what is that to thee? follow thou me.
John 21:22
'Tis the strangest thing indeed: we humans bounce from, "Am I my brother's keeper?" to "What about John?" That is, from not caring at all about others to fostering resentment and jealousy birthed by comparing ourselves to others. Rarely do we measure ourselves against those who are less well off than we are, that we might be thankful for our many blessings, and to ask the Lord to bless them as He has blessed us. Instead, we choose to compare ourselves to those who have a larger house, newer car, finer clothes, or bigger income. The only thing reaped from such comparison is discontentment.
I want you to notice the setting of our text scripture: This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. (John 21:14) There, on the sand by the lake, over a breakfast of fish and bread, three times Jesus had asked Peter, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?" Twice Peter had answered, "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee." But that third time, Simon Peter had declared, "Lord, thou knowest ALL things; thou knowest that I love thee."
It wasn't mere happenstance that the Lord asked Peter THREE times, "Lovest thou me...?" No, no, it was Three For Three. Three times Peter had denied the Lord--three times the Lord had him reaffirm his love to Him. Jesus, in his gracious forgiveness, gave Peter the chance to wipe out the memory of his threefold denial by a threefold declaration of love. Then Jesus had given Peter a glimpse into his future: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. John 21:18.
Yes, for the rest of his life, Peter would declare his love of the Lord Jesus Christ, but you see, love brings a great responsibility. It brought Peter a cross, not only to bear during his years of ministry, but to die upon, for Jesus had said, "When you were young, you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." We are told, This spake he (Jesus), signifying by what death he (Peter) should glorify God. Then Jesus added to Peter, Follow me. (John 21:19).
After this close exchange between Peter and Jesus, Peter turned around and saw John. Peter asked Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? (John 21:20,21) "What about John?" We might think, "Well, that was just 'natural curiosity', he didn't mean anything by it." Apparently Jesus considered it important: He answered Peter: If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. In other words, "If it's My Will that he live till I come again, what is that to you? YOU follow ME.
Jesus' answer to Peter is the answer to all those who try to excuse their lack of living for the Lord by blaming the "hypocrites" of this world. We need to get our eyes off of other people, our nose out of their business, and make SURE WE are doing what the Lord would have US to do! Just as our salvation experience is individual to each of us, so is our accountability to God. Each of us has a set place to serve Christ, and it's not in following some other person--it's in our personal (individual) service to Jesus Christ. When I stand before God on Judgment Day, and He opens the "record book", He won't judge me from the records of all the hypocrites of the world--I will be judged on my own personal, individual record.
When my daughter brings her two children for a visit, we usually have a meal together. The younger granddaughter sometimes complains that she didn't get as much in her glass as her (older by three years) sister did, or as much on her plate to eat. All she sees is the amount of food on the plate or fluid in the glasses; we adults know she cannot consume the same amount of food or fluid as the older child. She is consistently reminded that she can request more once she has eaten what she already has.
Such behavior is not unusual in children; it can and needs to be dealt with so that child can learn he or she is an individual and is accepted as such. Yet we find "comparison" continues throughout life, and much of the time, is a real detriment to what a person could truly accomplish. A good example of this is in the workplace: one employee is not content until he (or she) finds out what another employee is being paid. When it happens to be more, there is instant discontent and bitterness. What that employee is not taking into consideration are all the factors involved in determining one's pay, which includes ability, experience, attitude, attendance.
The same is just as true in the life of a Christian. Instead of us following Jesus, we "size up" what we don't have with what it appears somebody else has, and get our minds, our hearts, our eyes off of Jesus. It doesn't take long for feelings of resentment and jealousy to set up housekeeping in our hearts and minds.
Acts 10:34 tells us that God is no respecter of persons. He has an individual plan for each individual. The only measuring stick we ever need to use is the Word of God. Are we measuring up to what it tells us to do? Not to what Brother John or Sister Suzi can do, but are we doing OUR best in service to the Lord? That's what we will answer to God for, my friends, OUR individual service. I won't have to answer for the Pastor's, the Sunday School Superintendent's, or my next door neighbor's. I have to answer for mine, and mine alone.
Instead of comparing what we don't have with what it looks like somebody else does, we need to ask ourselves: "Are we willing to do what they did to get it?" My next door neighbor has a brand new sports car--it is lovely indeed. I am so happy for her, but I am NOT willing to pay what she does for it each month, nor am I willing to work the hours required for her to make those payments. I can barely chord on the piano, but I have a friend who can read and play any piece of music you put in front of him. I didn't put in anywhere near the years of daily hours of practice or study he did. Should I be jealous of him? Of course not! I don't compare that which I can (cannot) do with that which he can do--we are two different people with two different levels of ability.
The "bottom line" is, we need to not compare ourselves with what the Lord asks of another. We need to make certain we, ourselves, are doing OUR very best in service to the Lord, doing all that He would have US to do. I can guarantee it's a full-time job in and of itself, my friends. If we keep our eyes on the Lord, if we follow Him with all our ability to do so, we won't waste precious time we could be using for the Lord worrying "What About John?"
"What About John?" Copyright © 2001 by Patricia Sikes.
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