On this Third Sunday of Easter, we hear the beautiful conversation between Jesus and Peter. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him and three times Peter answers, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” This exchange is a kind of reconciliation for the three times that Peter denied Jesus prior to his crucifixion.
But there is more. In English we have one word for love. In Greek, the language in which the New Testament was written, there are at least eight words to describe love. The three that are most often used, however, are agape, eros, and philia. Agape could be translated as “to will the good of another” or altruistic love. Eros refers to sexual passion or intimate love. Philia which is rendered in English as “friendship” (as in Philadelphia “city of brotherly love”), refers to loyalty between friends, family, or community.
In the first two questions to Peter, Jesus uses the word “agape” and Peter answers with “philia.” The third time Jesus asks the question, he uses the word “philia” to indicate that he was meeting Peter where he was at. Jesus loves us with agape love, the highest, most altruistic form of love. But Peter was only capable of offering his loyalty. So the third time Jesus adjusts his language and asks if Peter can love him as a friend.
And that was enough for the Lord. Because God meets us where we are. He calls us to a higher realm, but will come down to our level in order to raise us up. As Christians we are called to do the same: meet people where they are in order to bring them closer to God.
Congratulations to those who received First Eucharist last week and to those who are receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation this week. May God continue to bless you on your Christian journey.
