Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
John 21:18-19
In John’s Gospel, the Resurrected Jesus speaks privately to Peter at the Sea of Tiberias and includes the words above. The scripture speaks to the type of death Peter would suffer. Tradition says, Peter was crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero. Peter requested to be crucified upside down, believing he was not worthy to be crucified the same way as Jesus.
Peter was led to crucifixion, I assume to a death he did not want to go to. That scripture speaks to so many of us in our life:
We do not want to go to the job we are unhappy in.
We do not want to go down the road of a chronic illness
We do not want to go for the chemotherapy.
We do not want to go down the road with our loved one with Alzheimer’s.
We do not want to go through a divorce.
We do not want to go into a rehabilitation center.
We do not want to go into unemployment.
The list seems endless. Yet, Jesus follows in verse 19 with the words, “Follow me.” Even into the places we do not want to go; Jesus goes with us and we are instructed to follow him.
How deep is your trust in Jesus? Do you know how to recognize Jesus in your daily life? Can you hear him call your name? Spiritual disciplines help us to know Jesus so that we have complete trust and faith in him to be able to walk through whatever life gives us. What spiritual discipline are you working on this year to deepen and strengthen your trust and faith in Jesus? If you need some help, please let me know. I will be happy to help you along in your journey.
In Christ’s Love and Light,
Pastor Pat