A well-to-do tourist stopped to get some souvenirs at Indian
teepee. When he saw the poor old Indian chief sitting there barely
making enough money to survive, he decided to give him some
advice. He said, "Why don't you go to town and get a job in a factory?"
"Why," grunted the chief. "Well you could earn a lot of
money." "Why," asked the chief. "Well," said the tourist, "If you
work hard and save a lot you can build up a good bank account.
Wouldn't you like that?" "Why," the chief asked? "For heaven's
sake man," he shouted, "With a bank account you could retire and
not have to work anymore." "Me not working now," the chief
replied. And that was the end of the advice.
Here were two men who had very little in common. They were
not equal in their possessions, in their opportunities, and in many
other ways they were unequal. But they were equal in that one
thing that made them both proud to be Americans. They were
equal in their freedom. One was free to work hard and save, and
the other was free to live leisurely and survive at best he could.
When we refer to the equality of all men we need to grasp that
no one means by it that men are equal in every way. This is
contrary to all the facts of life. Not even a fanatic for equality
would argue that all are equal in size and strength. No one believes
all are equal in their talents. Those who seek to destroy the concept
of the equality of all men can find numerous illustrations to prove
that men are not equal. They miss the whole point, however, for
nobody is declaring they are equal in everything.
The question is not, can all women make equally good wives, but
do all women have the freedom to try. The question is not, can all
men bat equally well, but do all men have the freedom to play
baseball? Elton Trueblood, the outstanding author and preacher,
wrote, "The truth is that it is impossible to make a reasonable
statement of the meaning of equality except in terms of freedom.
Men are equal only because all men are intrinsically free..."
Once you depart from the issue of freedom, and try to prove
equality, you quickly get into difficulty. There are many minor
areas of life where men are equal, but they are not a sufficient basis
on which to build. Richard Armor gives us a humorous illustration
of equality. A part of his poem goes like this:
Of all the ills iniquitous,
The cold is most ubiquitous.
It comes to every national,
To sane and to irrational,
To debtor and to creditor,
Illiterate and editor.
And even royal highnesses
Have trouble with their sinuses.
To this minor negative equality we could add the major negative
equality of death. All men are equally marching toward the grave.
Jesus descended to this level of equality with all men. In our text of
John 20 we see two great men literally running toward the tomb,
and in them we see a clear illustration of how men can be equal but
different.
Peter and John were both in the inner circle of Jesus. Both were
granted the privilege of being Apostles and authors of inspired
writings. They were equal as great men of God, and they were the
best of friends. And yet, they were very different from each other.
They were both exalted by Christ, but in different ways. Peter was
made the number one man among the Apostles as the spokesman
for all. He was the one who gave the explanation on the day of
Pentecost. John, on the other hand, was the Apostle whom Jesus
loved in a unique way. John mentions this in verse 2, for it is the
thing of which he is most proud. Peter and John were equal, but
because of the age difference it was fitting that Peter be the leader,
and John be the object of special love. John's youth captured the
love of Christ.
We see that even though men are equal, their age makes them
different in the roles they play. Unique leadership tends to go to the
older, and unique love tends to go to the younger. Later in life John
became the aged Apostle who, like Peter, had great respect, and
authority. When he tried to assert that kind of authority as a youth,
he was called a son of thunder. He tried to be equal to an older man
of authority, and it didn't work. He was young and rash, and did
not have the maturity to be in control of great power. He was ready
to call down fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans, which was
contrary to the spirit of Jesus. Christians are equal before God, but
they still have to play roles on the stage of life that are fitting to
their age and maturity.
We see this in verse 4 where both Peter and John are racing
toward the tomb. Very seldom are people so anxious to get to a
cemetery. What thoughts raced through their minds as their feet
raced to the tomb? We don't know, but it is possible they were
motivated by sheer anger that someone had robbed the tomb, as
Mary had said. Possibly they had to see quickly because they
feared Mary had relapsed again into demon possession, and was
having hallucinations. Whatever the case, John tells us he outran
Peter and got there first.
Almost every commentary says John got there first because he
was so much younger that he could outrun Peter. They were equal,
but their age made a big difference in their ability to run. This all
seems rather trivial, and we may wonder why John bothers to share
such details. As we continue to study this record of their experience
on that first Easter Sunday I think we will see that John is
deliberately, or under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but
unconscious to himself, giving us a valuable portrait of how men of
God can be radically different, and yet one in Christ.
It is so important to recognize differences in Christians, for to
fail to do so can lead to all kinds of problems. The Christians at
Corinth had much contention and bitterness because they failed to
recognize that the hand is different from the foot, but that both are
equally important. The eye and the ear are both equally essential to
the effective operation of the body, but they have radically different
functions. The Corinthian Christians failed to see the truth of
equality with differences, and it hurt the church. Christians with
certain gifts and talents were rejecting Christians with other gifts
and talents, and Paul had to say in I Cor. 12:21, "The eye cannot
say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the
feet, I have no need of you."
The best of Christians can hurt themselves and the church by not
recognizing that equality does not mean sameness. We can be one
in Christ, and equally called, saved, and sanctified, and yet be
totally different in personality, interests, and gifts. Peter and John
are not only good illustrations of this issue of equal but different,
but they are excellent examples of how Christians should let their
differences influence each other positively.
Before we leave verse 4, which refers to their differences in
physical stamina and running ability, we should point out that this
is the area which is most obvious. Christians are of great variety in
physical ability due to age, health, and other factors. Even this can
lead to problems in the spiritual life. F. O. Nillson was the founder
of the Baptist General Conference. For years he labored to start
small Swedish Baptist Churches in Minnesota. He did a great
work, and lived a sacrificial life. When he got older and younger
men came on the scene, and they began to get recognition, he
became bitter.
It hurt him that he was being out run by some younger servant
who didn't know what real sacrifice meant. He failed to adjust to
the reality of life which makes youth outrun age. The result was
that his last years were spent in a negative spirit of doubt and
despair. He wanted what can never be-equality and sameness. He
wanted it to be that no one could rise to a place of honor and
respect unless they did it by the same sacrificial efforts that he
made. Life would not cooperate with his view, however, and he was
hurt and rebellious. A good study of Peter and John could have
helped him to avoid that tragic attitude.
Getting back to our text, we see in verse 5 that John comes to the
tomb entrance first, but his nature is such that he does not go in,
but merely stops and looks in. He is cautious and contemplative,
but when panting Peter comes on the scene, he reveals his different
personality by going right past the gazing John into the tomb to see
for himself what was there. Peter did not in quiet reference
approach the tomb, but presumptuously bursts in like a detective
breaking into an apartment to get evidence. He didn't run all this
way to meditate in the garden. He came to see what had happened,
and that is just what he did.
A. W. Pink has an excellent comment on this. "Peter, more hot
and zealous, impulsive, fervent, and forward, cannot be content
without going into the sepulchre, and actually seeing with his own
eyes. Both, we may be sure, were deeply attached to our Lord. The
hearts of both, at this critical juncture, were full of hopes and fears,
anxieties and expectations, all tangled together. Yet each acts in his
own characteristic fashion! Let us learn from this to make
allowances for wide varieties in the individual character of
believers. To do so will save us much trouble in the journey of life
and prevent many an uncharitable thought. Let us not judge
brethren harshly, and set them down in a low place, because they
do not see or feel things as we see and feel." John could have been
offended with Peter, and called him a sacrilegious clown stumbling
into sacred ground with an indifferent mind and insensitive heart.
John didn't do that, however, for he loved Peter and accepted him
for what he was. He recognized the differences in their nature as
God given differences.
In verse 8 we that Peter's action influenced John, and it brought
him into the tomb also where he saw evidence that made him
believe. I like Matthew Henry's comment which shows how these
equal but different Apostles probably helped each other just
because of their differences. He writes, "Perhaps John's quickness
had made Peter run faster, and now Peter's boldness makes John
venture further than otherwise either the one or the other would
have done." Their differences complimented each other, and
because they loved each other their differences were constantly
influencing each other in a positive way.
In 1876 Horace Bushnell preached a sermon on verse 8 which he
titled Unconscious Influence. It has been republished many times
as one of the greatest sermons. The whole point of the sermon is
that Peter, by being what he was, unconsciously influenced John to
step into the tomb. Had John been alone he may have just looked
in, but Peter's presence in the tomb drew him in also. From this we
learn that our character and conduct is always having an influence
on others just because we are different. Christians differ in their
boldness, and so if a shy Christian associates with a bold Christian
he is likely to do things he otherwise would not. This process of
unconscious influence works for good or evil.
Many a man walks into a bar and never dreams that his conduct
may be encouraging a friend who is afraid to do so to go ahead and
do it. The person he has this unconscious influence may go on to
destroy his life, and add a heavy burden of sorrow on to the lives of
many others. He did not do it deliberately, but only by unconscious
influence. Another man by faithful attendance in church can
influence neighbors and friends in such a way that it could be a
factor in their eventual coming to Christ. Again, it may have been a
completely unconscious influence. The point is, just to be alive is to
be an influence constantly, and that is why we are warned to avoid
all appearance of evil, and why we are to strive to constantly let the
light of Christ shine through us in good works.
I was impressed the other night with one of those Frisbees that
glow in the dark. If you hold it up to the light it absorbs the light,
and then in dark it glows. It has no light in itself, and so it loses the
light, and can only continue to glow by being brought near to the
light again. So it is with us as believers. Only as we draw near to
Christ and absorb His light can we shine in a dark world. If we are
not perpetually under the influence of His love and grace, we will
soon lose our light, and have no positive influence in the darkness of
this world. We may be as different as Peter was from John in our
personality, age, gifts, and numerous other ways, but we can be of
equal influence for Christ if we learn to live in the presence of the
living Christ, and to love one another as equals in Christ, even
though often very different.
