John 21:20-23 NKJV

Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”  21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” 23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”

We find ourselves on the precipice of Jesus’ ascension back to heaven to forever be with our Father. He has done the miraculous, died on the cross for all of our sins, then on the third day, was raised from the dead to walk on earth another 40 days amongst His disciples. 

Jesus has just restored Peter following his denial. Jesus is even giving Peter clear insight into his future ministry and death. This honestly has to be one of the more impactful conversations Peter has ever had, which is why it was a bit off-putting when Peter started minding John’s business. 

The term “Mind Your Business” is an old English expression used to tell someone to stop asking about your personal life or meddling in affairs that do not concern them. This is ultimately what Jesus said to Peter, Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” Mind Your Business and Do What I Tell You To Do. 

This is a lesson we should all learn: stop worrying about what others are doing and focus on what the Lord asks of you. 

Peter and John would be two of the more prominent figures in the Church’s history. While God had special plans for Peter, like a sanguine person (a cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident person, especially in difficult or bad situations), he was not worried about what other people were doing. It is very difficult to execute your mission when you’re busy thinking about others.