I was reading Luke 9 last night before bed and I noticed
something that I hadn’t really taken the time to think about before. Earlier
that evening I was watching the Republican debate and it seemed like many of
the candidates wouldn’t answer a question directly, but instead try to clarify
something beforehand or say they agree with someone else. The verse that struck
out to me was verse 20 “’But what about you?’ He asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’”
Here Jesus asked Peter what others said about Him, but then asked what Peter
thought. The thing that stuck out to me was the fact that Jesus didn’t really
care about what Peter knew of what others said, He wanted to know what Peter
thought. I ask you (and myself) this: what do you believe. I find myself
getting caught into the trap of “Well so-and-so said this, so I choose to agree
with him.” Well, so-and-so could be wrong. Heck I could be wrong. What do I
believe? Do I believe what my pastor tells me, what C.S. Lewis wrote, or do I
believe what the Bible tells me? God doesn’t want to hear what our friends,
parents, or pastors say; no, instead He wants to hear what we believe. While
when answering the tough questions it is easy to struggle and fumble the answer
a bit, I tend to search for some sort of clarification to back my answer up.
But Peter didn’t, even when his answer was in conflict with what other people
were saying. The others were saying that Jesus was a prophet, but Peter knew
what he felt in his heart and said he believed that Jesus was “the Christ of
God.” What do I believe? I believe in the Bible and that it is God’s word.
While I may feel the need to bulk up my answer with someone else’ previous
words, they aren’t necessary when it comes down to what I think. If I ever
stray and change my position out of pride, I just need to remember what Jesus
said in verse 26 “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will
be ashamed of him.” Is it harsh, yes a bit; but remember this, God doesn’t care
what our friends have to say about Him, He wants to know what we have to say.
3 comments:
That verse always strikes me too- it always struck me as Jesus challenging Peter to take responsibility for his own faith. But it's very interesting to think of it as the start of a conversation with God based on exactly we (and no one else) think. An important and thought-provoking verse for sure!
Clara, thanks for your comment, and you make an excellent point. The thing I love most about the Bible is that it's interpretation can change based on how we approach it. I guess that's why they call it the "living word of God."
And the Scriptures always give straight answers!
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