Paster Eric J Kregel retold this story. This is a story from the Greek Orthodox tradition I am retelling. It’s a fable, not found in any Bible or history book. One morning, the Disciples woke up and found their Master, Jesus, already breaking down their camp. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said and left the camp. They followed, not having their breakfast or any water. He walked down a familiar hillside along the Galilean coast, he gave them some instruction. “Pick a rock and carry it with you. We shall go for a hike this morning.” All of the Disciples took a rock with them, Peter was the last in the line. An idea struck him, “If I carry too big of a rock, it will be a burden and weigh me down.” By this reality, he found a very small pebble and carried it. Throughout the morning, some Disciples who carried large rocks grew tired. Not Peter. He would wave the pebble in front of them, grinning at his cleverness as how he could follow Jesus and still be comfortable. The noon sun rose overhead and Jesus had his group of Disciples stop for a break. “Behold,” Jesus said. “I now have turned your rocks into bread. Eat and be refreshed.” The Disciples were amazed because, quite suddenly, their rocks were turned to breakfast. The only problem was that the size of the rock proportioned to the portion of bread. For James, who carried a mini-boulder, he held a two-fisted roll; John enjoyed a loaf to the size of stone he carried, and Peter held nothing but a crumb. The Disciples would have shared with Peter if it was anyone else. But Peter was Peter and had tortured them all that morning with his pebble and the ease of his burden. They left him hungry. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said. “Pick out another rock and walk with me to the seashore.” Peter, this time, wouldn’t be outdone. He found the biggest, heaviest boulder he could carry. With the Disciples carrying differing sized rocks, they all had to wait for Peter’s great burden. Again, Peter was confronted with another problem: the shoreline was two kilometers away. He told himself he wouldn’t be outsmarted and was going to get a large lunch, making up for the trick with his breakfast. Peter heaved, sweated, and grunted all the way down the shoreline. Jesus and the Disciples waited for him. As soon as they were all at the beach, Jesus commanded, “Now, throw your rock into the water. The distance of the toss shall be equal to the blessing given to you.” The Disciples tossed their rocks, watching them all disappear into the horizon. And then they left, to enjoy the blessing given to them by Jesus. Peter, meanwhile, didn’t really throw his stone, but just let go and allowed it to roll a bit into the water. He then sat on the rock, arms crossed in a pout. Back turned to Jesus, Peter did everything to let his displeasure be known. Jesus waited a few moments and then sat on Peter’s rock next to him. “Why are you angry, Peter?” He asked. “It’s not fair. I received a very small breakfast and almost no blessing. And everyone else around me had more than they could eat and now are enjoying a wonderful day. Look at me. I’m stuck on this stupid rock.” “The others, you so carefully compared yourself to, did what I asked them to do and only what I asked them to do.” “But I did what you asked me to do. I carried two rocks for you.” “But why did you do that? They carried their rocks because I asked them to do so. Nothing more than simple obedience. Why did you carry your rocks?” Jesus then rose, leaving Peter with this question: “Who did you carry your rocks for?” Why do some of us go to church? Why do others of us help out with the food bank and other worthy, charitable organizations? Why do we go to work? Pick up our children from school? Go to bed at night? Clean the house? Make meals? Who do we carry our rocks for? Are we like Peter, hoping to do the right thing and also gain an advantage over the rest of our community by comparison? Do good and to be rewarded as a good person? Or do we do what’s right simply because it’s what is being asked of us? All of us, in a variety of degrees, follow God. If we do what is right, we follow God for He is the author of what is right. But why do we do good things? Why do we follow God? The purity of our motivation will always be in direct proportion to our knowledge and experience of God. Simple truth. God is pure and when, as the human race, have learned what it is to be pure from Him. Therefore, if our motives are pure they will be in relationship to our relationship with Him.