S - Mark 8:29-35 (NRSV): "He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it."
O - Peter got the right answer with the wrong understanding. Jesus' identity was labeled correctly but defined inaccurately. The result was Peter trying to "help" and ending up being rebuked. Peter's "help" comes on the heels of his "right answer" and his attempt to straighten the Lord out on correct messianic understanding. Jesus, forbids the twelve to openly identify him, announces to the world his impending rejection, murder and resurrection and then follows up this great news with the stringent delineation of what following requires and entails … self denial and loss on the front end with salvation and forever life on the back end. Jesus isn't calling me/all to follow him based on what he will do but based on who he is … whatever he may or may not do. This never changes. And the “who” he is is bigger than any one title, description or role.
Peter will ultimately and even wonderfully follow Jesus in the exact terms the Lord used. He will be required to not only adjust his expectations but his very way of life and death. His motive was good, his understanding was not completely inaccurate; it was however absolutely incomplete. The word always held the full description of the messiah's role but was never really seen until Jesus. The missing pieces weren't missing from God's prophetic voice but were missed by his people's poor hearing and muddled understanding. The gospel record consistently reveals Jesus helping the blind, deaf, and those muddled in life. This help is needed by all in the realm of the spirit and only by some in the realm of the physical. The healer still heals and has created a world which confirms his desire for us to be healthy. But like the early disciples, we must not reserve this role to the limited expectations of human physiology. The healer is ready to heal all and all need eyes, ears, heart and mind healed to see and understand the spirit's work, the Father's will and the Lord's person. We all start in the same place in this regard … Lord Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!
A - Right answers with wrong understanding is a fairly consistent malady we humans have. It's not that we’re completely wrong it’s just that we're absolutely incomplete in our understanding. Our need, my need (as proved by Peter after 3 years of following Jesus day by day) is to be healed … to have him touch (again and again) my eyes, my ears, my heart, my mind and my spirit. Also, I need to be careful in the applications of my current understanding. Not because such is wrong, but because it is, more than likely, incomplete. My safety, clear vision, right thinking and future hope all rest in the same place. Each day I must start in the same place, regardless of years following and information gained and experiences received … Jesus' touch, Jesus' mercy, Jesus' spirit on me is the only place of vision, truth and hope. He will forever defy all formula, though his promises and principles are true. The application rests in him alone and only in him. Today while it’s called today, is my vision clear, thinking right and hope secure? Physical healing is basically a onetime act … spiritual healing is day by day. The clear vision of today will not, just like grace and manna, be sufficient for tomorrow's needs. This shelf-life phenomenon is by design … unlimited in power today it becomes only a vague reflection of its true self tomorrow. Clear vision, thinking and real hope do not rest upon what I received yesterday but upon the Lord's provision for, and interaction with, me today. Thankfully, today while it’s called today I don't have to be flawless just blameless.
P - Lord,
My actual need is one of the few constants in my very little and very human life. Unfortunately, I vacillate dramatically in my recognition of this reality. You've been so good to me and you are so awesome and wonderful and your words will never fail that I'm often locked on to the right answer with the wrong meaning. I want your touch, your manna, your grace to find me, heal me, and feed me every day while it's called today. Lord, Son of David and Son of God, have mercy upon me a sinner. Help me to follow with the upfront responses your person deserves and to be slow to speak and quick to love in my dealings with all.
Help me again, to welcome you and your promises from afar. To trust, to live out the fierce personal loyalty you deserve and have consistently lived out toward me … unworthy though I am. I ask for open doors and open heavens and that your life will come into me and flow out of me and be a refreshing to all. I want to be a reason someone else believes. Help me know when to get my own donkey and when to wait. Help know how to step out this assignment for your glory and the good of all. Help me to hear, see, think and hope according to all that you are … unto everything your heart desires. In this new season for my Jan and for me … take us by the hand, tell us what to say and show us what to do. Our answer … my answer is yes!
Nai Kurie,
Steve
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