ĐỀ TÀI: “CON CÓ YÊU MẾN – AGAPE – THẦY?” – Ga 21:15

Chương trình cầu nguyện:

  • Thinh lặng với nhạc nền Taize
  • Học lời hát Taize, chuẩn bị tâm tình cầu nguyện
  • Làm dấu, Hát Veni Sancte Spiritus – Lạy Chúa Thánh Thần, xin hãy đến!
  • Dẫn nhập, Lời Chúa Ga 21, 15-19 Does “Love” Mean “Love” in John 21?

    When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love (agape) me more than these?”
    – “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love (phileo) you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love (agape) me?”
    He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love (phileo) you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
    The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love (phileo) me?”
    Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love (phileo) me?”
    He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love (phileo) you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep”.
  • Giải thích về:

    – Eros: Physical attraction: Lovers, not appear in Scripture, can the the kind of love on  Samson (Judges 14:2), and David (2 Samuel 11:2)
    Eros is self-centered in the sense it relates to the way a person feels and what a person wants. Little to no consideration is given to the object of one’s eros. Unlike agape, eros is conditional and will not move a person to be forgiving or sacrificial, which is why it’s important not to base a marriage on eros or physical attraction. Many couples find themselves wanting to get married due to strong feelings of eros toward each other, but when the eros wears off, they often find themselves frustrated and uninterested.

    That, of course, is the problem with eros: It can wear off. It can change over time, with age, or due to physical appearance. When eros is the primary reason for a relationship, couples often discover that their union has no foundation at all. If a relationship is based solely on eros, then when eros is gone, the relationship is also gone. For a true and lasting relationship, the thrill and excitement of eros must be supported by a deeper, unchanging love and commitment. Eros must be based on the other types of love—the sacrificial love of agape and the abiding affection and friendship of phileo.

    That doesn’t mean eros is immoral or sinful. It is an important part of a marriage relationship, part of the attraction that husbands and wives should feel for each other.

    – Storge: Natural affection: Family. (Romans 1:28, 31), (2 Timothy 3:1, 3).
    Storge refers to natural affection or familial love, such as the love a parent feels toward a child or the love siblings feel toward each other. The word storge is not used in Scripture in its simple form; it appears twice as astorgos, which is storge with an a in front of it, making it mean the opposite, without love or natural affection.

    – Phileo: Strong affection: Friendship
    Phileo can be defined as strong affection. Most commonly, this applies to kindness between friends. When Jesus wept at Lazarus’s gravesite in John 11:36, the eyewitnesses said, “See how He loved [phileo] him!” Phileo forms part of the words philosophy, which means an affection for wisdom, and philanthropy, which implies an affection for fellow humans. The name for the church at Philadelphia, which is mentioned in Revelation 3:7-13, literally means “the church of brotherly love.” When people consider themselves close friends, phileo is the affection they have for each other.

    Phileo does not always have a positive connotation. In Matthew 6:5, Jesus says, “[The religious leaders] love [phileo] to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets.” Their strong affection was directed at receiving men’s adoration.

    Regarding the marriage relationship, it is natural to think about romantic love, also known as eros. But in doing so, we forget that marriage is the union of two best friends. In many ways, phileo is a great description of what marriage is meant to be: a deep and close friendship. Your spouse should be your best friend. That’s why it’s sad when people are closer to their friends than their spouses. It is tragic when people say, “Oh, my spouse is leaving for a week. I can’t wait—what a wonderful break!” If a husband or wife feels this way toward their spouse, they should pray that God increases the phileo love in their relationship.

    – Agape: A Superior, sacrificial love: Master-Servant
    The fourth form of love—and the one most mentioned in the New Testament—is agape. A conversation between Jesus and Peter reveals its superior nature. The background to this encounter was Peter’s earlier pledge to lay down his life for Jesus (John 13:36-38). Even when Jesus warned Peter that he would deny Jesus three times, Peter vowed his unswerving love. He boasted, “Even if all the other disciples deny You, I will not!”

    By John 21, Peter has learned of Jesus’ resurrection and has been with the other disciples at least twice when Jesus appeared to them (John 20:19-31). But the shame and anguish of his betrayal must have remained a heavy burden. We see confirmation of this in John 21. While the disciples were out fishing, Jesus called to them from the shore. Notice Peter’s response: He immediately dove into the water and swam to shore. Then, while the disciples eat with Jesus, we see reconciliation and forgiveness.

    Peter was aware of how he had failed his Master and was humbled by the realization that he had responded to Jesus with the word phileo instead of agape. He knew that his earlier actions prevented him from claiming the superior form of love Jesus asked about.

    This time, Jesus also used the word phileo. He had stopped asking if Peter had agape for Him. The passage reveals that this grieved Peter. The whole conversation would have been painful to him. First, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?” The three questions would remind Peter of his three denials. Being asked the same question three times would make Peter think Jesus did not believe his profession of love. Then, in the third question, Jesus shifted to the word phileo as though calling into question even this inferior love Peter professed for Him. The possibility that Peter did not even possess phileo for Jesus broke the disciple’s heart.

    What may have added to Peter’s pain is that throughout this conversation, Jesus did not use the new name He had given Peter (Matthew 16:18). Peter means “rock,” signifying strength and a firm foundation. Jesus reverted to calling Peter by his original name, Simon, which implied that Jesus was not seeing Peter at this moment as a rock. Considering Peter’s arrogance when he boasted of his love for Jesus, he undoubtedly needed this reminder of his weakness and humanity to not place so much trust in himself again.|

    The point to notice in this account is that Peter recognized the higher calling associated with agape. As a result of his earlier denials, he did not feel comfortable telling the Lord he had this superior love for Him.

    Jesus’ words to Peter should prompt us to carefully evaluate our own love for the Lord. I cannot help but picture Jesus asking us/me, “Do you love Me?” When Jesus looks at my life, what kind of love does He see for Him? Is it simply an affectionate phileo, or does He see all-encompassing agape? Would Jesus have to ask me three times whether I love Him and humble me as He did Peter?

  • Thinh lặng cầu nguyện với nhạc nền: Nada te turbe
  • Hát: Nada te turbe – Tư tưởng Thánh Têrêsa Avila
  • SPANISH –
    Nada te turbe, nada te espante
    quien a Dios tiene nada le falta.
    Nada te turbe, nada te espante
    Sólo Dios basta.

    ENGLISH
    Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
    Those that seek God shall never go wanting.
    Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
    God alone fills us.

    TIẾNG VIỆT:
    Không gì làm bối rối, không gì khiến sợ hãi.
    Người tìm kiếm Thiên Chúa sẽ không bao giờ thiếu thốn.
    Không gì làm con bối rối, không gì khiến con sợ hãi.
    Chỉ mình Thiên Chúa là đủ cho con.
  • Làm thánh giá, viết lời nguyện, thinh lặng, dán lời nguyện
  • Nhạc nền: Ubi Caritasa
  • Kết: Kinh Lạy Cha
  • Hát Ubi Caritas
    “Ubi caritas et amor,  – where charity and love are, (Nơi nào có Đức Ái và Tình yêu)
    Ubi caritas Deus ibi est” – where charity is, there is God. (Nơi nào có Đức ái, nơi đó có Thiên Chúa)