Randy Suits

Do You Love Me

My Ewa,
I know that you love me with all your heart. The thought you give to our special days, your perception that something troubles me when I haven’t mentioned it to you, the way you know before I speak what will come our of my mouth and the sacrifices you make for me and us are all evidence of just how deeply you care for me. In all these ways you say that you love me but it is still nice to hear you say, “I love you.” So I’ll just ask again like I have so many times before. “Do you love me?” It’s a phrase that never grows old when spoken by the one you love. Even our Lord Jesus Christ asked that question of his disciple Simon Peter three times. Jesus had proved his love for his disciples when he taught and mentored the them during his 3 1/2 year ministry, when he prayed for them in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he told his captors to let his disciples go and when he became a propitiation for the sin of all men by dying on the cross. He also knew that they loved him but after His resurrection, when they were together by the sea he looked at Peter and asked, “Simon Peter do you love me more than these?” Peter replied, “Yes Lord you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “feed my lambs.” Again Jesus asked,  “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter replied, “Yes Lord you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus replied. A third time Jesus asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that he asked him a third time and he replied, “Lord you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “then feed my sheep.” Of a truth Jesus knew that Peter loved him but Jesus asked him to negate the three denials to the accusers of Jesus when Peter cursed and said that he never knew Jesus before the cock crowed twice. Face to face with Jesus, Peter spoke the truth when he said that he loved our Lord. It pleased Jesus the man to hear him say ‘I love you.’ He also used this tender moment to give Peter his life work after Jesus ascended into heaven to be seated at the right hand of God, His Father the Most High. He was to shepherd the sheep (servants of God) and lead them to Christ by teaching them the good news of the Kingdom of God. So tonight as we cuddle in the evening please understand when I ask ‘Do you love me’ that I don’t doubt your sweet love for me, it’s just nice to hear you say it. When we give thanks for our many blessings tonight in prayer and we tell our God how much we love him, let us also remember to say to each other before we go to sleep, “I love you.”

I love you, Do you love me, Kochany