Missionary Renegade: The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States for Friday, 03 June 2016

Monday, June 6, 2016

The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States for Friday, 03 June 2016 - “Who do you say that I am?”

The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States for Friday, 03 June 2016 - “Who do you say that I am?”
Daily Scripture: Matthew 16:13 When Yeshua came into the territory around Caesarea Philippi, he asked his talmidim, “Who are people saying the Son of Man is?” 14 They said, “Well, some say Yochanan the Immerser, others Eliyahu, still others Yirmeyahu or one of the prophets.” 15 “But you,” he said to them, “who do you say I am?” 16 Shim‘on Kefa answered, “You are the Mashiach, the Son of the living God.” 17 “Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan,” Yeshua said to him, “how blessed you are! For no human being revealed this to you, no, it was my Father in heaven. 18 I also tell you this: you are Kefa,” [which means ‘Rock,’] “and on this rock I will build my Community, and the gates of Sh’ol will not overcome it.
Reflection Questions:
Jesus’ first question was, in one sense, a setup. He knew, as the disciples did, that there were many opinions about him. The disciples’ answer to that question (“Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the other prophets”) tried to shield Jesus a bit. They knew that most of the religious leaders hated Jesus as a threat to their cherished traditions. But his second question to the disciples (a question he asks us, too) was the defining, personal question.

As Peter and the other disciples heard Jesus ask, “Who do you say that I am?” do you think they fully understood what it meant to believe that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God”? (Don’t forget: a few weeks later, they all fled, and Peter denied knowing Jesus.) Why would Jesus ask that question before they could fully answer it? How important was it that they sensed how central that question was in their lives?
Has there ever been a point in your life when you have come face to face with the question, “Who do you say that I am?” If so, how did you answer the question—who do you believe Jesus is? If not, take this moment right now to ponder the question, and to answer it for God and for yourself. Picture Jesus looking you in the eye and asking, “Who do you say that I am?”

Today’s Prayer:
Lord Jesus, sometimes I wish you wouldn’t be so direct. But that’s how life’s most important questions are. Like the father you met in the gospels, I say, “I believe—help my unbelief.” Amen.
-------Insights from Darren Lippe

Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group & a men’s group, and serves on the Curriculum team.
They boys & I have been enjoying watching reruns of the Batman TV series that aired from 1966-1968. It has been fun to watch its colorful characters, elaborate sets, fight scenes accompanied by signs reading, “Bam,” “Pow,” & “Zap,” Batman’s homilies like, “It’s obvious, Robin. Only a criminal would disguise himself as a licensed, bonded guard yet callously park in front of a fire hydrant.” & laugh at Robin’s creative exclamations like, “Holy High Wire!”
Aside: Some Batman-esque humor: Batman: Robin, I want you to have the Batmobile. Robin:Gee, Thanks! Batman: It’s 555-3410. Or (calling the movie theater) “Do you have Batman Forever? Clerk: “No, just for 3 weeks.”
Several plots revolve around the Riddler or Penguin or Joker trying to uncover Batman’s secret identity, usually via some elaborate trap that becomes a cliffhanger to be resolved next time, “Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel.”
This has led to the discussion of why superheroes needed a secret identity. It might be to avoid litigation exposure, or those ill-timed Paparazzi shots, or constant requests from friends needing help to move their 3-piece sectional up two flights of stairs to their new apartment.
In today’s passage, our Superhero, who has at times been reluctant to reveal His true identity, is now at the point of His ministry where it is critical His Disciples truly understand his full human/divine nature. And much to our shock, Peter actually answers Jesus’ question correctly. (Astronomers note this is one of the earliest documented sightings of a blue moon. This might need some verification – Editor.)
I would submit this scene is particularly important to us, as A.W. Tozer writes, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”1 Let’s consider a few examples:
Thomas Jefferson was a great admirer of Jesus’ teachings & sayings; so much so, that he bought 2 Bibles so he could cut out passages with a razor & paste them into his own book, “The Life & Morals of Jesus of Nazareth.” However, Jefferson did not consider Jesus as divine & excluded all of Jesus’ miracles & any supernatural events like the resurrection. Jefferson’s version of the Bible sadly concludes with the stone being rolled in front of the tomb.
On the other hand, Harriet Tubman, a former slave who escaped to freedom & then made 19 return trips to the South to help hundreds of other slaves escape from slavery viewed God as her constant companion on those dangerous treks. She felt strongly that on every trip she took via the Underground Railroad that God was telling her when to stay hidden in the marshes, when to start moving, & even in what direction to travel.
How might Mr. Tozer’s contention impact us today? If, for example, we view God just as a cold-hearted judge dispensing justice, then we might find it extremely hard to believe that He might ever forgive us & subsequently we might be harshly judgmental of others. Or if we view God as an absentee-landlord who started creation & then left us to ourselves, we might never seek consolation or inspiration via prayer or worship. Or if we never even consider God & His role in our lives, we might reach very empty conclusions about the meaning of our lives.
But. If we view God as a just & fair God who had always realized that there was no way His children could ever achieve perfection then chose to send His Son to serve our justly deserved punishment to allow us to once again be free to reunite with Him, well then, our relationships, our attitudes, & our lives might be filled with more love, more hope, & more purpose.
As Robin would exclaim, “Holy Hallelujah!”
1A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: Harper Collins, 1961): 1