There's a famous scene among the disciples where Jesus tells Peter what the future holds for him. Upon hearing what God has in store, Peter turns and points to John and says, "But what about him?" And Jesus says, that's not any of your concern. Whatever I have for him, I have for him; focus on what I have for you.
It's not the first time Jesus gave such a speech.
There was a man in Luke 12 who came to Jesus and asked Him to step into a little family dispute. The man wanted his brother to fairly split the inheritance with him, but there were shenanigans behind the scene. So the guy comes and says, "Jesus, step in. Judge between us. Put us both in our place."
But Jesus basically says - I don't stand between men.
God doesn't get into our little battles. He doesn't stand in the space between us in our disputes. He doesn't put Himself in the situation of even appearing to choose one man over another.
He stands in front of us. Beside us. With us. Focusing on one thing - our relationship with Him.
I think that's the tragedy of the man's plight in Luke 12. Here he was, in the presence of Jesus. Not just in the presence of Jesus, but he has the opportunity to speak to Jesus. Jesus is listening to him. The entire scene centers on their interaction. For a brief moment, he has God's ear.
And the one thing he seems to want from God is a hand up on his brother. The one thing he wants is a social escalation among men. He wants God to put him on a pedestal so that others have to favor him because God has said so.
Uhm, bro? Jesus is right there. All the power, all the love, all the mercy, all the grace, all the goodness, and yes, all the riches in the entire world are right at your fingertips. You can smell their breath.
And you just want to be right?
That's why Jesus takes a step back in moments like this. What does it really do for us to have any information at all, any authoritative word from God, about someone else? Not a bit.
It doesn't matter what God is doing in someone else's life. It doesn't matter what He could do in someone else's life. It doesn't matter the things they whisper to each other in their prayer closets or the strangely warm feelings they get in their hearts. It doesn't matter.
God isn't here to gossip about someone else. He isn't here to make you right. He isn't here to satisfy your perverse need to know more than you actually need to know. If God wants him to live forever - or God wants him to keep all of the inheritance - or God wants him to get the promotion - or God wants him to buy the new car - or God wants him to have the relationship - what is it to you?
That's not what God is here for. He's not here to step in between us; He's here to walk among us.
And if you're so busy wasting your time asking about the things of men when the Lord of All is standing so close in front of you that you can smell His breath, you're really missing out on something. Something amazing.
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