of absolute certainty that he both loved, and was loved of Jesus. Then the question was calculated to try his humility. Peter had failed through self-confidence—he averred his resolution to follow Christ though all men forsook him. He evidently thought too highly of himself, and being thus lifted up, he fell into the condemnation of the devil. Jesus therefore said unto him, “Lovest thou me more than these?” They had, indeed, all forsaken him, but Peter alone had denied him. The question however elicited a satisfactory reply. Peter could appeal to the omniscience of the Redeemer, and say, “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee." He spake not for others; whatever the rest did, he knew one thing—that his heart's affections were sincerely fixed on Jesus. Do we thus love Christ? Does he reign on the throne of our affections? Can we appeal to the Searcher of hearts on this subject? For if any man love not the Lord Jesus, he will be Anathema Maranatha, i. e. accursed when Christ shall come.