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Knowing the answer, and knowing the Answer

Do you ever get that feeling of gratification when you know the right answer? You get affirmed by a teacher when you say the correct answer in class. You know the right answer on Jeopardy when the contestants don’t, you get the daily wordle right in less than three tries, you know how to solve someone else’s problem with their car, refrigerator, computer, etc. My point is that we all have acquired knowledge on some things, even if we are deficient sometimes in others. It gives us a good feeling though when we know the correct thing. Peter must have felt the same way, except the question was coming from Jesus about who he was.

Matthew 16:13-20 tells us of a declaration or confession of Simon Peter where he knows the right answer. Jesus asks two questions “Who do people say that I am?” and “Who do you [disciples] say that I am?” In the first question the disciples respond that some say he is John the Baptist (since maybe they shared such similar area, time-frame, and message), Elijah (since maybe they also had a similar ministry healing and preaching), or Jeremiah (maybe since he opposes the religious leaders the way Jeremiah did). But Jesus turns the question to the disciples and Simon Peter hits it out of the park: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Can you imagine how Simon Peter must have felt? This is only the second time in Matthew’s account that the disciples have attributed this to Jesus (the first was Matt 14:33 when Jesus calms the storm). And Jesus confirms Simon Peter’s answer and says, however, that this was not something he would have known from any earthly knowledge, but it was revealed to him by the Father in heaven. And Jesus makes wordplay off Peter’s name (“Peter” = petros, derived from petra = rock) and says upon this rock I shall build my church.

Peter was right and knew the answer, only because it was revealed through the Father. He knows that Jesus is the Messiah, but he doesn’t yet get what all that means. In the next 3 verses, right after Peter’s great confession, he strikes out. Jesus began saying how he would have to go to Jerusalem and suffer, die, and be raised from the dead.

“Oh no Lord, this will never happen to you” was Peter’s response. You most certainly know what comes next from Jesus “Get behind me, Satan!” Peter defends Jesus and Jesus rebukes him harshly.We should suspend what we know of the Messiah for a second so we can understand why Peter might say such a thing.

The Jews for years and years, since the time of exile, were looking for the Anointed One, the Christ, the Messiah. All these names mean the same thing. They were waiting for the one who would deliver the people of God out of their plight. Then, Jesus comes onto the scene and has divine powers, preaches against the oppressive Jewish leaders.  He looks like he would make a great leader. Jews like Peter would jump at the chance to install this kind of superhero as a military and governing leader. Why not? Who better to rescue God’s people than this? He has all the qualities. Peter would think he is doing best to keep Jesus alive so he can restore God’s people (Israel at this time) to a nation, to a people of power, and to fulfill what he understood as the role of the messiah.

Peter’s declaration of who Jesus was, juxtaposed with his lack of understanding for the mission of Jesus, shows how much we need God to speak into our lives, even when we think we understand. We are humans with our own selfish desires even though they may be as noble as Peter’s desire to have Jesus remain alive. We need to know the one who is the Answer more than we need to know all the answers. Jesus was the messiah, but he was restoring God’s people to be more than a Jewish nation. He was establishing an eternal kingdom, built on the rock of the Church.

Lord, help me to see where I depend on my own understanding. Lead me into further trust of your Spirit. Let me not exchange my soul for knowledge, talent, wealth, acclaim, fame, power, skills, comfort, or anything this world has to offer. Nothing can benefit us more than knowing and trusting you.

Where’s the treasure?

It’s about this time of year that plans start being made for the next year (if they haven’t already been made). Open enrollment for healthcare plans, budgets for fiscal years, calendars start being purchased for 2023. It makes sense. If you want to head somewhere, you need to know where you are headed.

The same can be said for our church. We are led by the Holy Spirit as individuals. Christ is the head of The Church, but we also must take our own responsibility to make preparations for the upcoming year. You may have heard it said “if you want me to tell you what I value, look at my checkbook.” Where we spend our money and time will tell you what we value. In Matthew 6, in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses our possessions. He says “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” so that is why he also says to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal.”

Think about this individually and as our collective body of the church. What have you done the last 10 months with your time, talent, and treasure? For some of us we need to reframe this. We must have a stewardship mind. The things I have are physical blessings: my house, my finances, my career, my hobby, my time, etc. If I take a stewardship approach instead of an ownership approach, my question is “did I steward or manage that the way the owner would want?” instead of “did I get everything I thought I wanted and do I feel satisfied with it?” The answer to the latter question, if that was our mentality, will always be “no” because if we view things as ownership, we will always want more or feel a desire to have more. But, as a steward, we are managing was has been entrusted to us.

So, how have you managed the last 10 months? -How many Sonic purchases do I have? Vs. How many times have I used my Sonic run to bless someone else? -How much time have I spent entertaining myself or my family? vs. How much time have we spent serving others with no agenda?

If our time, talent and treasures all belong to God, let us be reminded of how we should consult with him on how to use these things. And whether you are blessed with much or little, it all belongs to the King. Use it faithfully.

As we go into a strategic time of planning with our church’s blessings, please pray with us as we look over what God has done this past year, and plan for toward what God can do this next year if we open ourselves up to be used by him. Where are the church’s priorities according to our checkbook?

We can build a budget based on what building costs have been, energy costs have been, and how much we pay our staff. And all this should be taken into consideration. But, we must also ask the questions of eternal natures. How many lives do we want to see transformed by the gospel this next year? Does our budget reflect that? How are we investing in the mission of God to reconcile the world unto himself? Does our schedule reflect this? Are we building up the body of Christ for the glory of God? Is our talent being used accordingly?