Mr. Rock Speaks

Wednesday 11-23-16 Posadas City, northern Argentina   

Today we read Matt 14 - 16

S.  Matt 16:15-20 Then he asked them, "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.  Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.  And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you lock on earth will be locked in heaven, and whatever you open on earth will be opened in heaven."  Then he sternly warned them not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. NLT

O.  Jesus is checking out the level of comprehension of his little gang. “Who do the crowds say I am?”  He gets a wide variety of opinions. “Okay, and how about you guys?  Who am I, in your eyes?”  At least two years earlier, the first time Jesus ever saw Simon, He had renamed him as Peter (‘Rocky’… or ‘The Rock’, John 1:42). Now Rocky speaks up for his buddies: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Jesus answers, “Peter, that’s a message straight from God. You’ve finally got it right, boys! And upon this solid foundational Truth I will build my Church and all hell’s forces cannot stop its advance.” By now Peter was feeling pretty important… so when Jesus in His next breath announces his coming arrest, torture and death, Mr. Rock takes Jesus aside to correct Him. “Jesus, don’t get so negative. We are Your body-guards. We won’t ever let that happen.” And Jesus downgrades Peter calling his private rebuff a “message from Satan”.  So, Mr. Rock, who was treading on water now sinks like a rock again.

A.  You gotta like Rocky. He had it together one minute and rose to fame and sank deeper than his buddies the next.  I think I’m made of the same stuff as Mr. Rock. Just when I get it right and think I am walking on water, just a tab higher than my buddies, I manage to blow it. I grab the baton and run like the wind… in the wrong direction. I keep learning that I am made of mud and can too easily get carried away in my enthusiasm. 

P.  So, Jesus, please hold me tightly in Your control.  If you are not at the helm of my speeding life, then stand closely behind me and correct my errors long before I hit the rocks along the shore.  If it had not been for Your great mercy and grace I would have shipwrecked long ago.  What a great Savior You are!  Amen.

Ralph