Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, nice people.

Among other things, I want to make a posting to Craigslist today for selling the chickens. Thano has agreed to let them go. There are 17 of them. So the raccoons have killed 13. It’s becoming a hassle to round up those birds each evening and put them in the coop—since they’re so freaked out about roosting in where the coons have attacked before when the door was open.

The list of options for the day is big. I hardly know where to start. But I’d better do something. I see the chickens all grouped up out there—maybe I’ll start by taking a photo to accompany the chicken posting.

Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Contained in this short reading, Jesus gives two charges to Peter that are about as opposite as they can get. The first is very positive—when Peter gives the right answer as to who Jesus is—He is the Messiah. Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven” (Matt. 16:17). The second is very negative—about as negative as you can get. Once Jesus’ identity was established, He disclosed that He was headed for major suffering and death in Jerusalem at the hands of the Jewish leaders, Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked him saying, in so many words, “As long as I’m around, this ain’t gonna happen!” Jesus’ reply was, “Get behind me, Satan!” Wow! What a contrast! That had to rattle Peter’s cage to the core! Indeed it should!

I see here further evidence for the two kingdoms in conflict. The Kingdom of God imparts the revelation of Truth to the seeking human heart. The kingdom of Satan imparts deception and distortion to everyone else—to the heart that resists Truth in any way. Jesus recognized and identified the kingdom source of Peter’s expressions. The first was with commendation. The second was with rebuke and warning.

That which caused Peter to choke and resist so long ago is the same matter that causes many to choke and resist today. It has to do with the cross—“the emblem of suffering and shame.” It’s also the emblem of surrender to Christ’s Lordship and will—something to cherish when compared with the known alternatives. Jesus laid it on the line in terms that cannot be misunderstood: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (16:24).

It’s interesting to note that Jesus is here making reference to the cross as a symbol of self-denial before He was ever hung on one to fulfill His role as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). It would indicate that Jesus was bearing the cross internally before He bore the cross externally. So the cross really plays out to be an essential life-giving attitude of heart. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (16:25). It’s a wonderful painful paradox to live by.