Comparison is in the nature of every single human being. If you don’t believe me, just observe how toddlers respond when a new baby joins their family. I distinctly remember when my oldest niece was born; her older brother, who was a toddler at the time, went from wanting to drink from his usual sippy cup to wanting to drink from a bottle like his baby sister. This instinct to compare may begin at an early age, but it does not leave us as we get older. Even we adults compare ourselves to the people around us, whether it's looks, career success, or our relationships. If we want to turn away from envy, we have to commit to stopping the comparisons and focusing on God’s plan for us and our lives rather than on the people around us.
This week, we are looking at a parable found in Matthew 20. In this parable, Jesus told a story about a landowner who hired workers all throughout the day to work in his vineyard. His search for workers began early in the morning and lasted until four o’clock in the afternoon. When it came time to pay, the landowner paid each worker the same, regardless of what time they began working. When they realized that all the workers were paid the same amount, the workers who had started at the beginning of the day were upset, convinced they should have been paid more (verses 11-12). Those workers made a big error that led to envy: they compared themselves to the other workers. If they had just focused on themselves, they would have been grateful that they were paid what the landowner had promised instead of begrudging the landowner’s kindness to the workers who came to work later in the day.
One of Jesus’ disciples, who was most certainly in the crowd listening to Jesus’ parable in Matthew 20, Peter, learned another lesson from Jesus about comparison in John 21. This passage of Scripture takes place after Peter denied knowing Jesus shortly after His arrest and before Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross and resurrection from the grave. Now, Peter must have felt deep shame and sadness that he had denied knowing Jesus as Jesus faced deep pain and torture throughout His arrest and crucifixion. After His resurrection and before returning to heaven, Jesus took a moment to restore Peter. Three times, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. Three times, Peter said, “Yes.” After Peter confirmed that he loved Jesus for the third time, Jesus told Peter, “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…Follow me” (verses 18-19). Jesus made it clear that life would not be easy for Peter; even so, He offered him the invitation to follow Him. Peter’s response to Jesus’ words was interesting. He looked at John, one of the other disciples, and asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?” (verse 21). Immediately, Peter turned to comparison. He wanted to know what the future held for John. In response, Jesus said to Peter, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me” (verse 22). With these words, Jesus was telling Peter to stop worrying about anyone else, including John, and to focus on following Jesus. We would do well to heed Jesus’ words, too.
Each one of us is tempted to give in to the sin of comparison at times, and if we let it, that comparison will distract and derail us in our pursuit to follow Jesus. Comparison takes our eyes off our quest to honor God and live for Him. We must not let it derail us. We have a job to do, friends. Our calling from God is to be His fully devoted follower. Let’s commit to following Him wholeheartedly, without looking to the right or to the left. Let’s focus on our calling to follow Jesus with everything we have.
Today, pay attention to every time you are tempted to compare yourself to someone else. When that temptation comes, choose to focus on yourself and God’s plan for you and goodness today. Instead of giving in to that temptation to compare, refocus on what God has done for you. This is how we let go of envy, one step at a time.
“God, as I seek to let go of comparison and focus on Your calling in my life, help me…”
Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. 2 Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.
3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”
“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.
4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. 5 He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”
“No,” they replied.
6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
7 Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. 8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. 9 When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.
10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.
12 “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.
15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
18 “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.” 19 Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
20 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?” 21 Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”
22 Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” 23 So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”
24 This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate.
25 Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.
