Follow Me: The Paradox (2)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you sorted yourself and went wherever you wanted to: but when you are elderly, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and carry you where you don't want to go". Christ said this to signify by what death Peter would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to Peter, "Follow me." (John 21:18-19, paraphrase mine)

After being restored Peter learns that he will lose his life to keep it. The paradox is not only about Peter's death but about dying daily to his own will. Not all disciples are called to ratify their confession with blood in a martyr's death, as Peter was. However, they are all called to the daily death of self-will. Initially, Peter was his own kind of champion (Matthew 14:22-33, John 18:10-11, Luke 22:54-62), fighting what he perceived to be enemies. Now he learns that Christ will make him a champion that conquers his own will. Without Christ, Peter was a self-willed enemy of Christ, just as we are or were. Christ will reverse the contradictory nature of "I'll do it my way".

God's extraordinary assistance is as necessary for us as it was for Peter in order to triumph over self-will. Our contradictory natures never obey God as fully as to cease all attempts to "do it my way"; it periodically raises self-will at the expense of Jesus Christ's glory. All disciples of Jesus must eventually learn to contend with self-will instead of contending with people and circumstances.

God pities our weakness and forbears (Psalm 103:13-14) with us as He makes able to bear heavier crosses. Each cross we carry helps by Grace to keep us from sliding into the domination of the old pattern: doing it my way.