Many people are familiar with the story of Job. It would seem as if God accepted satan's challenge. "He only fears you because of what you do for him. If you let him suffer severely he will curse you" (Job 1:9-12; 2:3-6). The phrase 'cupboard love' derives from the way a cat shows superficial love for a person who feeds it, or for the cupboard that holds its food.
When Jesus challenged the twelve's loyalty by asking if they wanted to leave, Peter's answer indicated that he knew eternal life was to be found only in Jesus (John 6:68). It would be foolish to give that up for anything else in the world. But this conviction was not enough to keep him faithful when he was presented with an extreme test of his loyalty (Luke 22:31-34).
Do I love Jesus just for what he has done for me or does it go deeper? Do I love him because he is the embodiment of pure goodness? After his resurrection Jesus challenged Peter about his love. Will he, like Job, love Jesus even if he had to suffer for it? Jesus said he would (John 21:18-19).
Notice that on both occasions Jesus addressed Peter by his 'private' name Simon and not his 'stage' name Peter. For a leader or a famous person it can be difficult to be authentic in public because of the pressure of followers and or fans. Peter found out the hard way that commitments made when 'on the stage' are not easy to carry out when the fans or followers have disappeared.
