(Audio)
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?
You follow me.”
It doesn't serve us to compare our paths to those of others. We may be tempted to judge whether or not we are living at our call correctly by comparing our sense of our own results with our sense of those in the lives of others. This is dangerous because our perspective on both is so limited. It may seem to us that our own calling is particularly difficult, that others are allowed to coast on without much effort, always full of spiritual nourishment, heads always reclined on the breast of Christ as his beloved.
Our own calling may feel at times to be more like that of Peter. It may seem more like going where we don't want to go and doing what we don't want to do. If this describes us, we will probably be tempted, like Peter, to look around us at all of the people who appear to have it easier. We ask, 'Lord, what about him? About her? About all of them?' His response to us is stark, "What concern is it of yours? You follow me."
The point Jesus wants to make is that we can't see the hearts of others, neither where they are nor what they need. What we think we see from our external perspective is anything but exhaustive. Hearts like John's experience the cross in one way, our own, perhaps in another. But no one is exempted from a share in the Passion of Jesus. Each has a cross to carry.
If our own path seems hard and we are tempted to envy the apparent path of others let us remember the call of Jesus which applies to both us and them.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (see Matthew 11:28-30).
It still seems unlikely that many of us will face martyrdom. But even if our situation slides more rapidly in that direction than seems likely, even if we must die for Jesus like Peter and like Paul, even so the burden can still be just as easy and just as light as for anyone. It is precisely Jesus being close to us that makes us capable of martyrdom. John's eventual exile on Patmos, his forced social distancing, was probably a great burden for one who loved his flock as much as did John. And yet in the Spirit on the LORD's day John did experience the consolation of the presence of Jesus. No circumstance need separate us from the love of God in Christ.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (see Romans 8:38-39).
Paul definitely understood how to live in the peace and the rest of Christ even when circumstances seemed stacked against him. He was wearing chains on account of the hope of Israel. Yet this did not cause him to wallow in self-pity, to give up, or even to have his hope diminished. He had learned that the grace of Jesus was enough for him.
He remained for two full years in his lodgings.
He received all who came to him, and with complete assurance
and without hindrance he proclaimed the Kingdom of God
and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul still spoke with complete assurance. His message was proclaimed without hindrance. Most of us face much less than imprisonment and chains. So rather than considering our own hardships or the apparent lack there of in the lives of others we need to focus on our proximity to Jesus. We need to come to him, with our minds and with our hearts. We need to learn not to run from this place of rest when our circumstances offer us occasion to fear. Even if Jesus seems asleep in the boat it is his presence that keeps us safe in any storm.
The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD’s throne is in heaven.
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