THE BURDEN OF LOVE
Joh 21:4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
Joh 21:5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
Joh 21:6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Joh 21:7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
Joh 21:8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
Joh 21:9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
Joh 21:10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
Joh 21:11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, a hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
Joh 21:12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
Joh 21:13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
Joh 21:14 This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
Joh 21:15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
Joh 21:16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Joh 21:17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
THE LORDS BURDEN
I thought about the reason that the Lord came to walk among men and the reason he went as far as he die
( “it is finished”). The Bible says it is because God so loved the world(John 3:16).
Sedum Hussein all of his cruelty/ yet God so loved him
Adolph Hitler all of his murder/ yet God so loved the world
child molester , the murderer, the rapist, the thief etc… yet God so loved the world.
He did not pass the job to someone else but it was to great a feat to be left to any one else, it must be done by love. The Burden of Love will cause you to do the unthinkable, and you will be unstoppable.
Illustration: I heard my parent complain time and time again of how tired they were yet they went to work any way , how much they wanted this or that , yet they never bought it. That didn’t make since to me, if I want something I just take it, why didn’t they? The Burden of Love.
I know now about the Burden of Love, I have three little boys that are flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone, and when they hurt I hurt, when they cry I cry, whey they laugh I laugh, they are a part of me and I of them and because of that there is a burden in my life I feel time and time again and it can only be carried by love and love only.
It is bigger than responsibility or duty, because all that can be forgotten but when it is a part of you, you can not forget it. it’s the Burden of Love.
WHY WAS DAVID A BETTER KING THAN SAUL?
Before he was a king he was a shepherd . He knew what it was to sleep with, eat with his burden so that nothing would kill and devour, he knew what it was when all of his brothers were enjoying festivities to be alone with his burden. I can imagine David loved his sheep because he spent so much time with them and gave so much of himself to them. So it was nothing knew to keep the sheep of God the children of Israel, only a little bit bigger, but the same type of burden.
To King Saul it was a job and a position but to David it was his life his purpose and his burden. His Kingdom was a part of him and he a part of it.
John 21:15-17
When Jesus asked Peter if he loved him more than these I wonder if what he really was saying is were does your burden lye Peter? Is it for money, a woman, your fishing boat etc…. Or for me Peter?
In their last conversation Peter announced his allegiance for Christ and how he would go the distance for him, even until death but when the time came to prove it he ran away and hid. He wanted to teach Peter than love is more than “YES” from your mouth but “YES” behind close doors. That is when the question is really answered when there is nobody there to see it and yet you still are faithful.
So many people today profess it in the church house and in public places faithful but behind closed doors when no one is there when we should pray and fast and carry the burden of love for a lost and dying world, ye the burden goes unmarried and uncared for.
GET A HOLD OF IT!
Jesus taught the disciples all about love, and even demonstrated it everyday that they walked to gather. He did miracles and gave them so much that so many others had never seen or felt, but the one thing he could not give them was the Burden of Love, it is something we must decide for ourselves . We can talk about it and have bible studies about it , and all of these things but when it is all said and done we must fall in love with it or not. It takes commitment to Christ and someone who will give all, and pay all.
Christ told Peter in once , “ when you are converted strengthen your brethren”. We find him a little later preaching the first Gospel message in the book of Acts and 3000 souls were brought to Christ. We need a conversion experience in this day and hour as Christians, we need to convert from our selfish love of pleasures and begin to seek eternal fulfillment and satisfaction and that is in the work of the Lord. This Burden can only be carried by Love.
