What Is That to You? You Follow Me

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I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire.  (Luke 24:32)

The Bible says, “Thou shalt not covet.”

You can usually tell if you’re doing it because it bites into your gut.

Someone else is doing better, or has something better, than you, and the teeth of covetousness sink in.

It happens to Christians.  I’ve heard pastors talk about feeling extremely jealous of other ministries with more people, more followers, bigger buildings and budgets.

Have you ever heard a pastor say, “Here’s my hot wife”?  Okaaaaay.  Weird.  But what happens when the next pastor walks in with an even hotter wife?

It’s the comparison trap, and it’s poison.

Like young George Bailey said in It’s a Wonderful Life, “It’s poison, I tell ya.  It’s poison!”

There’s a powerful story of comparison in the Bible between Peter and John.  There must have been some kind of rivalry between Peter and John because it shows up a few times.

In John chapter 21, Jesus appears to His disciples by the sea after He was raised from the dead.  Peter had betrayed Jesus, but Jesus restores Peter as they stand by the sea.  Then Jesus proceeds to tell Peter how Peter will die, and it’s not good.

I’m sure this leaves Peter shaken, and then he looks over and sees John, apparently getting off scot-free, with no terrible death prediction.

So in John 21 verse 21, Peter, probably waving his hand toward John, says to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”

And Jesus gives this profound answer.

And this is the answer for all of us, in all kinds of covetous situations.

If you’ve ever had the teeth of covetousness or jealousy or envy sink deep into your gut, listen closely to what Jesus said to Peter.

Actually, Jesus doesn’t respond to Peter’s question about John.

And Jesus probably won’t respond to our cries about what the other guy has and we don’t.

Jesus talks to Peter, about Peter, not about John.

In John 21 verse 22 Jesus said to Peter, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?  You follow Me.”

When we cry out to God about what others have and we don’t, I think this is what He is probably saying to us as well.  “What is that to you?  You follow Me.”

It says, “Thou shalt not covet” for a reason.  It’s time we stop looking around and comparing and stoking the flames of covetousness.

It’s time we make eye contact with Jesus as He waves off all of our petty concerns and says to us, “What is that to you?  You follow Me.”

May God bless you today.

I’m Doug Apple.