Religion
What are you committed to?
As we bring this series of columns through the gospel of John to a close, let me begin with a question: Have you ever looked at someone in their circumstances or sin and said, “I would NEVER let that happen to me!” How easy it is to make that statement, to stand in judgment over someone as though the very same thing couldn’t happen to us! This would, I believe, be spiritual arrogance! But for God’s grace and protection, there is no sin or circumstance we could not find ourselves. We must never say “never”!
In Matthew 26, Jesus told His disciples they would fall away from following Him, and Peter said, “No way! I would NEVER do that!” Well, you probably remember what happened (see Luke 22). After Jesus was taken away to be crucified, this same confident Peter denied even knowing who Jesus was! The very thing he said he could “never” do, he did, and he did it three times! Peter watched as the soldiers escorted Jesus down the streets of Jerusalem, and then Jesus turned and looked at him. When their eyes met, Peter remembered his words of commitment to the Lord and he left and wept bitterly. But Jesus’ look was not one of condemnation, but of redemption and forgiveness! Jesus knows our weaknesses and understands our frailty. He knows when we think we think we can stand, we will fall! This was not a look to cause guilt, but to create change!
Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times, and now in John chapter 21, Jesus asks Peter if he loved Him three times! I believe He was checking out Peter’s commitment level. Peter was about to be plunged into a life-changing mission in launching the church, and it would eventually cost him his life. This would require great commitment, and when there is a call to great commitment to follow Christ there will also be great hindrances than come to pull us away!
We find Peter’s hindrance in verse 20. Peter sees the Apostle John coming and asks Jesus, “Lord, what about him? What’s your plan for his life?” Jesus responded (and let’s all listen carefully), “Peter, what does that have to do with you? You just follow Me!” It’s so easy to judge what God is doing in others’ lives and fail to pay attention to what He’s doing in ours, isn’t it? If we focus on others’ presumed successes or failures, it will sidetrack us from the path of discipleship God has for us. Peter was consumed with comparing himself to others and was trapped in the paralysis of analysis! And it was keeping him from trusting and following Jesus with a total heart commitment! What about you and me?
In Matthew 22 and 28, Jesus emphasized our need to have a great commitment to His great commandment, to love God with all our hearts so we would be properly motivated to be committed to the great commission of reaching a lost world for Him. It’s time for each of us who say we love Jesus to quit looking at others, and looking into our Savior’s eyes, commit ourselves to following Him!
What are you committed to? There are people in this community without Christ who need to know!
