Leave Them With Christ

“Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?” (Joh 21:21 AV)

The context of this question is the death of which Christ prophesied for Peter.  Peter was told that he would suffer a crucifixion.  Seeing John lean upon the breast of Jesus and walking with Him, Peter inquires of what future John had to look forward to.  What death would he suffer?  What would be his end?  Jesus then remarks to Peter in a hyperbolic way that John may live or not.  He instructs Peter it should not be his concern.  There are two schools of thought here.  The first I don’t buy.  There is the school of thought Peter was wondering of fairness.  If Peter has to die, what will John have to do.  This is not the popular idea though.  More times than not, our instructors believe the question was one of concern.  Peter was ready to die for Christ.  John was the tender one.  I agree with our mentors the question was one of genuine concern.  One of brotherly love.  Jesus tells Peter to leave that to Him.  He tells Peter to follow Him.

Often times taking on responsibility that is not ours hinders us from service to Christ.  These responsibilities may see, like they are right and honorable.  However, there are other responsibilities of which the LORD has called us to and He is far more capable of taking care of that which concerns our heart than we are.  One of the hardest things to do is to let your children go.  Or, obey the call of God even if that means you cannot be there for family.  We have had to do this several times.  It may appear to others that we do not care.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I have spent the greater part of 18 years asking the LORD to move us back towards family.  We have aging parents that could use our help.  I have three sons who could use our guidance and encouragement.  Yet, the LORD has asked us to do something else.  We cannot begin to describe how much it hurts when we cannot be there for those whom we love.  When Mom was sick with cancer, all I wanted to do was be there.  As my sons figure out life in the young adult times, all I want to do is be there with deep pockets to make it all easier.  But God has other plans.  When I watch the two greatest people I will ever know in the persons of my in-laws getting a little bit older, I know the time is going to come that I wish we could live next door.  But God is far more capable of taking care of them then we are.  This sacrifice is harder than even those whom we love can comprehend.  But follow Christ we must.

I don’t think the LORD was rebuking Peter.  I think the LORD was trying to reassure Peter that John would be ok.  I don’t think Peter was being envious.  He paid too dear a price of guilt when he rejected Christ at the trial.  God humbled him greatly.  First when the cock crow.  Now here, when Christ confronted him about fishing rather than ministry.  Peter was too humble to be envious.  His concern was genuine.  His love for his colleague was true.  Peter, like all of us must love those closest to him.  Like Peter, we must learn to leave them with God because He is far more capable of caring for them than we ever could.  This doesn’t mean we cannot assist.  What it does mean is we cannot abandon our divinely appointed responsibilities for those which we are, for emotional reasons, assuming for ourselves.