Prior to this trip I was asked to write a series of devotions
that reflect upon questions asked in the Gospel of John. Each day the team gathered to read the Scripture and then shared thoughts and sang along with the guitar we brought along. Here is one of these devotions that applies to most of us.
“Lord, what about him?
Read John 21:18-24
Peter has been
given a glimpse into his future as a follower of Jesus. As a strong willed and dominant personality,
Peter has made decisions and set out a course for his life, but Jesus says a
day will come when he will suffer greatly for the testimony of his Master.
And so the
question comes on Peter’s tongue, “What about him?” He sees another one of the eleven and would like to know his
destiny. Isn’t this part of our human
tendency, to want to know what will happen to others, partly out of concern but
also partly out of idle curiosity?
Jesus is clear in
showing Peter that what happens to the other disciple is not his business. The most important thing is that Peter keeps
following Jesus. He redirects the focus
of Peter’s life to Himself instead of side issues and comparisons. The journey will be different for each of
God’s children, and that is OK.
At times when one
child in a family is singled out to do a particular chore, the quick response
is, “Well, what about my brother? What
about my sister? Why do I have to do
all the work around here?” It can be easy
in our families and workplaces to see and magnify inequalities or to grumble
about something that is not fair.
However, first we need to focus on Jesus. In light what he endured for us, we may reconsider the situation
or we will approach it with more gentleness.
Be still and know that I am God
Be still and know that I am God
Be still and know that I am God
-from Psalm 46:10a
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