THURSDAY

John 21:15-25

One last cliché for the week: “All’s well that ends well.” Many of us find comfort in that phrase— not because every step along the way is “well,” but because it reminds us that God has the final word, and that word is very good. Scripture assures us that a day is coming when God will create a New Heaven and a New Earth and wipe away every tear from our eyes (Revelation 21–22). Until then, we live in what scholars often call the “already, but not yet.” While we can rest in the assurance of the outcome, we often become preoccupied with controlling the details of the journey. We tell ourselves that the more we know, the more secure and less anxious we will feel, not only for ourselves, but sometimes for others as well. What we often forget is that God may have other ways of easing our anxiety. Today’s passage offers a glimpse into a conversation between Jesus and Peter that speaks directly to this tension. Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him, reframing Peter’s future ministry not around control or competence, but around love. Near the end of the conversation, Jesus hints that Peter’s road ahead will not be easy, especially for someone who so badly wants to be in control. Yet Peter would glorify God, and in the end, it would be OK. Jesus closes simply: “Follow me” (verse 19). Still, Peter immediately asks about John’s future, only to be reminded that someone else’s story is not his concern. One person’s journey is not the template for another’s. In our own story and circumstances, we are called to do the same—to follow Jesus. That will be enough. And more importantly, Jesus will be enough.

• To what extent do we sometimes find ourselves thinking that the effectiveness of our lives is more about what we can do or the skills we bring to the table, rather than it is in living in response to God’s love for us?

• Do you think that the impulse to work out all the details of what will happen between now and the time that Jesus comes can get in the way of simply caring for others in response to God’s love for us and our love for God? How do we keep from losing the focus that Jesus suggests to Peter?

• To what extent do we find ourselves comparing our story and situation to that of others? In what ways is that helpful, or not so helpful?

• If you were sitting with Jesus on the shore that day, what do you think you would be talking about?

Take a few minutes to share with God in prayer what is on your heart.