What if…?

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

John 21:15-24

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶ He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ 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.”

²⁰ Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” ²³ So 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?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

²⁵ Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Tulips | London, England | April 2023

Years ago I served on the Board of Directors for The Lutheran Church Extension Fund. It was quite an experience. LCEF as it is known is a sort of credit union for churches. People deposit money in an LCEF account and receive a good rate of interest on their savings. Then LCEF loans those funds out to churches for new buildings, major repairs, and other capital items. One of the things I learned by serving on that board was how little changes in interest rates can impact the funds and required capital reserves balances. To monitor that they ran stress tests. These were major “what if” scenarios to prepare for future changes.

We might do that on a much smaller basis. What if we buy a cheaper car? What if we go on an expensive vacation? What if we send our kids to a private school? What if it rains tomorrow? All these are plans we can manage to some degree. There will always be last minute adjustments and challenges. But to some degree our what-if planning can prepare us for those eventualities.

Peter wonders about a far-more significant what if in his encounter with Jesus.

When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” ²³ So 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?”

Well…when you put it that way, I guess nothing. But I do kind of wonder why he gets different treatment than I do. And it would be really cool to be around when you return. I can imagine Peter thinking those things. Or at least I might think something like that. But Jesus challenges all of that. He simply indicates that it is not Peter’s prerogative to determine when and who, what and where. That’s God’s call. And Jesus – God in the flesh, and now fully glorified will have the last say in all this.

And there is still more: John (the one to whom Peter has pointed, and who may or may not die before Jesus returns at this point) has a final word for us. He has already declared his intent for writing this biography of Jesus. “These things were written,” he writes, “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) Now he declares that this testimony is a reliable eyewitness account. He didn’t write all that Jesus did; the world couldn’t contain all the books that would be written if that were to be attempted. Jesus did a lot. A whole lot. Maybe you have something to say about that. Perhaps a testimony you wish to write.

I’ll share mine tomorrow.