David Bahn – Reflections

John 21:18-23

Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him,”Follow me.” ²⁰Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²²Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”²³So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

Jesus has asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Three times Peter has answered him saying he does. Each of these three times Jesus has rejoined: “Feed my sheep.” Now he turns to the far-reaching implications of Peter’s unique calling: his life will be taken from him by force (“where you do not want to go”), but he will glorify God by means of his death. A harsh future reality awaits him.

Peter naturally wants to know if others will suffer the same fate, and seeing John, he asks about him. I can understand this: is my life’s calling so uniquely difficult and challenging that I alone will face it? Will I be alone in my struggle and in suffering for my faith?

Perhaps Peter and I wonder the same thing: Am I unfairly being singled out for harsh treatment – as punishment or for any other reason? It’s not an unusual thought. We do it all the time: “Why am I the only one being laid off?” Or we fume: “Why is she so successful? Why does everything she touches turn to gold, and me…well not so much?”

Jesus’ answer does not speak to the why, but to his call. And he repeats it twice here, echoing his initial call to his disciples: “Follow me.” He’s not talking about a Twitter type following. He’s not just asking for FB friends. He is saying, “Go where I lead you. Trust in me. Remember that I am the good shepherd, and that I will lead you to streams of water and give you abundant life.”

If we are to follow Jesus we will need to believe deeply in his promises of life, blessing, and salvation. For Jesus doesn’t simply thrust us into life without purpose or goal. He leads us to discover that whatever loss we experience for the sake of his kingdom is worth the prize we will receive both in this world, and in the life of the world to come.