Thursday, January 24th Day 18: A Reflection on Mathew 16
“Get behind me Satan? What? You mean me? I just told you I’d fight to the death for you. I just named you the ‘Christ, the Son of the Living God.’ I have given up all to sit at your feet and learn from you. Get behind me… Satan?! You can’t be serious…” It seems reasonable that these, or similar, thoughts may have been running through Peter’s mind when Jesus abruptly put him in his place.
What could Jesus have been teaching Peter and the disciples? A tough lesson for sure. My thinking is Jesus knew that Peter would sacrifice his very life for Him. He also knew that Peter gave up much to follow his Lord. Jesus also knew that Peter was the “Rock”, the cornerstone of the Church, upon which His body would be founded. All of these and more were required of Peter. But, Jesus also knew that Peter was much filled with himself. He had yet to achieve that place of surrender. The surrender of his will to that of the will of Christ.
“(Peter) Do you want to be my disciple? If you do.., deny your self, take up your cross, and follow me… Peter, do you love me? Then feed my sheep. Feed my lambs.” Jesus was teaching Peter, the disciples, and untold followers throughout the generations, to stop doing what I think is best for God, and join God where God is already at work. This change cannot be accomplished without a cross.
Why the Cross? Why would any reasonable person want to willingly take upon themselves the suffering of a cross, metaphoric or real? The best answer I can wrap my heart around is that the Cross demonstrates God’s willing desire to love, beyond all cost. Yes, a folly for the Greeks and a stumbling block for the Jews. But what does the Cross say to our hearts, our minds? To what extent are we willing to surrender?
It says to me, God’s love requires turning from self motivated interests, even for the best of intentions. It requires turning from the desire to climb the ecclesiastical, or otherwise, professional ladder to boost our own sense of success, or pride. It requires turning from the pursuits of self-centered glory, prejudice, malice, hate, revenge and envy… You see, that’s what Jesus nailed there, on His cross. We are in turn to take up our own crosses that help us reject the works of darkness which have root within our hearts. And, in that transformation find the liberation of Love.
Christ calls us forward to feed His sheep and lambs. Our response, like Peter’s, requires that we sacrificially bare our crosses, dying to self, for love of Jesus, and follow Him.
The Reverend Bernard J. Pecaro,
Rector, St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Pompano Beach, FL
“Get behind me Satan? What? You mean me? I just told you I’d fight to the death for you. I just named you the ‘Christ, the Son of the Living God.’ I have given up all to sit at your feet and learn from you. Get behind me… Satan?! You can’t be serious…” It seems reasonable that these, or similar, thoughts may have been running through Peter’s mind when Jesus abruptly put him in his place.
What could Jesus have been teaching Peter and the disciples? A tough lesson for sure. My thinking is Jesus knew that Peter would sacrifice his very life for Him. He also knew that Peter gave up much to follow his Lord. Jesus also knew that Peter was the “Rock”, the cornerstone of the Church, upon which His body would be founded. All of these and more were required of Peter. But, Jesus also knew that Peter was much filled with himself. He had yet to achieve that place of surrender. The surrender of his will to that of the will of Christ.
“(Peter) Do you want to be my disciple? If you do.., deny your self, take up your cross, and follow me… Peter, do you love me? Then feed my sheep. Feed my lambs.” Jesus was teaching Peter, the disciples, and untold followers throughout the generations, to stop doing what I think is best for God, and join God where God is already at work. This change cannot be accomplished without a cross.
Why the Cross? Why would any reasonable person want to willingly take upon themselves the suffering of a cross, metaphoric or real? The best answer I can wrap my heart around is that the Cross demonstrates God’s willing desire to love, beyond all cost. Yes, a folly for the Greeks and a stumbling block for the Jews. But what does the Cross say to our hearts, our minds? To what extent are we willing to surrender?
It says to me, God’s love requires turning from self motivated interests, even for the best of intentions. It requires turning from the desire to climb the ecclesiastical, or otherwise, professional ladder to boost our own sense of success, or pride. It requires turning from the pursuits of self-centered glory, prejudice, malice, hate, revenge and envy… You see, that’s what Jesus nailed there, on His cross. We are in turn to take up our own crosses that help us reject the works of darkness which have root within our hearts. And, in that transformation find the liberation of Love.
Christ calls us forward to feed His sheep and lambs. Our response, like Peter’s, requires that we sacrificially bare our crosses, dying to self, for love of Jesus, and follow Him.
The Reverend Bernard J. Pecaro,
Rector, St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Pompano Beach, FL
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