WHAT'S IT TO YOU?
John 21:20-22 NKJV
20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me."
You have to love Peter. The guy is always getting corrected. When I get to heaven and have the chance to meet Peter, I am going to thank him for all the lessons I have learned from his life. Here, Peter is talking with the Lord after the resurrection, and once again, Jesus has to correct him. But we can learn something each time Peter is corrected because we deal with the same type of issues.
Peter and Jesus are walking and talking. Jesus has just tasked Peter with feeding His lambs and sheep. Jesus has asked Peter if he loves him, and each time Peter responds in the affirmative, Jesus directs him to the care of God's people. And Jesus also lets Peter know how he will eventually be martyred for God's Kingdom. I don't know how encouraging that news was, but I believe it helped Peter later on.
Peter wants to know about what is going to happen to John who was following them. And Jesus lets Peter know that His plan for John does not involve Peter. Thus, the rhetorical question, what is that to you? Jesus was not expecting Peter to answer that question but rather making it clear to Peter that his job was to follow the Lord.
APPLICATION
In this short passage, we can learn a big lesson regarding other people. What God has called them to has nothing to do with us. Each of us will stand before the Lord and give an account of what we did down here on earth. Each of us, meaning we will stand by ourselves and give account for ourselves. I will not have to give an account for what the Lord has asked you to do, and you will not have to answer for me.
This seems like such a simple concept, and if we adhere to it, many problems and questions are solved. This would solve our negative tendency in the Body of Christ to judge one another. I do not agree with every ministry out there, but what they do is between them and the Lord. So, a great question to ask ourselves is, what's it to me? Our focus is to follow the Lord and do what He asks us to do for Him. We are the servants; He is the master. In Romans 14, Paul warns against judging and being critical of another's servant. Jesus set the standard with Peter. If John, who, along with Peter, was part of Jesus' inner circle and was still none of Peter's business, then the same principle applies to us.
PRAYER
Lord, forgive me for involving myself in things that do not pertain to me. My job is to follow You. And to pray for my fellow believers in Your church.