Acts 25:13-21 / John 21:15-19
In the medical profession, a general practitioner (GP) is a medical doctor who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education to patients.
By and large, most of us would have consulted a general practitioner at one time or another, for whatever health issues.
But when the general practitioner has to refer us to medical specialist, then it may mean something that requires a particular examination and treatment.
The general practitioner has to know the limits of his expertise and diagnosis, and to refer to the specialists when it is required.
In the 1st reading, Festus was discussing with king Agrippa and Bernice about Paul's case, and he admitted that he felt that he was not qualified to deal with the questions regarding the case, and he had to recourse to higher authority.
But in the gospel it was like the other way round; it was like the higher authority asking the subordinate a very basic and fundamental question.
Jesus asked Peter, three times, "Do you love me?" It was a very basic and fundamental question in any relationship, and yet the answer can be so decisive.
But very often, it is we who ask Jesus if He loves us, especially when we are going through the darkness of anxiety and worry and doubt.
We don't need a specialist to give us the answer to that question whether Jesus loves us. But we would really need to believe that Jesus loves us before we can say that we love Jesus.