The First Steps: Read: Matthew 16
Focus Verse: "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." Matthew 16:23
Meditation: "Huh?"
There's a look. A glance. A sound that all communicates one thing. Confusion. It's common in schools, when a teacher's explanation isn't understood. It's common in political circles, as the media tries to understand what the President has just said. And it's even common in church, when the pastor says something that goes completely over the heads of those sitting in the pews.
That word, that phrase, is really quite simple. It's communicated by opening your mouth just slightly, raising your cheeks just so, shrugging your shoulders, $and saying something that sounds like: "Huh?"
With that simple word, all the confusion in the world is communicated. Misunderstanding takes on a whole new meaning. And the confused realized that, despite their original firm stance on a matter, they really don't understand it afterall.
That sound is what is communicated today by the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the disciples, and even Peter himself.
It is first uttered by the Pharisees who come to Jesus asking for a sign from heaven. Jesus says: "...no sign will be given...except the sign of Jonah."(vs. 4). You can almost hear the Pharisees and Sadducees shrug their shoulders and say... "Huh? What's the sign of Jonah? Jonah performed no signs..."
But Jesus doesn't dwell on their confusion. Instead he goes to his disciples who have, foolishly, forgotten to bring bread with them to eat on their journey to the other side of the Lake of Galilee. Jesus tries to comment on his recent encounter: "Watch and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." But the disciples, literalists as they are, think he's talking about bread. "It is because we have no bread!" Jesus has to set them straight, telling them he isn't talking about literal yeast, but still confusion rules the day.
Then, at the apex of confusion in this chapter, Peter gives Jesus the perfect answer. Jesus asks : "Who do you say that I am?" and Peter responds : "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus almost jumps up and down. "Yes! Finally you get it! Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah!" (Notice the connection here between the sign of Jonah and Simon Peter's confession? Yeah? Kinda cool...)
Still Peter doesn't get it. After Jesus explains what a Messiah is meant to do, Peter takes him aside and begins to rebuke him saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you!"
He still doesn't get it. Confusion has ruled the day. The "Huhs?" have won. And, though Jesus goes on to rebuke Peter and tell him what a disciple is suppose to do, you have to wonder if Peter ever got it. Did Peter, or any of the others, ever understand just what following this Jesus is suppose to look like? Or were they always confused?
And do we understand Jesus as well? Do we fully grasp what it means to be Jesus' disciples, to be followers of this peasant from Nazareth? Or are we just as confused as the disciples were?
In recent years, books have written challenging what we've always thought about Jesus and his words. Some have dismissed Jesus in one way or another, arguing that Jesus words are more likely the words of the early Christians and not straight out of Jesus himself. Others have challenged how we understand what is written in the Gospels, arguing that Jesus calls us to live a new life few of us have understood or realized before.
On this continuum, I fall in the later camp. I believe, as do many, that we shouldn't dismiss Jesus' words as being those of the early disciples but instead look at how those words have been ignored or misunderstood for far too long. Jesus' call to a new life, to a changed life, have for too long gone by the wayside. They have been dismissed and disregarded. And even the less confusing parts have been ignored. They should be wrestled with and argued with and discussed with the question of : "What does this mean for me?"
In this very chapter, Jesus challenges his disciples then and now: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."(vs. 24) What does that mean... deny ourselves? Does that mean to deny ourselves our wealth or the advantages of our own status? Does it mean denying ourselves what we really want in exchange for what we really need? What does self-denial and sacrifice truly mean for us? Or Jesus' words on taking up our crosses? What's up with all this talk on death?
I can almost hear the collective "Huh?" echo through cyberspace. Confusion is common when it comes to Jesus' sayings. Maybe it's why we have such a hard time putting them into practice. Or why Christians act and look like everyone else. We, like Peter, have definate ideas on what this Messiah is suppose to look like and act like and what we, his disciples, should be able to do. So... when Jesus' life and words don't mean what they think they mean? Well... we get confused just as the disciples were.
Perhaps, though, our confusion can be to our benefit. Our confusion(or rather the confession of our confusion) can lead to better knowledge. We begin to understand what we fail to understand. By taking this stance, this humble stance, we realize that we don't know it all. We don't understand all that he's talking about. And we become as students are to their professor, or as disciples are to their master. We search and dig and discover together with others because we can't understand their meanings ourselves.
May the Holy Spirit inspire humility in each of us that we might confess our confusion, asking Christ to teach us how to live. May we put our lives into his hands, just as he put his life in ours. Amen.
Pondering the Questions...
#1: What confuses you? What makes you say : "Huh?"
#2: What is your reaction when you're confused? Do you press on to learn more? Or do you retreat and forget about it?
#3: What about Jesus' words disturbs you? Confuses you?
A Prayer to Pray...
Almighty God, we are confused. We are confused by the words of your Son. His logic, his wisdom. His very life and mission disturb us. Teach us to walk the way of the cross that, following after our Lord and Savior, we may find life and salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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