I Forget Myself
“Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee.” John 21:15
When Christ said to Peter, "Lovest thou me more than these?" He appealed to his oldest instinct. His desire to be first. For years, the word whirling around Peter’s discipleship was ambition. In almost every aspect of Peter's character, there had been a consciousness of self, a thirst for supremacy, and a desire that he would be singled out from others. "Bid me that I come to Thee on the waters" were his words on Galilee. “If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise”, were his words before Kedron. Why did this happen with Peter and not John, James, or Nathaniel? It’s because the instinct to be first was so deeply embedded in Peter that he couldn't help it. So it was for this reason the Lord said to him, "Lovest thou me more than these (love me)?"
The Gospel twist came in when Jesus replied, then "Feed my lambs."
It was as if He said,
“Peter, you have been walking down the wrong path to greatness. Do you still not know? He that is least shall be greatest of all. Would you be the most spiritually gifted? Then you must be the most self-forgetting. You must stoop to feed the very lambs of the flock. You must desire descent, Peter not ascent. For me to be formed in you, you must lose yourself. You must forget your own good in the service of others.”
Jesus could speak this way because He lived this way. For others. He took on the form of a servant when He came in the likeness of men. For others. He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death on the cross. For others. Am I brave enough to ask for this?
“Give me the spirit of self-forgetfulness, O Lord. Teach me to lose self-will, self-love, and self-serving, that I may be like Thy dear Son. Let my love be buried in Thy love, my motive in Thine, my purpose hidden in Christ, in God. (Col.3:3) Overshadow me by Thy all-excelling glory. Then by Thy cross shall I wear Thy crown. Then my Calvary shall become my Olivet. I will finally possess everything when I feel I have nothing and am nothing. Jesus is everything. When I am least conscious of self, more of Thee will shine. In Thee oh Lord I hide me.” (Psalter 83)