A Day in the Life of Jesus
There is something deeply human—and quietly unsettling—about the moment recorded near the end of John’s Gospel when Peter turns his head. Jesus has just finished restoring Peter after the resurrection, speaking words of grace that reaffirm his calling and hint at the costly faithfulness that will one day mark his life. Then Peter notices someone else walking behind them. “Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following” (John 21:20). Almost instinctively, Peter asks, “What about him, Lord?” The Greek construction here carries the sense of redirecting attention—τί οὗτος (ti houtos), “this one—what of him?” It is a subtle shift, but a telling one. Peter momentarily moves from obedience to comparison, from listening to Jesus to measuring himself against another disciple’s path.
As I sit with this text, I recognize how familiar Peter’s instinct feels. Comparison rarely begins as rebellion; it usually begins as curiosity. We want to know how our lives stack up, whether our sacrifices are equal, whether our faithfulness is noticed. Jesus’ response, however, is as direct as it is pastoral: “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.” The emphasis in Greek falls heavily on the command σύ μοι ἀκολούθει (sy moi akolouthei)—“you, follow me.” Jesus does not shame Peter, nor does He explain John’s future. He gently but firmly re-centers Peter on his own calling. Discipleship, Jesus reminds us, is not a shared itinerary but a shared Lord. Each path is shaped by the same love, but not by the same experiences.
John’s Gospel then does something quietly beautiful. The author clarifies a rumor that spread among the early believers, that John would not die. “That isn’t what Jesus said at all,” John insists, grounding the community again in truth rather than speculation. Early church history tells us that John did, in fact, grow old, eventually dying in Ephesus after exile on Patmos. Peter’s life would end differently, marked by martyrdom. Yet neither path was superior. As Augustine once observed, “Peter followed by dying, John by waiting.” Both followed. Both were faithful. The temptation to compare, then, is not merely about envy or insecurity; it is about misunderstanding the nature of Christ’s call. Jesus does not ask us to monitor others. He asks us to walk with Him.
In pastoral life and everyday faith, comparison often creeps in quietly. We compare devotion, suffering, spiritual gifts, even perceived blessings. Sometimes we do it to reassure ourselves that we are doing enough; other times, to explain why our lives feel harder than someone else’s. But comparison, left unchecked, distorts gratitude and erodes joy. As theologian D. A. Carson notes regarding this passage, “The focus of discipleship is always obedience to Christ, not curiosity about the lives of others.” When I compare, my eyes drift from Jesus to the sidelines. When I follow, my attention narrows in the best possible way—to the next faithful step.
Jesus’ words to Peter are not dismissive; they are liberating. “What is that to you?” is not a rebuke but a release. You do not need to carry the weight of someone else’s calling. You are not responsible for how God writes another person’s story. Your task—and mine—is simpler and harder at the same time: to follow Jesus with integrity where we are. When we stumble, His loving acceptance meets us. When we grow weary, His example steadies us. Comparison fades when Christ becomes our reference point. In His presence, we are both humbled and held.
A Blessing
May you walk today with your eyes fixed on Jesus rather than on those walking beside you or behind you. May His voice be clearer to you than the noise of comparison, and His call more compelling than the urge to measure your life against another’s. As you follow Him, step by step, may you find freedom in obedience, peace in trust, and joy in knowing that your path—distinct as it is—is held within His faithful hands.
For further reflection on resisting comparison and embracing Christ-centered discipleship, see this thoughtful article from The Gospel Coalition:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/comparison-thief-joy/
FEEL FREE TO COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE, AND REPOST, SO OTHERS MAY KNOW