What is That to Thee?

My attention was drawn to John 21 as I prepared for church Sunday night. I was looking at the sermon title, trying to guess what direction the preacher would go with his message so I could pick out a song for invitation and closing prayer. (I usually pick them out towards the end of the sermon, but it helps to have the hymnal open to an appropriate song just in case I forget.)

As I stared at the page and pondered the title, “The Second Most Important Question”, I thought of John 21. But the question that came to mind was not “lovest thou Me?”, which turned out to be the basis for the sermon that night. No, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind Jesus’ question to Peter in verse 22.

Peter had been having a deep conversation with Jesus, in which He challenged Peter’s love for Him, and told him to demonstrate that love by serving others. (“Feed My sheep.”) Then Jesus said, “Follow Me.” Peter turned around and saw John following, and asked “Lord, and what shall this man do?” (v.21) Here is Jesus’ response:

“If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to Thee? follow thou Me.” (v.22)

We live in a culture obsessed with what everyone else is doing. Throughout the crises and trials of this year, all eyes have been on the different leaders in our country and our churches, to see how they handle each new situation. With each new development, criticisms and opinions fly freely from our lips, and in the midst of all this chatter about what others are doing and saying, and whether they are right or wrong, I’m afraid it has become all to common for us to tend to the business of others while neglecting our own.

“What is that to thee?”

Jesus made a startling statement about John, indicating that it was possible that he would remain on the earth until Jesus came back. John points out that Jesus wasn’t actually stating this as a fact, but just as an example, but Peter (and apparently some of the other disciples) took it as Jesus’ definite plan for John.  Yet, in the face of a startling statement about John, Jesus’ next words bring the conversation back around to Peter with a rebuke: “What is that to thee?”

Whatever God had planned for John, it had no bearing at all on Peter’s walk with Jesus. We, too, may see God dealing with others differently than He has with ourselves, but that has no bearing on our walk with Him. We may see a leader “get away” with wrongdoing, and fume that it isn’t right, but, while wrongdoing is never right, God’s omniscience and sovereignty guarantee that no one “gets away” with anything. The question to us is, “what is that to thee?” What bearing do the faults and failures of another have on your own walk with God?

None at all.

We each have an individual responsibility to respond to the trials, tragedies, and injustices of life as Christ would. We are each an ambassador of Christ, (2 Corinthians 5:20) and how we behave, how we walk with God, how we follow God, how we react to life, will display our own relationship with God for all to see. Whatever others may say or do, you and I are to be mirrors, reflecting the character of Christ.

So as the world’s actions and opinions swirl around you, will you get sucked into the current, fuming and fretting over what others are doing, or will you stay focused on your own individual task of following Christ?

For as we face the daily flood of news and gossip, the voice of Christ echoes across the centuries, saying, “What is that to thee? follow thou Me.”