Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.

One of the things I love about scripture is how it refuses to make heroes out of the expected characters. As a matter of fact, this is one of the many reasons I believe in the truth of the Bible itself. Think about it. If you were one of the Apostles telling the story of Jesus in order to validate your way of life, wouldn’t you want to make sure you look good in the process? Wouldn’t you only include the stories where you were shown in a positive light? Wouldn’t you find a way to “forget” the parts where you messed up or failed? I know I would! Unless, of course, you were so captivated by the truth of Jesus that it didn’t matter how you were perceived. The fact that the Gospels, written by the Apostles, all tell of their own ineptitude shows that, above all else, they cared about conveying the truth of who Jesus was and is.

Matthew 16 is a great place to see an example of these very real people, just like me and you, who get it wrong just as much as they get it right. Verses 13-20 detail a conversation between Peter and Jesus, where Peter walks away blessed. Jesus literally says, “Blessed are you, Simon Peter.” Why the blessing? Because Peter confesses rightly that Jesus is the Messiah, the Promised One, the Son of God. Despite what anyone else said around him, Peter was rock-solid in his faith, which makes verses 21-23 all the more astonishing.

In verse 17, Peter receives a blessing. In verse 23, Jesus calls him Satan! As solid as his faith was, Peter was known to get a little overzealous. Instead of trusting and following, Peter steps in front of and tries to lead the Son of God. That’s not only a bold move but also a dumb one – one I would want to be omitted from the story if I was Peter. But the truth of Jesus is more important than any man’s appearance. The inclusion of Peter’s mistake and rebuke serves as an important reminder for the billions of people who have read about it since. When we focus on our own preferences, we miss the plans of God.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflections:

• Are there areas in your life where you are getting ahead of Jesus? Where do you need to follow first?