“Peter, seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, ‘If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
-Follow thou Me.”
John 21:21-22
On occasion we are reminded in the Bible to “mind our own business,” when it comes to what Jesus has asked others to do. Not only what He has asked, but also whom He has asked. For example, as Christians, we somehow believe we should all look the same, speak the same, act the same, even worship the same based on our own meager understanding of God’s Word, not fully understanding that there are unique roles assigned to all Christians based on upbringing, character, physical abilities, social status, dialect, and personality, just to name a few. There is a special correlation between you and those you will speak to concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your unique capabilities will be used to reach those where countless others have failed.
In John 21:14-17, after dining with Jesus for the last time after the resurrection, Peter the Apostle is asked by Jesus three distinct times, “Lovest thou Me?” Peter replies, “Yea Lord, Knowest that I love Thee.” Jesus states, “Feed My Sheep.” It is a wonderful exchange of God’s directive to all Christians. However, there is a verse I find even more compelling found in today's verse, John 21:21. It appears as Jesus is speaking to Peter concerning what he should do for the Kingdom of God. Peter, espying John, whom the Bible refers to as, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” instead asks Jesus,
“What shall this man do?” And Jesus replies,
“If I will, that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?”
In other words, do not worry about how another serves God, concern yourself with the responsibility that God has given to you.
There are some who will walk the straight and narrow path to find God, and there are others who will, like the thief on the cross, find God in their very last breath. Let’s not forget, even in our scant human understanding of perfection; we have all fallen short of the Glory of God, and, it is on God’s Honor, by His Grace, and in His Mercy that each person is saved. L.
Study Reference: John 21:14-24
Excerpt from:"Minding Our Own Business." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: Renjith Kumar
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