February 7, 2021
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Matthew? Here’s today’s reading:
Matthew 16 (NIV)
The Demand for a Sign
1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.......Continue Reading
Who do you say I am?….what a question Jesus asks. What is He looking for here maybe what people in general think He is based on the signs and wonders He has been performing, maybe what those that are so threatened by Him think He will become if unchallenged, what those who are walking with Him daily think?
I think it is a question for all of us; Who do we think He is or who is He to us. He is my Father, Savior, Redeemer, Friend when it feels like no one else is there, my Strength, my Hope, and where my Faith comes from.
I was struck by this line: you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns… I should focus on what matters in God’s kingdom, not on earthly matters.
This is the first place where Jesus refers to the church. “The Greek word translated “church” in the New Testament is ekklesia. A literal translation of ekklesia would be “a called-out assembly.” (from gotquestions.org)
“From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
I was applying this to many life situations where I felt all was lost and searched frantically for solutions and tried to implement them rather than praying and waiting to see God’s solution. Peter was looking to men’s way to solve this issue. Certainly the solution was NOT for Jesus to die! I am so like Peter! Ah! I don’t want to be an offense to Jesus, but I cannot help thinking through human solutions! Thank you, Jesus, that you “work all things together for good for those who are called according to your purpose!” I can run back to God’s word. Good thing I know some good verses to keep my mind in check. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (that was from memory….so may not be completely accurate, but accurate enough to stay my mind.)
Matthew 16
Matthew 16
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.25For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.26What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
Ah the yeast of the Pharisees….those legalistic tendencies that permeate various aspects of people’s lives affected by it. It affects how we perceive people and circumstances, how we see ourselves, how likely we are to live in self righteousness or condemnation, and how likely we are to judge people. How important for us to understand the grace of God and let that principle permeate us and what we project to others. Grace is not inconsistent with truth and standards but it radically changes how we interact with them as opposed to applying them legalistically. It was this yeast that caused the Jewish leaders to demand a sign from Jesus like He hasn’t given them enough already.
And I really love this interaction between Jesus and His disciples. How easy it is to answer what other people are saying about Jesus. But what about you….who do you say that I am? That is the far more important question and how we answer that deeply effects our lives. And Simon gets the right answer and is praised and rewarded for it. But in the same way God can be revealing something to him one minute, the next minute it can be satan that is whispering in his ear. How important it is for us to be discerning and testing the spirits to learn and make sure who is guiding us. Because although Peter gets it right about who Jesus is, he doesn’t get it right about what Jesus is supposed to do. He is going to be handed over and be killed. And His death on the cross not only will provide salvation for us but will also model the nature of the dedication that God calls us to. We will have our own cross to carry and our own sacrifices to make as we learn the ways of obedience which will reap great benefits in our lives.
Matthew 18