"Do you love me?"

The risen Lord Jesus Christ asked Peter.

Now, our society is very mixed up about love, just as it is confused about most things.

Of course, Jesus is not talking about romantic or sexual love. Neither is he being sentimental. This is not Jesus as my boyfriend or girlfriend. Neither does it necessarily involve a gooey feeling in the heart or a far away look in the eye.

This is love that will lead to obedience, to dedicated service and even to a grusome martyr's death.

But it is real love nevertheless. It's a passionate business. Love that involves heart, mind and strength. It is connected to the intelect, the emotions and the will. It is to do with thinking, feeling and acting in certain ways towards Jesus.

And it involves all heart, mind and strength. It is a controling, consuming, dominating, motivating, energising, enabling love. It is not a love that excludes other loves, but it puts them in their place, reoders, and reorients and redefines them. It makes them possible.

Perhaps it's a bit like love for a brother or father. Perhaps the kind of love some footballers might have for the manager who has been like a father to them. Or a boxer for his trainer who helped him to climb out of the gutter. Or the loyalty of a medieval knight to his lord. Or of a soldier to his comrades, or to an officer who loved his men and was willing to lay down his life for them.

But perhaps this is about a love affair after all. It is the love of pauper bride for her prince-bridegroom. He makes her free and clean and beautiful. Their relationship enobles her.

How could we not love him?