(Special thanks to Ty Rhymes for these great, challenging thoughts)
One of my favorite moments in John’s Gospel happened just after the resurrection. Peter had denied Jesus three times. He was standing beside the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus gave him the opportunity to affirm his love three times. It really is one of my favorite restoration scenes in the Scripture. Then, Jesus told Peter something difficult. He told him that one day he would stretch out his hands and be led where he does not want to go. That was ultimately a reference to the way Peter would die (John 21:18-19).
Can you imagine hearing that? Can you imagine finally being restored and reconciled after your greatest failure, only to learn that following after Jesus would eventually cost you your life? The way Peter responded has always been interesting to me. Instead of asking another question about himself, he looked over at John and said… “Lord, what about this man?” (John 21:21)
I almost want to smile every time I read it because it feels… familiar. Jesus had just told Peter about his future and Peter’s first instinct is to worry about someone else’s. Comparison has a quiet way of pulling our focus away from what Jesus has asked us to do. That is why I really love Jesus’ response: “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.” (John 21:22) Jesus doesn’t go into any detail explaining his plans for John’s life. He doesn’t satisfy the curiosity that Peter has. He just focuses his attention on what is most important: “You follow me.”
That is EXACTLY what Peter needed to hear. The most important thing wasn’t “what about him?” The most important thing was, “what has Jesus asked me to do that I’ve been too distracted to notice?”