John 21:22, “Jesus said to him, ‘If I desire him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.’”
You follow me: In saying that, Jesus realigns Peter with reality, with his purpose, with true life…..
The first thing to consider here is that Jesus’ words are not intended to create the sort of individualism that we have in our current day…..He’s not telling Peter to be an island unto himself, untouched and unmoved by others, as if all that mattered was “me and Jesus.” No, Jesus has been clear all throughout the gospel that He is creating a people who are united as one around His Name.
However, this does emphasize a point that might get lost in the focus on community, and that is that each one of us does indeed have a relationship with our Lord and that, ultimately, each servant stands or falls before his own master…..when it comes down to it and we give an account for our lives, it will be just that—an account for our lives……and account for our walking with the Lord. My field is not judged based upon my neighbor’s field, but based upon the quality and potential and tending of my own field. Comparison has no place in the Christian life.
But, having said that….see the remedy that Jesus gives….You Follow Me. Instead of looking at his neighbors and brothers, Peter ought to look at Christ and follow Christ. Our identity is received from Christ (Rev.2:17), our life is in Christ (Col.3:3), our ability to do anything flows from union with Christ (John 15:5), and to be with Him where He is is heaven….and so, we are called simply to follow Him…..simply to walk with Him…simply to love Him and do what He has set before us to do without a distracting, diluting eye of envious comparison.
