WEDNESDAY • MARCH 23
Jesus was honest with His disciples (and with us) about expectations. He told them upfront that He would be killed and then raised back to life. Jesus was also honest with them about the cost of being a disciple. Finally, He warned His disciples that denying oneself and enduring suffering are both part of following Him. This week’s passage reminds us that the way of Jesus is not always easy and that we should expect difficulties.
Scriptures for this week:
Matthew 16:21-28; Luke 9:18-27
Breaking the Mold
By: Missy Barnes (Executive Pastor)
A few verses earlier, Peter declared that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus told him that He would suffer, die, and rise again. Peter’s response was, “Never, Lord! This will never happen to you!”
Peter knew who Jesus was. He had concocted a future for the Lord designed to conquer, not suffer and die. Peter had an idealized notion of what a Messiah should be and what that looked like for his life, Israel, and the world. But Jesus wasn’t defined by what others thought of Him or who others thought He was supposed to be. He did things differently. He focused on the concerns of God, not of man. Thank goodness for that because Peter’s plan wouldn’t have gotten us anywhere.
How many times have I done the same thing? How many times have I determined what God should or shouldn’t do? How many times have I created the God that fits into my mold? Jesus doesn’t fit any mold. We can’t make Him what we want. He is our Savior, the one who conquered death, our everlasting life.
Questions for Reflection:
Think: What expectations did Peter have for the Messiah? (If you need help answering this question, try Googling “Jewish expectations for the Messiah.”) How do the words of Jesus in this passage differ from those expectations?
Pray: Today, ask God how you have tried to make Him fit your mold of who you think He should be or how you think He should behave. Then, spend some time in silence, asking God to help you break these molds.
Respond: In the next week or so, think through ways in which God has broken molds that you have tried to put on Him. You might want to make a list or spend some time journaling about this topic. Also, take some time to ask this question to others and see what you learn about God.