You Know All Things
White As Snow by Greg Olsen
Reflection based on John 21:1~19
At my baptism, my yes to You was said for me by others. In the years that would follow You allowed me to walk away from that yes for a time. Only for a time, for You know all things, my Lord, and You knew that in time I would renew that yes with my own voice more strongly and sincerely than before.
The grace of my baptism grafted me into You and so nothing I could do could change how You saw or felt about me.
You lived and died so that I might live despite the sins I would commit. In my repentance You are consoled.
Yes Lord, You know all things and You know that even though the things I do in the course of a day do not always show it, You know that I love You.
At the end of the day, You take me aside like You did Peter, and ask me: "Daughter, do you love me?" It is not that You need to hear me say that I do, because You can look into the depths of my heart and see that I do. You ask me because I need the reminder; the reminder that You allow a hundred little deaths to myself in the course of a day that if offered to You will glorify You. The reminder that You prepare a banquet for me, not simply a breakfast of fish and bread. The reminder that despite every wrong thing I do, every betrayal and denial of You, in the depths of my heart, Lord, You know and I know that I love You.
Peter was distressed at hearing You ask him if he loved You a third time. May I never tire of hearing You ask me this; may I always welcome the reminder of Your request of my declaration of love for You.
Comments
It's one of my favorite exchanges in the whole Bible. (I often wonder if, after the questioning, Peter realized the mirroring of his denial)
It shows the perfect forgiveness of God.
And as you have so wonderfully pointed out, it is a reflection of the conversation God has with all of us every day.
Great post.
Michael- I too often wonder what went on in Peter's mind after this exchange. I tend to think that things began to sink in slowly- kind of like they do with me :)
God bless,
David
God Bless!
David
The Holy Spirit was definitely at work here because when I chose that picture, I was tying it in with the end of my post (or so I thought). I love when God does things like this- He used you to bring out another aspect of the post that I didn't see writing it. So no mistake :)