"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." Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, "Follow me." 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?" Peter asked Jesus, "What about him, Lord?" Jesus replied, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me."
I love the characters of the bible. They are there in black and white, warts and all. Their failings and their humanity for all to see. It's of great comfort to me as it shows me that God can use anyone, even me. Peter is one of those classic characters. He is first to speak, fails in a spectularly obvious way, is restored, renewed and becomes a key figure in the birth of the church.
The passage in John 21 is something I think everyone can identify with. Jesus gives a cryptic prophetic word outlining how Peter would die for Jesus. It wasn't lost on him though. He knew what it meant. When Jesus said 'you will stretch out your hands' he said this with holes in his own from the cross he had been on only a few days prior. Did Jesus say this as he visually motioned His own outstretched arms? I think so. Peter knew what Jesus was saying.
It's a tough load to carry to be told one day you will die like I did. But then he sees 'the one Jesus loved' - John. His reaction was probably the same as many of us would have - 'what about Him?'. Jesus, don't tell me I have to die a cruel death and he gets away with something easier. Isn't this our issue. We don't mind so much a heavy load to carry as long as someone else isn't getting off lightly. But that's not God's way. Each has his own load to carry.
So for me, I have to stop being concerned with whether life 'is fair' or not. Whether I have a tougher deal than others. The reality is my load is my load to carry. I can look at someone and say 'what about them Lord' but that's not my call. In fact if I look beyond my own cross to carry I see that there are in fact real people dying real deaths for their faith in Jesus. I don't suspect they are saying 'what about Him Lord'.
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