WHAT IS THAT TO THEE? by M. Wood

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 2, 1878

“WHAT IS THAT TO THEE?”

By M. Wood

THESE words were spoken in a conference which our Lord held with Peter. Why Peter was moved to make the inquiry which called out this reply we are not informed. Whether his question arose from mere curiosity or from rivalry and jealousy, does not appear from the record. But it is plain that our Lord was displeased; for he checked Peter with the rebuking reply, “What is that to thee?” Attend to your own duty, Peter; mind those things that properly concern you; fulfill the part which I have allotted to you; “follow thou me.”

The instruction we derive from this reply to Peter is that all prying inquiries into the state, circumstances, and character of others, by meddlers and fault-finders, are reprehensible and improper. That idle curiosity, that inquisitive and meddling spirit so frequently manifested even among the professed followers of Christ, is detrimental to the church, and brings leanness to the soul. It interrupts the order and breaks the peace of society. In this world we are linked together by many ties. We are bound by duty and prompted by interest to give mutual assistance and to perform friendly offices for one another. But these friendly offices are performed to most advantage when we avoid interfering unnecessarily in the concerns of our neighbor. Every man has his own part to act, has his own interest to consult, has affairs of his own to manage. In the performance of all these duties he may not come up to his neighbor’s ideas of promptness and precision. Still it is no concern of neighbor B.’s if neighbor A. makes mistakes. Let the blame rest where it belongs; neighbor B. has no right to criticise.

The apostolic rule is, “That ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business;” and, indeed, this is the great rule for the preservation of harmony and order. But so it is that in every age a set of men have existed, who, driven by an unhappy activity of spirit oftener perhaps than by any settled design of doing ill, or any motive of ambition or interest, love to meddle with those things which do not concern them, to inquire into the affairs of others, and from the imperfect information which they collect, to form hasty conclusions concerning their neighbor’s circumstances and character. These are they who in Scripture are characterized as tatlers, and busybodies in other men’s matters; and from these we are commanded to turn away, for, as the apostle says, their tongue is set on fire of hell. It is an unruly member, speaking forth what the heart contains, and from it arise envy and jealousy. It foments ill-nature, pride, and self-righteousness. It propagates misunderstanding and discord. All these evils would be prevented, if men and women would oftener take home to their hearts the reproof which our Lord administered to Peter,—“What is that to thee?” M. Wood.