Do You Love Me?

Here's an interesting challenge for us this morning. After you get done reading this, walk up to the first person you see and ask them, "Do you love me?"

That might be an easy task if you are married or if you have kids.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes, mommy. What's for breakfast?"

It becomes a little more challenging if you live alone and you have to stop at the gas station. You fill your tank, go inside and get some coffee, and then you approach the cashier.

"Do you love me?"

"Excuse me? What did you say?"

"Do you love me?"

"Sure, hun. That'll be $8.50."

You exit the gas station and see a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk.

"Excuse me, sir. Do you love me?"

The man looks up at you and extends an empty coffee cup in your direction.

If you actually tried that little experiment you would quickly find that the number of different responses you received would match the number of times that you asked the question.

Each person's answer depends on their own personal situation. It also depends on each person's definition of the word 'love.'

How would you respond if someone asked YOU the 'do you love me' question?

"When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” - John 21:15

Our own personal answer to the 'do you love me' question depends on how well we know the person who is asking it.

Peter knew Jesus. Peter also thought he knew what love was when he denied even knowing Jesus just three chapters earlier.

How will we answer the 'do you love me' question when we encounter the homeless, the hurting, or even our enemies?

And how will others respond to our living out the answer to that question in our own lives. Will they know us well enough by our actions go be able to answer that question?

So. Do you love me?

By Our Love - For King and Country