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This last chapter of the Gospels is so wonderful! I love the way Jesus leaves His disciples; with a clear understanding of His love and a clear direction for them to follow. When Jesus says “Feed my sheep” or “Feed my lambs” He is indicating the types of love they should have (first two times Greek agape: volitional, self-sacrificial love) and (the third time Greek phileo: signifying affection, affinity, or brotherly love). When I read these passages it makes me wonder and question if I truly love Jesus. Do I really love Jesus? Am I really His friend? I want to be, but it doesn’t happen by accident. It takes work and commitment to building and maintaining a relationship with Him.
Daily Devotion 
Love this passage, too!
So here’s another playful side of Jesus. The guys are out fishing. Haven’t caught anything, and then Jesus shows up. Of course, they don’t recognize him, but he acts like any other fisherman asking other fisherman, “So, uh, you catch anything?” And you know the guys are frustrated. “No!” I can see Jesus snicker to himself as he says, “Hey, uh, why don’t you throw the nets on the other side of the boat!” De ja vu anyone? That’s when they get it. So Peter, so excited about seeing Jesus, puts on his clothes, and swims to shore. I wonder if he got there any faster than the boat. I mean, he’s fully clothed. So Jesus is chuckling. The disciples are stoked. And they eat.
And then they have this exchange about “do you love me” etc…And after Peter has had this great exchange with Jesus, feeling loved and cared for by he, he suddenly starts worrying about what Jesus has for the other guys. It’s like he says, “Ok, Jesus, that’s great what you’ve got for me, but what about that other guy” (the one whom Jesus loved:)) And Jesus response is basically, “Hey! What’s it to you? Quit worrying about that other guy and do what I’m telling you to do.” Mind your own dang business, Peter! Gosh, I love Peter! I’m so like him! Jesus and I have these awesome moments, but then I am so quickly sidetracked by what someone else is doing and I start comparing myself! Sheesh! Jesus is intimately involved differently in the lives of his followers. He knows what each of us needs when we need it. That whole comparison thing just gets in the way.
You know, Dino, I was having that same conversation with myself in the fall. I mean, how esoteric is it to love somebody you’ve never seen and only have interaction with on this weird, unseen, spiritual level. We are told to love Jesus because he loves us, but honestly, I didn’t really love him. I loved what he had done for me on the cross and through his resurrection. I loved the life he had given me. But him? Did I really love him? It’s hard to deeply love someone you just don’t really know. So I asked God to really let me get to know Jesus. I was sick and tired of the unauthentic crap that often gets tied up into our “religion”. I wanted to know him. My path led me through Beautiful Outlaw and now through the Gospels with a fresh, new light and understanding of Jesus. I can honestly say that I truly love this man. I feel like we are actually friends. My only suggestion to you is to ask God the same. He knows you. He knows what you need and what you will respond to. He knows that, just like with money, we have to be sick and tired of where we are. If you reach that point, keep your eyes peeled and ears open. God will meet you there and show you things you never imagined.