Scripture: Mark 8:27-30
NRS 27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and
on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"
28 And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and
still others, one of the prophets." 29 He asked them, "But
who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the
Messiah." 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone
about him.
Devotional: For
eight chapters in the Saint Mark’s Gospel people have been asking, “Who is this
Jesus?” The disciples were asking themselves the same question. Mark has
described them as bumbling, goofy and a bit confused at times, but we have
continued to hold out hope that they actually might get it. In moments of
exasperation and frustration, Jesus had even wondered if they could get it, but
they were His chosen twelve and He continued in His confidence that they were
up to the task. It was on the way to Caesarea Philippi, the great sea port of
Herod, when He decided to test them, “Who do people say that I am?” After they
report what they have heard, He asks them, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter,
in his teacher’s pet fashion, quickly blurts out, “You are the Christ!” Our
hearts leap as we think, “Yes, they are getting it!” But disappointment lurks
just a few verses away. Peter thought he “got it,” but receiving the title of Satan made clear that he did not. When
he blurted out the answer, he had rightly identified Jesus as the Messiah, but he
didn’t realize that his understanding was incomplete. He still held the idea of
a warrior Messiah who would use power, influence and conquest to bring peace. He
couldn’t imagine a suffering servant who would die to save the world. Jesus
rebuked him so that one day he would get it. Do we ever find ourselves in the
same place? Do we get bogged down by incomplete understandings of God’s will
for our lives? Do we get excited about being blessed and fail to grasp that God
expects us to pass the blessing on to others? Are we quick to accept leadership
at church while forgetting that leading in church means being a servant to
everyone? Do we, like Peter, just not “get it?” If that is us, then Peter
brings good news. Even though he didn’t get it, Jesus used him for ministry. He
ministered in obedience until he got it, then, because he got it, he ministered
out of gratitude. The same is true for us. As long as we are on this life
journey with Christ, He will use us for ministry and world transformation so we
can get it. When we do, we will be so excited that we can’t help but minister
to a broken and hurting world.
Prayer: Lord,
help us today to fully “get it!” Help us to come to a complete understanding of
You and Your Kingdom that we might serve the world in ministry out of that
understanding, Amen.
Song of praise: Jesus
Messiah by Chris Tomlin
Spiritual discipline
challenge: Sometimes “getting it” means “getting away from it all.” Our
challenge today involves solitude, during lunch take some time to sit quietly
with God and listen for His still small voice. It may be in the gentle breeze, the
call of the bird, or the beauty of an approaching storm. In our solitude we
will discover that we are never alone.
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