Who do YOU Say That I Am?

Matthew 16:14-15 - And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets." And he said, "Who do you say that I am?"

For Christians, this is not a light question. I know for me, it changes on different days. Always God, yet sometimes I doubt. I am okay with doubt. One thing I can say about Jesus is that he, as God, is always faithful. I may doubt, but Jesus does not doubt. i may falter but Jesus is always faithful.

For that I am profoundly grateful today.
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Who is the Son of Man?

Matthew 16:13 - When they came into the area of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who to people say that the Son of Man is?"

So, the disciples are not around Jesus all the time or Jesus would hear the things the disciples have heard. No, Jesus recognizes that people are talking about him behind his back even to his disciples. He acknowledges these conversation implicitly by asking what is being said about him.

Of course, we also know that Jesus is asking as an introduction to his next question - who do you say that I am? This is the question we are all, as Christians, expected to answer - even if or answer changes daily.
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Teachings of the Pharisees

Matthew 16:11-12 - "How is it you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees" Then they understood that he was talking about the teaching of the Pharisees and Saduccees.

Teachings - the rules-lawyering of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They have exchanged the ends for the means. The end of the law is the peaceful ordering of society and its relations to God. The Law is the means to that end. Yet, the Pharisees and Sadducees have mistaken the means (the Law) for the end (Peace). There are many today who do the same thing. I do this too.

Discernment is required to distinguish between the two in every situation. There is no one law for everyone that is just. This is another thing about the Ps and the Ss - their laws were often unjust to the poor and outcasts. Spiritual purity was their focus, rather than the flourishing of all Israel. In pursuing it, they lost the true spiritual purity - working for the flourishing of all.
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Do you not perceive?

Matthew 16:9-10 - Do you not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for five thousand and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for four thousand and the many baskets you gathered?

No, we do not, nor did the apostles. They were thinking of their bodily needs. They saw the miracles but they gave no thought to their significance or what it might mean for their lives and the lives of the world. Here is a man who can feed many people with a few ingredients and they still worry about bread.

Of course, I get it. I forget to consider the significance of the loaves and baskets gathered myself. Old habits are hard to break and many of us think about ourselves and our meals more than we probably need to. Yet, Jesus will not give up and walk away. Instead, he challenges the disciples to go deeper than they have. He challenges us as well to consider the blessings of our lives and how we too can use them to feed others; whether we feed love, companionship, housing assistance, joy, actual food, health care, worship. We are called to feed Jesus' sheep. Jesus will multiply our efforts just as he multiplied the bread so that even when we think our impact is small, it is greater than we can imagine.
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We Have no Bread

Matthew 16:7-8 - And the disciples discussed among themselves saying that we have not bread. And Jesus knowing this said, "Why do you discuss among yourselves saying "we have no bread?"

The disciples are focused on their earthly needs, regardless of the miracle they have just witnessed. Changing our mindset is difficult and requires intentional desire to change. It does not just happen. When we pray for peace or for more serenity, we are required to strive to act peacefully and/or serenely ourselves. If we cannot display these qualities in our own lives, we cannot really expect others to display them either.

For me, this includes noticing the times I am judgmental of Peter and others. It requires intentionally accepting what they say.
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Yeast of the Pharisees

Matthew 16:6 - And Jesus said to them, "Take care and beware the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."

Yeast - it is what makes bread fluffy. As Jesus notes elsewhere, you only need a little and the entire loaf is fluffy. It influences how the dough will turn out. Jesus has just answered a question about what sign he will do to prove himself. This is a question born from pride and ego, rather than confidence. They challenge him because of their fear that he is the real thing - and they know they are not. They have the words but not the Spirit.

Jesus is suggesting that we use a different kind of yeast - love. Love of father, mother, God, spouse, others. In the same way as pride and hate, only a little changes everything around us. If we were to respond to everyone with love - to the best of our ability - we would see everyone differently. We would need to rethink how we are in every situation. Yes, it is work. That is probably why the disciples are about to miss the point. They do not want to do this work any more than we usually do!

Yet there is no other way. Gracious God, give me the courage to use the yeast of love in my bread today.
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Bread, Again

Matthew 16:5 - And when the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring bread.

This is an odd detail and a telling one. First, Jesus has just fed 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and some fish. Why would they worry or even think about bread? They have seen this great miracle and it has not changed them in any way.

It seems we are often like the disciples! Thinking that all the decisions are up to us and forgetting to leave room for our God to act. We want to fix everything in our lives that causes us discomfort whether we are able to do so or not. We forget that sometimes, we need to let God take over. Jesus just fed 5,000 people and the disciples are now worried that they forgot bread. How often do I/we make this same error? How much am I willing to let God take care of today?
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Proof or Guidance

Matthew 16:4 - "An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign and the only sign they will be given is the sign of Jonah." And he turned away from them and left.

I've given this verse more thought because I have spent a lot of time this summer asking God for a sign of what I should do next. Asking myself as well. It stopped me short when I saw this and I began to wonder whether I'm just stalling ...

Then I came to realize that the Pharisees and Sadducees here are asking for a sign as proof that Jesus is legitimate. That is what makes them evil ad adulterous. Am I asking for the same reason? Or am I taking the need for a sign too seriously? Should I be acting and waiting on the 'no' like Socrates claims to have done? I'm not sure. However, I think asking God for guidance is okay as long as I don't sit around and wait for the answer. I need to be busy doing what I think is the next right step.
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Signs of the Times

Matthew 16:2-3 - And Jesus answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, "It will be fair," for the sky is red. And when it is morning you say, "It will be stormy," for the sky is red and threatening. You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky but you cannot interpret the signs of the times?

Our knowledge is indeed usually limited to what we can see and have experienced in the past. Or, at least, other have experienced. We fail to read the signs of the times because our knowledge of the world and how people are and our knowledge of God are lacking. Especially, I think in the age of the internet, Fox News and their lies, and the greed of racism, sexism and heterosexism prevalent in America today.

How do we read the rise of Trump? How do we respond? Where can we act that will make a difference.
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A Sign

Matthew 16:1 - And some Pharisees and Sadducees came and asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

We all want a sign. Sometimes God grants it and sometimes God does not. I suspect though that the Pharisees and Sadducees had ulterior motives for their desire to see a sign. I suspect that they were trying to trap him, like the lawyer. Sometimes our desire to see a sign comes from this place - a desire to prove something not true.

What signs am I looking for? How will I know what is a sign and what is not? What are my motives for looking for signs?

All good questions to think about today.
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Feeding the sheep

Matthew 15:38-39 - And those who ate were four thousand men besides women and children. After sending the crowds away he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

Jesus here has shown true hospitality by feeding the crowds both spiritually and literally. He took their needs into account and took care of them without hesitation. How I could use this example in my own life!

And as one of the sheep, I too am fed spiritually and literally by God's abundance. In this time of uncertainty for Peter and I it is hard to remember that God's love is everlasting. God will not abandon us just as Jesus did not abandon the crowds.
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Abundance

Matthew 15:37 - Everyone ate and was satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces leftover.

Even when it seems there is not enough, there is enough. In our world, many take more than their fair share and creates a false sense of scarcity. Yet, in God's world, there is always enough. This is about food and resources and yet it is also about vision.

When I look at the circumstances of my life, am I seeing not enough or abundance? Why? Can I make plans not knowing where the money will come from? Do I want to? These are questions I'm asking because Peter wants to make plans based on our receiving the loan back from GNP soon. I would prefer to wait until we have the money to include it in our plans. It could take a long time. Who is right? This tension between our outlooks makes me profoundly uneasy and fearful. Fearful that we are not working together and uneasy that this will result in our becoming homeless or worse. How to see our situation as one of abundance?
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Blessed and Broken

Matthew 15:35-36 - And he had the crowd sit down on the grass. Then he took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and blessed them, broke them and gave them to his disciples. His disciples gave them to the crowd.

I like this. Before he did anything with his assets, Jesus blessed them. Only then did he put his plan in place. I think I can use this advice in my own life. Asking for God's blessing - then doing what I think best or what I think God is calling me to. Bless then act.
Amen
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