The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 27 December 2019 – Fair Price For The Kingdom Mandate
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TOPIC: Fair Price For The Kingdom Mandate
READ: John 21: 19-24 (NKJV)
19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”
21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what [about] this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what [is that] to you? You follow Me.”
23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what [is that] to you?”
24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
THE MESSAGE:
Jesus had just tactfully exacted from Peter a hearty pledge of love and loyalty, and now proceeds to grant him an insight into what he should expect in pursuance of the task ahead. Peter should already know that the road to the kingdom is strait and narrow (Matthew 7: 13).
But to hear again that the end would also be turbulent – an unsurrendered soul would have chickened out immediately as this same Peter had done in the heat of the Master’s passion.
In very plain terms, Peter was told that the journey he was about to undertake wasn’t going to be a bed of roses. He still reserved the right to choose to back out. But this time around, he wisely chose the Lord, probably recalling Jesus’ words in Luke 9:62; ‘Anyone who puts his hands to the plough and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.‘ But he also had assurance from Jesus that it would all culminate in glory unto God.
Evidently satisfied with Peter’s positive response, the Lord extended this all-important invitation – ‘Follow Me.’ Peter had received this same invitation three years earlier.
The Amplified Version renders this to mean ‘Walk in the same path of life that I have walked.’ It was heaven’s second chance to Peter. And he wasn’t prepared to quash it again. Would you?
We also grasp from Jesus’ reproving response to Peter’s expressed curiosity on what would become of John his friend and colleague (verses 20-22), that in pursuance of the kingdom mandate, one does not have the liberty of looking back or prying into other people’s business. ‘Focus on your own personal mandate and leave whatever becomes of John to Me’, was the Lord’s tacit response to Peter and to whoever else would heed to this call- ‘Follow Me.’
PRAYER: Dearest Lord, grant me the grace to follow You through to the very end irrespective of whatever storms that rear their ugly heads on the way. Amen.
