"Jesus said to him, 'If it is My will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!'" (John 21:22, ESV)
We have all noticed in life, I'm sure, that our Lord Jesus Christ's, "....will that he...," is not the same for all. In fact, it could be possible that, "If it is My will that...," can have as much variation as there are the numbers of those who, "follow the Lamb wherever He goes."
Some Followers of Jesus seem to always have perfect health; others struggle with health issues, some for most of their lives. Some have had marriages which have lasted decades; some have known the pain of divorce. Some, but I might add, relatively few, have big ministries, are widely popular in the Believing Community, while most live in relative obscurity.
I often think of, and am thankful for my Dad, and many of his fellow pastor friends. They were exemplary in pastoral care. They were not "widely known," and most of Dad's pastor friends served small congregations in very small communities, e.g., Kantnor, Shanksville, Hooversville. I remember these faithfuls at church camp, faithfully being cabin counselors, playing ball with the kids, then back home caring for the people in their small farming communities, comforting the downtrodden, hospital visitations, (my Dad went to the hospital every evening.)
What is it that Jesus has, "....will that he...," and not "will that you?" The question is the same for us all, "What is that to you?" He did this and that, but you cannot. She has a lot of money, but you do not. The, "conclusion of the matter," is, and I can say of life itself, "You follow Me!"
Father, in Jesus' Name, if there is anything which I have not accepted, I so choose to. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
