What is that to you?

When leaders fall, faith can falter. In this short reflection, Eric Gaudion shares how Jesus’ words—“You must follow me”—called him back to hope, healing, and faithfulness.

Disappointment in leaders is sadly a growing phenomenon in church life, as it is in wider society and in politics too. Tragic stories of the abuse of office, exploitation of trust, and sexual and financial wrongdoing, have tarnished the testimony of the church in the modern world.

Some in high positions, of whom we had expected so much more, have brought shame upon the church by their lack of probity. Thankfully, these cases may be numerically rare, but to the victims, their families and their congregations, they represent the deepest sorrow, pain and disillusionment.

But how should we, as faithful Christians – perhaps not directly the victims of such behaviour ourselves – respond to these tragedies?

Early in my Christian life I faced giving up my new-found faith following the moral fall of a much-loved pastor and friend. He had been responsible for me becoming a believer and had discipled me, leading me, along with others, into the baptism in the Holy Spirit. In many ways I held him up as an example of a dedicated servant of God. He was my hero.

When I heard the news that he had been found guilty of a moral misdemeanour and removed from the pulpit my world was shattered. I came very close to throwing in the towel with regards to my call to the ministry, and even to my faith.

In desperation I turned to God in prayer and felt led to John 21 where the Lord Jesus graciously reinstated Peter after his terrible denial. That, in itself, is a reminder of God’s amazing and redeeming grace, but it was not the message that came to my heart. Afterwards, the apostle John recorded the incident this way: “Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. 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,’” (v22).

It was those last words that saved my faith and my future ministry. It can be spiritually dangerous to point the finger at another disciple and ask, “Lord, what about him or her?” This response from the Lord saying, “What is that to you? You must follow me,” does not overlook the need for spiritual accountability, authority and justice in rooting out sin and hypocrisy when it occurs, but the task of each disciple is steadfastly to follow Christ. I was also being challenged to extend the kind of forgiveness that Jesus was showing towards Peter, who had denied him in the same chapter, hard as that was.

In the Old Testament God told us what our priorities should be when he said through the prophet Micah, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God,” (6:8). Justice and mercy meet at the cross.

James seems to be thinking a similar thought when he declares, “Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God, the Creator of all light, and he shines forever without change or shadow,” (James 1:17). There is not even the slightest shadow of corruption, failure or sin in our Lord, and he alone deserves the adoration and commitment of our heart. And if there is any comfort to be gained from the church leaders being exposed, it is that God is cleansing his Bride in preparation for the Bridegroom’s imminent return.

As we reflect on these stories of human failure and sin, we are filled with a deep sense of sadness and shame. Our hearts go out to the victims as we pray for their healing. But when tempted to point the finger, hear the voice of Christ saying, “What is that to you? You must follow me.”

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.