Focus on Jesus and Don’t Worry about Others
Today’s passage: John 21:20–23
Focus verse: When Peter saw [John], he asked, “Lord, what about him?” (John 21:21)
After restoring Peter into a right relationship with him, Jesus adds a cryptic line that implies Peter will die by crucifixion when he is older. This must make Peter squirm even more.
Looking around, Peter notices John trailing behind them, having heard the whole conversation. Peter tips his head toward his fellow disciple and asks Jesus, “What about him?”
We can speculate on Peter’s motivation for asking this question.
It may be he’s uncomfortable with all the attention Jesus is giving him, first by asking him three times to affirm his love and then telling him how he’s going to die. Peter asks his question to shift the attention to John.
Or it might be Peter comparing himself to John. Will Peter suffer more for his Savior? If so, that could be a source of pride.
Perhaps Peter merely wants to know if the other disciple will endure the same fate as him. If so, it becomes an issue of fairness, a plague that grips many today, as in, “It’s not fair!”
Regardless, Jesus says John’s path doesn’t matter as far as Peter is concerned. All he must do is follow Jesus and not worry about John.
Yet Jesus communicates this rhetorically, saying “If I want him to live until I return, what’s it to you?”
Some disciples misunderstand Jesus. They assume he means John will not die. John sets the record straight for his readers and confirms that Jesus didn’t say John wouldn’t die.
We need to listen to what people say and not jump to false conclusions. And when unfounded rumors start, we should do what we can to stop them. When people spread false assumptions, even when their intentions are good, confusion is a sure result.
We can also learn an important lesson from Peter. Regardless of his reason for asking Jesus about John’s future, the result would be Peter being able to compare himself to John.
Comparing ourselves with others accomplishes nothing positive. It can lead to unwarranted pride or cause harmful despair. Both extremes impede us from following Jesus and serving him.
Instead, we should keep our focus on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1–2).
Jesus simply tells Peter, “You must follow me.” And we must do the same.
Questions:
When have we made the mistake of comparing ourselves to others?
Are we more likely to start a rumor, spread it, or stop it?
Prayer: Jesus, show us how we can best follow you.
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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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