Jesus’ Words in Red What is That to You?

Jesus’ Words in Red

What is That to You?

"If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?

You must follow me." 

“When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" V.21

  Jesus had to tell Peter to get his nose back where it belongs

To put away the unfair card

To stop looking at the other side

And to stop playing the armchair quarterback

Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return,

what is that to you? You must follow me." V. 22

Jesus has given us all the best of the best

He gave us Himself

He gave us eternal life

That is generosity none of us deserve

What is That to You?

It is so easy to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.

You have heard it said…

 “Mind your own business”.

We are all business owners.

But when you spend your time in all the

other shops you don’t get your job done.

It is easy to get into the mindset that life is not fair.

We can get so distracted by the grass on the other side. 

Jesus once told a parable of some workers.

Some were hired in the morning some

at noon, and others at 3pm and 5pm.

The owner of the vineyard said

he would pay them what is right.

And he gave them all the same wage.

Now those who were hired early and worked all

day became unhappy with the owner, thinking they

should get more than the others that worked less.

What do you think?

But before you answer look at what Jesus said…

¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Matthew 20:1-16

There are more “armchair quarterbacks”

then there are players.

God has called us all to be players, we all

have a role in our Father’s business.

Peter seemed to be more zealous than John.

Over and over again we read “Peter, James and John”.

Peter is the leader, he worked hard.

Peter got hurt by Jesus asking

him “do you love me”.

I think if we were honest we too would be hurt.

We too would be wondering why Jesus seems to

be giving special treatment to man number 3

(Peter, James, and number 3, John).

“When Peter saw him, he asked,

"Lord, what about him?" V.21

 

Jesus had to tell Peter to get his

nose back where it belongs.

To put away the unfair card.

To stop looking at the other side.

And to stop playing the armchair quarterback.

Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return,

what is that to you? You must follow me." V. 22

Jesus has given us all the best of the best.

He gave us Himself.

He gave us eternal life.

That is generosity none of us deserve.

God has made us all different.

A parent who has two children…

One who wants to work with

his hands to be a farmer.

The other wants to work with

his mind being an accountant.

   

In the summer the farmer is

doing his best in the hot sun.

In the summer the accountant is doing

his best in the air-condition office.

The parent will not look at the conditions

but at seeing the sons being successful.

Enjoy who you are in Christ.

Give all you have to please the Father.

Don’t lose your satisfaction by

comparing yourself with others.

Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.

Galatians 6:4-5

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

2 Corinthians 10:12

Peter’s place with Jesus was

special although different then John’s.

Your place is also special, so

enjoy the place where God has you.

Scripture Reading

John 21:17 NIV

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."  19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" 

20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."  23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?" 

24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.