Yesterday, I wrote about the first half of the question Jesus asked Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee: “Lovest thou me…” Today I’ve been pondering the second half of the question: “…more than these?” (John 21:15).
Who or what were the “these?”
Several other apostles were present, so He could have been referring to them. He could also have been alluding to the 153 fish they had just caught. I tend to think of the question more broadly. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has pointed out, Peter was back in his comfort zone: the boat, the sea, the nets. This was his life three years earlier before he and his friends had responded wholeheartedly to the Savior’s call, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17). I think the Savior was asking, “Do you love me more than all this?”
Sometimes the question isn’t whether or not we love God, but whether we love something else more. Amulek told Zeezrom, “Thou knowest that there is a God, but thou lovest that lucre more than him” (Alma 11:24). And Moroni, who saw our day, lamented our misplaced priorities: “Ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted” (Mormon 8:37).
President M. Russell Ballard encouraged us to think about how the Savior’s question applies to us:
Relating this question to ourselves in our day, the Lord may be asking us about how busy we are and about the many positive and negative influences competing for our attention and our time. He may be asking each of us if we love Him more than the things of this world. This may be a question about what we really value in life, who we follow, and how we view our relationships with family members and neighbors. Or maybe He is asking what really brings us joy and happiness….
How would we answer the question “Lovest thou me more than these?”
When we discover a fuller meaning of this question, we can become better family members, neighbors, citizens, members of the Church, and sons and daughters of God.
“Lovest Thou Me More Than These?” General Conference, October 2021
Today, I will consider whether my love of God is preeminent over all other desires and affections. As I consider the things and the people that I love, I will recommit to put God first in my life, and to love Him “more than these.”
I really loved these last two posts! The insights yesterday about the two different words for “love” made me think about that scripture (and my love for the Savior) in a new way. And today’s question gave me an opportunity to pause and reflect on my own life—if anything is taking more of my attention than it deserves. Thank you for your sharing!
Thanks for the comment! I’m glad you enjoyed both posts. It’s amazing how much depth there can be in a single question. Have a great day!