Scripture Reading: Joh 21:23
Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

Reflection: Jesus asked Peter to follow him. In doing so, Peter noticed that John was standing by and proceeded to ask Jesus the question, “Lord, what about him?”. In his reply, Jesus told Peter, “If it is my will for him to tarry until I come back, how does that concern you? Your duty is just to follow me!” Shortly after that, the disciples gave their own interpretation to this statement and maintained that what Jesus meant was that John was not going to die. They had this spread all over town but it turned out that they were all wrong. Sometimes we apply our own interpretation to what what we hear others say or do and on that basis we react. However, like the disciples of Jesus, we can get it all wrong. The only way to avoid this is to seek clarification directly from the one involved in the issue and more so to be led by the Holy Spirit. Failure to do so can result in creating an environment where people peddle in falsehood and are misled.