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Are you willing to do anything for Jesus? Wait. Hold on a second before you jump on that answer there. Don’t go all slap-happy with us here now, Sally. Think about this question…really think about your answer to this: Are you willing to do anything for Jesus?

Can you imagine how Peter must have felt when Jesus kept asking the same question over and over again to him in John 21? Peter and his guys had been fishing all night long. They’re physically tired…but they’re mentally and spiritually wore slap out. This man walks up and asks if they’d caught anything. Nothing unusual here. We ask folks all the time when hunting or fishing if they had any luck. Peter hollers back “Nah…didn’t catch a thing.” Then this guy tells them to try the right side of the boat like he was Jesus or something (ha…He was.) When they do, they catch so much they have to holler for other people and boats to come help them. Once Peter realized it’s Jesus he jumps in the water to get to Him even faster.

Jesus had started a fire and had lunch ready for them. Then He pulls Peter aside and asks him “Do you truly love me more than these?” “Do you truly love me?” “Do you love me?” Three times. Three times Jesus asks if Peter truly loved Him. Did Jesus not believe him? Was Jesus making Peter think deeper? Was Jesus knowing that we often quickly say “YES” without really meaning or living this answer?

Are you willing to do anything for Jesus? Wait. Hold on a second before you jump on that answer there. Peter says “Yes, Lord.” “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”

“Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” It’s almost like Peter has a Meatloaf moment shouting back “I would do anything for love!” Are you truly… honestly…for real willing to do anything for Jesus?

Will you invite that person to worship with you? Will you help that individual who is truly irritating and bothersome? Will you make worship a priority? Will you put God before sports/hunting/shopping/spending?

Are you willing to do anything for Jesus? Peter cries out “Anything You want from me…I’ll do.” Wow. We can say that too, ya know. And guess what action Jesus truly wants from us? It’s found in verse 19: “Follow me.” We read Jesus say over and again “Feed my sheep” but then we ignore the final request: Follow.

Are you willing to do anything for Jesus? Start by following His way. Lord, use us to reach the lost. In Jesus, amen.

Rev. J. Cameron Bailey is pastor of Kenbridge Christian Church. He can be reached at jamescameronbailey@gmail. com.