Moving around with a great soul is no guarantee that you will imbibe and internalize his/ her values. This is amply demonstrated through the course of history. Were it not the case, we should have had several Mahatma Gandhis – version 2, 3 and so on – Nelson Mandelas, Abraham Lincons, Mother Thereasas and the like.
So it was in the life of Peter who even after following Jesus for about 3 years, was completely cluless as regards His ethos. Peter’s innate nature was irrepressible. I don’t even know if he tried, but the fact is, he could not bring himself to think like the Master.
Many a time that is our problem too. We follow Christ but Christlikeness is a far cry. I guess we need to wait until we get to heaven for that to happen, but here on earth, isn’t it an indication of the degree to which we are surrendered and let Him have contol over our lives?
When Jesus reveals something sublime about his future, Peter immediately turns around and asks “what about him ?”(John 21:21)
Profundity does not wash on this 46 inch chest big fisher man groomed in the sea lanes of Galilee. He was constantly mixing up divine with the human. Despite his frequent faux pas, not once do we read that he was embarassed. Tough nuts, these Galileans! And thick skinned !!
Recall the time a heavely light beamed in his heart and he confessed the divinity of Jesus in response to His question. One moment he was commended by Jesus and almost the very next, he was branded as the devil himslef.
One moment he was boasting of his resolve to stay with Jesus till the very end, come what may and soon after was miserably finding himself unable to stand his ground in the face of a servant maid’s accusation.
And he was labeled the Big Fisherman!
What about the time in the mount of Transfiguration? He got so, so carried away that he proposed a permanet place of residence for Jesus and the Prophets.
His vision was limited. He could not see far nor could he see high. Very much a man for all the million steps he took with the Master across the length and breadth of Palestine.
Let’s come back to the question.
What about him (John)?
John was only a few steps behind and within ear shot. So, with native cunningness, Peter made the question dual toned. John would think Peter was overflowing with the milk of human kindness in his care for his colleague, but Peter’s agenda was a little different.
John was earlier seen leaning on Jesus’s breast during the Passover meal and I guess there was always an undercurrent of precedence in Peter’s mind viz-a-viz John. Now Peter thought he had overtaken him in the leaderboard of proximity to Jesus. He was the one to be singled out and spoken to, first. He merely sought to reaffirm his status; and he wanted to put himself in the leadership position. When he spoke, it was manifestation of a competitive mindset camouflaged in comaraderie.
What about him?
In his heart of hearts, he was hoping to hear Jesus accord John someplace that was less exalted. We know this feeling very well by its garden name called
jealosy.
Is your conscience beginning to prick somewhere? Well, that’s the idea. I gues that’s why we are encouraged to search our heart in the light of the Scriptures. Yes, “His word is a lamp” (Psalm 119:105).
Shine a light on me!
While Jesus could be brusk when the occassion demanded, he didn’t make a riposte like “that’s none of your business” in response to Peter’s somewhat sly question. Remember, John was listening and Jesus didn’t want to make things awkward for Peter at a time when He was preparing him for future ministry.
Instead, He gives a full answer, finishing with “what is that to you?“. Much the same thing as the retort mentioned earlier, but without the sting. But there was a probe alright.
Jesus was gently leading Peter to examine his own heart.
Not always an easy business.
Try it some time! You will be amazed at the things you harbour !!
Just check out these references
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jer. 17:9)
For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23)
Quite a laundry list, what? Yes, there is a lot of cleaning to be done. Let’s not jump for joy for “jealousy” has not made it to the list of baddies. It is there alright as “evil thoughts“.
While we let this examination steadily continue in the back end, shall we look at certain other scriptural references to Jealousy?
Well, what do you know, the very origin of evil seems to have some thing to do with Lucifer not being quite happy about not being God. Pride and jealousy! (Isaiah 14: 13-14)
Jealousy seems to come to us humans quite naturally. Take
Cain for example: he simply could not stomach the fact that his brother Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice to God. And he thought nothing of requiting his feelings by slaying his brother in the field. (Gen. 4:8)
Joseph’s brothers were upset at his high and mighty dreams; they also were not happy with the fact that he was their father’s favourite. So they set off a chain of events which ulimately resulted in Joseph becoming the Prime Minister of Egypt. (Gen. 37:11)
Aron and Miriam were filled with Jealousy about their brother Moses. They rebelled and paid the price (Num. 12:2.10)
Mordecai’s unbending nature ruffled Haman no end. His schemeing ways to extract vengeance, paradoxically reverse fired and he was finally “hoist in his own petard”. (Esther 7:10)
Saul was mighty irritated that the women of Israel ascribed greater honour to the Johnny-come-lately, David. (1 Sam. 18:8)
When we speak of Jealousy in the context of this incident in the Bible involving Peter and John besides Jesus, we are not concerned with the lachrymose Grecko-Roman…tic love triangles that are the staple of most movie industries.
Nor indeed are we alluding to divine Jealousy.
The chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that Jesus did, and …..they were sore displeased (Matth. 21:15).
Oh.. we can go on.
But let us stop to see if the Apostles were completely free of this malady.
Sadly not.
Sorry to bring up Peter again but see what he writes in 2 Pet. 3: 15-16: “and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”
To a wicked mind like mine which thinks that all was not really well between Peter and Paul (scripturally borne out, see Galatians 2:11), this was a thinly veiled narrative on Peter’s part that grudgingly admits that Paul has some wisdom but his writings are difficult to understand.
I could be wrong, of course.
What about today’s world? Forget Politics: if we are to dwell on the Jealousy that is at work in the evangelistic realm, we can produce volumes.
If some one styles himself Bishop, another person calls himself Cardinal. And there are Prophets galore. Quite the highest honour such people confer on themselves to the chagrin of their “fellow labourers” is Apostle.
I have to admit though that I have not come across any one claiming to be
Jesus.
However, there are doctrines doing the rounds that we are all – each one of us – is a mini god. I haven’t figured out how these mini gods split turf!!
But that’s another story!
What about the music scene? In a scenario where we have music Czars going around suppressing, oppressing and repressing every (conceivably potential rival) talent that flowers, the less said the better ! Quite like the devil, they walk about like roaring lions, seeking whom they may devour.(1 Pet. 5:8)
I am concious of the fact that I might have been a little hard on Peter. I do not want to leave you with a wrong impression about this chief of the disciples. We must not forget that he was the rock on which Christ said He will build the church. (Matt. 16:18).
And pray tell me if you can you name any one else (in the whole world, ever) who had the faith and courage to cross over the gunwhale and start walking on water, heeding Jesus’s simple invitation “come“? (Matt. 14:29)
Like most of us, Peter too was “sometimes up and he was sometimes down” but clearly his “up”s are quite insurmountable by the likes of us ! We will humbly draw our lessons and that is that.
So how do we deal with this (natural) weakness? The same Peter has some helpful suggestions. He points out that “each (one) has received a gift“. 1 Pet.4:10. So may be instead of looking askance at the other guy’s gift, we should concentrating on developingour own. Remember Jesus’s parable of the talents?
And Paul furnishes the ineluctable argument of different parts of the body having differing functions and yet working towards making a cohesive, harmonious (whole) unit.
Time and again we are told that each of us in unique. There is no two (or more) of us. We are not products pressed out of a cookie cutter.
God fashions each one of us. And each of us has a role to play. But it is very very rare to have a disposition like Jonathan’s. Remember he was completely unalloyed by any feelings of jealousy as he told David “You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you.” 1 Sam. 23:17
“So let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us”. (Heb.12:1)
Shall we?
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Hmmm
Good inferences, poor Peter
Thought provoking too from an introspection angle
Miles to go ….
Great analysis and so well written. I would like to base my message next week ..Will give you the credit. Yes we need to periodically look into our heart and mind and set things right.
Much more than a sermon.
Beautifully starting with the New testament connecting it with the Old testament and closing with the New testament.Without deviating from the main theme allowing us to read it spell bound .Such an interesting jottings.God bless.
Thank you, Sujatha
Thanks Daisy. Credit not necessary
Thanks Suresh
Although Peter thought that some of Paul’s writings are tough to understand, this verse from Paul is the antidote here – “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” Galatians 5:16 NLT.
Paul goes on to list the Fruit of the Spirit in that same chapter & that’s the “fruit” Jesus probably meant in John 15 too.
Thank you Judah for an excellent Bible Study. Loved the eloquence of your writing too.
Thank you,Sir