A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Twenty-Two

Scripture Reading: Matthew 16:1-28 (NRSVUE)

Sometimes it is hard to perceive the deeper spiritual meaning of life when we are worried about more basic things.  The disciples were thinking about their stomachs because they left the bread behind.  Jesus shifts into spiritual imagery and they are confused.

I think this has to do with our capacity for seeing.  When we are hungry, it may be harder to see further.  When we are anxious or stressed, this is the time we need God's reassuring presence.  And yet, it may be harder to perceive due to the increased pressure we're facing.

The district of Caesarea Phillipi was steeped in pagan worship - about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee.  Some in that region believed that this was where you could find the gates of Hades.  Jesus asks the disciples, "Who do people say that I am" and follows it with who they think he is.  Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah.  This was a dangerous thing to say and to believe.  Their lives were on the line.

But in the moment, Peter was able to see further.

Danger!

We see Peter as the foundation and the beginning of the emergence of the church.  As we think about the church's first act of binding and loosening, Peter tries to bind Jesus!

Jesus has none of this and reveals that sacrificial love is what his ministry expects of his followers.

As we have moved forward by two millennia, I wonder what Jesus would think of the church's attempt to bind him today.  There are times when we would rather play it safe.  Better not to upset anyone.  Church has often preferenced tending to its members over tending to the world.  

However, the Church is an odd institution that exists for the sake of the people who don't claim any membership or allegiance.  

As we journey with Jesus to the cross, who does the world at large say that Jesus is today?  Who do you say that Jesus is?  

If the answer is not a little bit dangerous, we may need to read this chapter again so that we can see further.

Prayer for the day:

Give to your Church, O God, a bold vision and a daring charity, a refreshed wisdom and a courteous understanding, that the eternal message of your Son may be acclaimed as the good news of the age; through him who makes all things new, even Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayer from The Daily Office, 20th Century

Photo by peter jenkins via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.