Ever since I was a young girl, I have been attracted to the unusual– to people and things that were different from myself. I think my inclination to gravitate towards the eccentric is why I love learning about other cultures and religions. I believe that my seventh-grade social studies teacher, Mr. Wilson, also attributed to the appreciation I have for different cultures and religions. Mr. Wilson was a hilarious and passionate teacher and an even better storyteller. He had visited every continent, so he brought a lot of life to the classroom because of his traveling anecdotes. I feel privileged that I had the opportunity to learn from him.
Though I thoroughly enjoyed learning about other world religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and many more, I always knew that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. I knew this because as a child I had experienced God’s love and kindness for myself. Truly it is God’s love for us that distinguishes Christianity from any other religion that I know of. In what other religion does God humble himself and come down from Heaven to live as both fully God and man, so that He could love us with more compassion and understanding? Only our God. Jesus can actually say that He experienced hunger, pain, loss, friendship, joy, and love because He walked this earth just like us. In what other religion does God willingly DIE for mankind to restore the intimacy that our sin severed? Only our God. No god, prophet, or teacher has done what Jesus Christ did because no one will ever love you the way that God loves you.
Now in the English language, we toss around the word “love” casually in conversation. We’ll say, “Oh, I love your hair,” or “ I love pineapple on pizza.” Yes, I am that person, and no, you will not convince me that pineapple on pizza is a sin. But obviously, when we use the word “love” in these instances, it is not the same as when we tell our significant other, child, or parent that we love them. In the Greek language, they actually had different words for love depending on the kind/ depth of the love, as opposed to using the same word in multiple contexts. The four words for love mentioned in the New Testament are eros (romantic/sensual love), storge (familial love), phileo (brotherly love), and agape (unconditional love).
It is critical to know deep in our hearts as believers that God loves us with unconditional agape love. But believing the truth that God truly loves us no matter what can be a hard thing to do. It is especially challenging when examples of conditional love surround us at every turn. We’re programmed by society to believe that love is something to be earned and that it is something you must strive to obtain based on your own efforts. So we strive. We strive to make good grades. We strive to earn a certain income. We strive to reach a specific weight range, etc. These are good goals to work towards, but when we do so to be loved and accepted by others, we subconsciously associate our value as a person with our ability to perform. Unfortunately, we can carry our faulty earthly perception of love into our relationship with our Heavenly Father. I believe this is the biggest reason why some longtime Christ followers struggle to walk in the freedom that grace provides (freedom from shame and guilt) and is the reason why some people eventually lose their faith and hope in God altogether.
Please don’t believe the lie that Jesus is like a mere man; you don’t have to do anything to impress him or gain his affection. Jesus is God in flesh, and His love for you is radical, nonsensical, and counter-cultural. It is not dependent on what you do or don’t do, and I can back that statement up with Romans 5:8. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (NIV). Let that sink in– Christ died for YOU before you ever believed, and most importantly, He died for you if you never believed. I certainly wouldn’t lay down my life for just anyone, especially if that person rejected me, yet this is exactly what Christ did. I can’t think of a more perfect example of unconditional agape love.
So not only does God love us whether or not we love him in return or if we live a life that is pleasing to Him, but He displays His love and mercy by being faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13, NKJV). When I read this scripture recently, I thought of the interaction between Peter and Jesus in John 21:15-19. Jesus asks three times if Peter loves him, and each time Peter says He loves Jesus. Jesus, in return, answers Peter by saying, “ Take care of my sheep,” and “Feed my lambs.” On the surface, this passage makes it seem like Jesus is hard of hearing— why else would he ask the same question three times? However, upon further studying, we find that Jesus is not hard of hearing, but is actually meeting Peter where he is at and loving him despite his deficiencies.
Every time Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, Jesus used the word agape. And every time Peter responded to Jesus Peter used the word “phileo,” which as we mentioned earlier, means brotherly/ friendly love. Peter never uses the word agape. So let’s read it like this: “‘When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you agape me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I phileo you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you agape me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I phileo you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you agape me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you agape me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I phileo you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.’”
I can’t imagine how low Peter must have felt during this interaction with Jesus. Peter had already denied knowing Jesus three times just a few chapters earlier, and now Jesus was asking him if he loved Him with agape love? Jesus is not stupid. He knows Peter’s love and devotion for Him is not yet at the level of love that Jesus has for Peter, but Jesus’ intent isn’t to shame Peter or guilt-trip him. Jesus is actually proving the words of 2 Timothy 2:13 to be true, as Jesus displayed His faithfulness even when Peter did not. Peter did not deserve Jesus’ responses of “Feed my lambs” and “Take care of my sheep,” but thankfully, God doesn’t give us what we deserve. He is so kind, so merciful. Even though Peter had denied him– even though Peter clearly expressed that his love only went so far– Jesus still believed in him and entrusted him with a precious responsibility. Jesus accepted Peter for who he was and met him where he was at.
I know none of us will ever fully fathom it, but I hope you have a better understanding of God’s love for you. Jesus doesn’t need you to have it all together to come to Him or to be used by Him, and Jesus doesn’t need your plaques or your worldly achievements to love you. He loves you and accepts you right where you are at, and nothing you do or don’t do could make Him love you any more or any less. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39, NIV).
