Jesus appears to seven of the disciples after His resurrection and sits around a fire with them eating a breakfast of charcoaled fish and bread. Simon Peter, the impulsive and passionate disciple who proudly stated that he would never fall away, even if others did, sits among them and eats with the Lord he publicly denied knowing three separate times. They finish breakfast and in a grace-filled moment Jesus publicly restores a grieved Simon Peter with forgiveness and a commission to feed, tend and care for His flock.
After this, Jesus tells him to what length he was to glorify God “…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.”(vs.18) The good news, Peter would remain a faithful servant. The bad news, it was going to carry him where he did not want to go.
Moments later when Peter sees the disciple John following them, he curiously asks, "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus rebukes him. “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”(vs22)
Based on the fact that Jesus responded to the question with a rebuke, I can't help but speculate about the reason Peter is asking it. There are many instances where Jesus answers questions to directly penetrate and reveal what He knows is going on in the person's heart. Peter's question, "Lord, what about this man?" is one of those real questions emanating from a man concerned with what is purposed for another. It's the question that coiled up and bounced in front of me because it's the same one I've been asking the Lord lately.
Why is that person saved and this one isn’t? Why did you allow that one to be healed, but not this one? Why will you allow that one to secure a job, but not this one? Why does he have to struggle but that one doesn’t? I know you have this for me, but are you going to give them special favor? Am I going to suffer while they get to live a life full of love and special revelation? And so on. To put it in a nutshell, "What about him?"
The prideful focus of my heart is exposed, and the Lord in a grace-filled moment rebukes me with a question he knows will lead to my greatest joy. “What is that to you?” He let’s me know that in that moment I’ve become too preoccupied with what is not meant for me. It’s not mine to figure out, and even if He was to give me the answer, He knows it wouldn’t suffice because it’s only a small piece of the larger picture.
His rebuke while sounding harsh isn't meant to frustrate or cause me pain. It's for my good. It's His loving way of keeping me focused on what He has for me to do while walking with Him. If I'm continually going around pointing fingers and saying, "What about that guy?" he knows I'm likely to stray like a dog that follows the instincts of his nose and ends up lost and far away from its loving master.
