Reading: John 21:20-22
Do you ever fail the Lord? If so, how does the realisation that you have let him down affect you? Do you feel regretful, ashamed, embarrassed, dejected, discouraged, sad? All of these things? Imagine how Simon Peter must have felt! A disciple and follower of Jesus, he had insisted that he was willing to lay down his life for him:
Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice. John 13:37-38
However, when the crunch came he disowned Jesus, not just once but three times, and even cursed and swore that he didn’t know him. We know that Peter was grieved and convicted by his denial of the Lord for we read:
And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. Luke 22:61-62.
The background to our reading is found in the preceding verses of John chapter 21. The disciples have gone back to their trade of fishing while they wait for Jesus to join them in Galilee after his resurrection. When Jesus does arrive he works a miracle and they land a huge catch of fish. After they all have ‘breakfast on the beach’ Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him. Three times Peter affirms that he does so the Lord Jesus follows this up with instructions for Peter to feed his lambs and sheep and to follow him. Jesus proceeds to tell Peter that he will live to be an old man but will eventually be martyred for the sake of Christ.
One would think that information would be enough to keep Peter’s mind occupied but he is an impetuous character – liable to blurt things out without much thought. On this occasion he totally loses focus. Seeing John he asks: ‘Lord, and what shall this man do?’ ‘You tell me I’m going to live long and then be martyred, well, what’s going to happen to him? In effect he was saying: ‘I know about me, but I also want to know about John. What lies in store for him? What is John going to do? What will become of him?’
What is Peter thinking? Can it be that he is somewhat jealous of John; who is known as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved?’ Certainly they have different personalities – John is a thinker, Peter is a doer. John is meticulous (he was mending his nets when Jesus called him to be a disciple), Peter is impulsive. Peter steps out of line when he asks that question – ‘Lord, and what shall this man do?’ He did not inquire from genuine concern but out of idle curiosity. So many of us are like that today. We are curious about what other people are doing instead of following God’s will for ourselves. It costs little or nothing to find out all about someone else’s service for the Lord but concentration on our own will cost us much in time, commitment and sometimes money.
Jesus answers Peter’s question with a question (v.22) followed by a short statement. He says to Peter: ‘If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.’ Jesus is politely telling Peter: ‘That is none of your concern!’ Peter is inquiring out of sheer nosiness and so the Lord gently corrects him. It seems that Peter is more concerned with someone else’s business than with his own. The New Testament calls people like that ‘busybodies.’
For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. 2 Thessalonians 3:11
Modern technology makes this very easy. We now live in an age of instant communication, there seems to be an almost free flow of information. Many Christians who ought to know better take full advantage of technology to mind everyone else’s business, to constantly view bio’s and monitor feeds, or spread ‘news’. Mobile telephone calls, Email, Texting, and many Social Media apps spring to mind. Some people seem to spend much of their time snooping on others – to find out what they are doing. But, the Lord Jesus says: what is that to thee? follow thou me.
‘Don’t be so nosy about your fellow-believers, just follow me!’
‘Take your eyes off other people and focus on me!’
‘Forget about others, do the job I have called you to do!’
‘Why would you want to keep yourself informed about someone else’s life and children, mind your own business!’
‘Peter, what does it matter to you what I have in store for John, you follow me!’
This incident recorded in John chapter 21 is instructive, certainly I have been challenged by it. That being so, the point is, am I willing take the main lessons on board and apply them daily? What are they?
- Do not compare your life to others. You might think everyone else is having life easy but you don’t know their heartaches. Everyone has troubles and trials in life. No-one is exempt. Peter may have thought: ‘John is just cruising but I’m going to be crucified.’ Each of them had his own life to live, knowing all about John’s would have been no help to Peter at all.
- Do not compare your ministry to that of others and become jealous or discouraged. Be glad that the Lord has chosen to bless another person’s service for him. You too have a work to do, so focus on that and do it. Remember the words of the apostle Paul: For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12
- Do not take your eyes off the Lord Jesus to look at what others are doing. Focus on him and run your own race! . . . let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
The Lord Jesus firmly corrected Peter that day with the words ‘what is that to thee? follow thou me.’ If only we all could take this instruction to heart and put it into practice many interpersonal and church problems would be averted. So let each of us determine to follow God’s plan for us, and leave his plan for others with him and them.
So, I wonder, did Peter learn his lesson? I think that he did, for in his first epistle he wrote the following to persecuted believers:
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 1 Peter 4:15
Written Exposition 