John 21:18-20 NLT
[18] “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” [19] Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.” [20] Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?”
[21] Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”
[22] Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”
Why did John include this little exchange betwee Peter and Jesus? Was it the final bit of competition between Peter and John rearing its ugly head before Pentecost?
Jesus showed us, in His magnificent high priestly prayer, how priceless unity between His followers was to Him. He paid with His blood to bring warring humans together in a new bond of love. Jew and Gentile, implacable enemies even under the Old Covenant, unified into one body, one species, bound together by the power of the Holy Spirit to love one another as Jesus loved them.
However, the Holy Spirit was yet to come, and Jesus’ disciples were yet to experience His transforming power through His indwelling presence. The Spirit would deal with their petty quarrelling and competition once for all when He came.
Until then, Jesus was fed up with the selfish, competitive attitude that poked its head out through Peter’s words. His sharp rebuke, “Mind your own business, Peter!” would ring in Peter’s ears every time he was tempted to elevate himself above others.
Spiritual competitiveness is still rife in the church today, a sign that the flesh still dominates and muddies relationships in Jesus’ body. Paul had to deal with this same carnal behaviour in the Corinthian church.
1 Corinthians 1:10 NLT
[10]”I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.”
1 Corinthians 3:1-4 NLT
[1] “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. [2] I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, [3] for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? [4] When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world?”
The competitive spirit still reigns where church leaders elevate themselves above others by claiming functions and titles which give them “authority” over fellow believers, not sanctioned in Scripture. This is not evidence of the Holy Spirit’s activity but rather the absence of His leading in these situations.
Our role in relationships is to protect love and preserve unity by ruthlessly killing the flesh through our obedience to the Spirit.
Romans 8:12-14 NLT
[12] “Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. [13] For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. [14] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”
Competitiveness of any kind is a work of the flesh, causing division and quenching the Holy Spirit’s work in Christ’s body. God’s solution, through Paul, is imperative.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NLT
[11]” Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. [13] This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. [14] Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. [15] Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. [16] He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
So, when it comes to God’s doing in others, “Mind your own business!” As Owald Chambers wrote, in his book, “My Utmost for His Highest”, “No saint dare interfere in the discipline of suffering of another saint.”
What a way for the John to conclude his magnificent gospel! That’s the power of God at work in us, demolishing the flesh to recreate in us the image of Jesus.