Following Jesus, Not Comparing Paths

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?”
John 21:20-23
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Following Jesus, Not Comparing Paths
Peter looks at another disciple and asks the question we all know too well: What about him? Jesus gently but firmly redirects Peter away from speculation and comparison and back to his own calling. Curiosity about others often masks a deeper problem, dissatisfaction with the cross the Lord has given us to bear. Jesus does not explain John’s path. He simply says, You follow Me. Discipleship is not a competition, nor is it a guessing game about God’s hidden will. The Lord reveals what we need to know: Christ crucified for sinners, risen for our justification, and present for us in Word and Sacrament. The cross teaches us that our worth is not measured by length of life, visible success, or dramatic suffering. It is measured by Christ’s faithfulness unto death. Whether our calling is long or short, quiet or costly, the same Jesus goes before us. Freed from comparison, we are free to follow Him in trust.