January 25, 2024 - Rock that Blocks

Genesis 50:1 - Exodus 2:10

Matthew 16:13-17:9

Psalm 21:1-13

Proverbs 5:1-6

One Year Bible Daily Reading - One Year Bible Online

Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

God revealed the truth of who Jesus is to Peter and he did not doubt it. Even knowing that the people didn't think Jesus was the Messiah Peter quickly spoke what he knew to be true. He got it and he knew it. Jesus tells him that the only reason he got it was because the Father revealed it to him. But knowing that Peter was created with a skill set that made him the person who could be the foundation of the Christian church Jesus teaches him and prepares him for that work. The fact that Jesus tells him that at this point makes me think that Peter's bold confidence and passion in what he knows to be true is one of the reasons he will be that person. Jesus also gives Peter a promise that nothing, no power in hell will win out over the Church. God told Satan in the garden of Eden that he will lose. Jesus tells Peter here that Satan will lose and He tells John that Satan will lose in Revelation.

Matthew 16:22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Even though Peter is the Rock the church will be built on he can still get caught up in the concerns of this world. When the fact that Jesus must be killed is revealed to him, I don't think he hears the second part of what Jesus says, "...and on the third day be raised to life." He loves Jesus and the thought of Him dying is something Peter does not want to consider. He is so caught up in the worldly ideas of what the Messiah will do as well as the concern and understanding of death that he misses the coming back to life part. I am glad that he doesn't shout out in front of everyone when he says “Never, Lord!”, “This shall never happen to you!” Instead he takes Jesus aside and says it. That is what a good leader of the church will do. When a truth is revealed to him that he did not like the sounds of he does not just start shouting out disagreement. He goes to the source. He goes to Jesus and voices his concern. Being that Jesus is right there with him and is fully human this descent from His friend the one He just called the Rock is a stumbling block because it creates a temptation to also give into the human concerns. Thankfully He is also fully God and does not give into temptation. It seems like a strong rebuke when it looks like Peter was responding out of his love and concern for Jesus. But Jesus knows that his real motivation is personal and out of Peter's concern for himself. His "human concerns". There is still an underlying belief that Jesus is here to set them free from the oppression of Rome and how can He do that if He is dead? There may be the concern that Peter gave up everything to follow Jesus and if He dies that is all a waste. And I am sure there were many other human concerns that were behind his statement. Jesus needed to make the point to him that he needs to change his perspective. By stating that Peter is a stumbling block from the enemy He is showing that his human concern is in direct contrast to the concerns of God.

This can happen to the best of us. Even those who also really "get it". We can know without a doubt who Jesus is what He has done for us and be desiring to follow Him with fullness and passion. But when something happens or doesn't happen that trigger our human desires we can respond in opposition to God's plan. We have our own ideas of what we think or want life to be. Concerns for ours and our loved one's lives, finances, possessions, health, and happiness. When things aren't going the way we would like it can change our perspective and get us focused on those human concerns. When that happens it becomes a stumbling block to our relationship with Jesus. We stop going to Jesus and seeking his will because we are holding onto our will. And being that we are only fully human that temptation can cause a spiral that can take us further aways from God.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

When we are experiencing those things that trigger our human concerns we have to learn how to turn toward God and lay down out desires and trust God's will. This means that we have to deny our own concerns for ourselves our families and our friends and trust God. Sometimes following Jesus can be hard and may require that we carry a burden that we don't want to carry. We may experience suffering that we don't want to experience. We may see difficulties, sickness and suffering in the lives of our loved ones that we don't want to see. The only way to have peace in this world is to trust in the promise of the world to come and keep our eyes on Heaven. There is nothing on this earth that can compare to eternity in Heaven. No suffering on this earth can compare to the suffering in eternity when a soul is lost. Who knows how God will use the things that don't make sense to us to bring another soul to Him. Don't be a stumbling block to His work.

Lose my Soul - https://youtu.be/yiePk16Yf3o?si=W6YZpjnN5nBx24-e