I've been having a sleepeless night, pondering my sermon for today is a part of it, praying about and wondering about what to say...
The Scriptures contain a huge question. A question asked by Jesus of his disciples; "Who do you say I am?"
Peter's response is well known " You are the Christ (the Messiah) the son of the living God..." And it is upon this confession that Peter who was called Simon up to this point recieves his new name- Peter the rock...
The rock, solid, dependable, stable, firm...
And yet in the next few chapters of the Scripture we see Peter being anything but rock like, and yet Jesus has blessed him and that blessing was not conditional!
Here is what Jesus said:
"God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn't get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.
19"And that's not all. You will have complete and free access to God's kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven."
I'm going to tell you who you really are....
You are a rock, even when you are being unrock-like you are a rock, for those words, those few words hold the key to your transformation. Recognising Jesus unlocked something in Peter and set him free from all that held him back (even though he would stumble again)...
So what happens within us when we recognise Jesus?
What happens within me when I remember that Ihave recognised Jesus?
I believe that the answer is threefold; I am released and humbled and blessed (equipped);
I am released from trying to be something I cannot be alone, released from the stuff that holds me back. Somehow the recognition that Jesus is the Messiah expands my horizons and opens up new possibilities in my heart mind and soul...
I am humbled because that recognition somehow puts things into perspective, I cease to be the centre of my own universe and am connected to a much bigger and more expansive reality.
I am blessed (equipped) because through that confession a door within me unlocks and allows the Holy Spirit access. God is now with me and in me, heaven and earth meet and all of heavens expansive energies become possible even in me...
"I'm going to tell you who you really are" Jesus says to Peter, he speaks those words through this passage to us to, and while we might look in a mirror and see only our faults and flaws Jesus looks at us and sees potential. Potential to be more than we are right now, potential to become the person God designed us to be, to be put right to be made whole....
And it is easy to get to wondering how it can be that one man born just over 2,000 years ago has the ability to release all of that in me, but then the confession, the recognition reminds us that Jesus was no ordinary man. I'm trying to remember just when I came to that conclusion and I am not sure that I can pinpoint it...
I remember wanting to know God, and wanting God to "like" me , and some of it is recorded here, and here and here... and it is an ongoing story...
As my own story unfolds I struggle to accept that Jesus sees a me that I don't see, and it is that me that he calls into being. He knows our potential, and he wants to bless us that we might bless others...
I'll stop now...
