But, What About Him?
When Jesus,
after His resurrection, was challenging Peter about his devotion and
foretelling the events that would befall him in the future (John 21:15ff),
Peter turned to John and said “Lord, and what shall this man do?” Many have
speculated that Peter was attempting to deflect the harsh light of scrutiny
from himself and get the attention directed toward someone else. Jesus
answered: “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
Follow thou me.”
If we were
to put this into our own words, Jesus basically told Peter that it was none of
his business what would happen to John, and that he needed to take care of his
own matters. Peter’s effort to shift the attention from himself was petty
and immature. It was a like a child being scolded for misconduct.
The typical reaction of the child is to point a finger at another child and say
“but, what about him?” Parents can ‘see right through’ this tactic – and
so can the Lord!
Unfortunately,
many Christians display this same immature reaction when they have sinned and
others are trying to restore them. They are quick to point at someone
else in the church that has sinned in the past, or one who is currently dealing
with a spiritual issue. They complain that others have not been dealt
with consistently, or that they are being unfairly singled out.
Should we
be consistent in dealing with all brethren who need to repent? Yes, of
course! Can we do better? Without a doubt! But that is not
the immediate concern of the one who is, himself, in need of restoration.
Until he has corrected his own problems he needs to understand that other
situations are ‘none of his business’. Jesus would say, “What is that to
thee?” Think!
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