“When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.'” John 22:21-22
I have a leaky gutter! Which is both bad news and NOT so bad news. Bad because I have to fix it…since ‘I’m the gutter-man!’ Not so bad news because…’I am the gutter-man’ and I know how! Many years ago I had a job hanging gutters for a living and still remember my exhaustively, intensive training! If YOU are, or were, a gutter-man, you’d laugh at that!
I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that there’s never been a person who grew up with their life’s goal being a ‘gutter-man’…or gutter-person!’ It isn’t a sexy or sophisticated job that pays a lot. Gutter-men kind of ‘fall’ into the job since, when one needs a job, that one is often available since, EVERY house needs a gutter!
One of the most critical laws, and therefore RULES a gutter-man must remember is, “water ALWAYS runs downhill!” You may laugh, but if you ever had to ‘guarantee’ that YOUR gutters obey that rule, you know it isn’t always easy! As an old Italian Baker man used to tell me, “Every job has it’s bones to chew!” Oh, I also know how to bake a pie!
That leaky gutter is MINE. Unless I want to PAY someone to do it FOR me, ‘I’ am THE gutter-man. It is MY responsibility either way. This led me to a complaint in the Bible where Peter was given his job by Jesus. The outcome would NOT be a good one! When Peter pointed to John and asked, ‘What about HIM?” Jesus said it plainly, ‘That is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! DO WHAT ‘I’ TELL YOU!
In these days of collective side choosing, folks are fighting over every little thing. News folks, bloggers and advertisers are doing everything they can to ‘get you’ on their team! After all, there’s bragging rights and $$$ to be made if you select THEM! ‘Cept JESUS isn’t on the popular ballot!
God called me out of the world to be His. And with that distinction, to FOLLOW HIM! Can I be honest? OFTEN…that isn’t FUN OR sexy, according to the world’s standards! Like Peter, I have tried the complaint and bargaining methods with the Lord of Lords and…neither work. His answer to me is always in that same tone too…”That is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! DO WHAT ‘I’ TELL YOU!”
I grew up realizing I was going to have to have A job. Little did I realize that my job and vocation (God-calling) would be calling ME out! I guess you COULD say, since I AM in God’s business…I am a gutter-man!’ And if you’re reading this…so are YOU! And ‘wink wink,’ you understand EXACTLY what that means!
So…what does Jesus want from YOU?
