VII.
What is obscure in most of our English translations of the exchange between Peter and Jesus is the use of two different words for love. In the reading below I will insert the Greek words used and then let’s consider what that might add to our understanding of the exchange

VIII.
John 21:15-19 (NRSVue)

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love [agapas] me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love [philo] you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love [agapas] me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love [philo] you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love [phileis] me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love [phileis] me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love [philo] you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

IX.
Well did that confuse things or was it helpful?

The first two times Jesus asks the question of Peter he uses a word for love that we most often think is the highest, most self-giving kind of love. I suspect it is connected to the Hebrew word hesed, often translated as “mercy” or “lovingkindness” or even better “covenant-love.”

In reply Peter used a word for love which connotes something beyond friendship and more akin to the love of one family member for another. There was a time we said it was “brotherly-love.”

Does Peter not hear what Jesus says? Does he not understand? Or does he hear and understand and believe he is not capable of that kind of deep, self-giving love, and is being honest with Jesus about how he loves him and expects Jesus to know that?

When we move to the third round of questions, Jesus used the word for love that Peter has been using.

Why?

Does he acknowledge Peter’s honesty, that Peter is answering the best he can and accepts Peter as he is, for who he is and loving as he can at that time?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}