Sunday 14 June
Reading: - Matthew chapter 16 verses 13 to 27
Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’
14 They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’
15 ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’
16 Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’
17 Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Jesus predicts his death
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
Ephesians 6:10-18 New International Version
The Armour of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Message
In our reading, when Jesus asked whom his disciples thought he was, Peter replied the Messiah to which in verse 17 Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven'.
Today by comparison, we can read it in the bible, we are told it in church, we celebrate the birth of God’s son at Christmas, even some non-believers do that.
And yet, if asked on the street, who would we say Jesus is? If you were asked personally, what would your answer be: - God’s Son, The Lamb of God, my brother, my Lord, The Messiah, how would you answer?
If Jesus can build his church on Peter just because he knows Jesus is the Messiah, what can he build on us? That thought sent a shiver down my back but is it because I am thinking of retreat or revival? Perhaps it is the middle of the road option, my salvation.
Jesus then questions the value of our soul and what we might be able to give in payment for it.
I was talking to the children today about the invention of the game of Chess and what was paid for it. Is your soul worth more than the game of chess?
A mathematician invented the game for the emperor who was so impressed he offered to pay anything the mathematician wanted. Do you think you are worth more than a Chess set?
The mathematician asked for 1 grain of rice on the first square and 2 grains on the second. Doubling the number for each of the 64 squares. The emperor thought this a silly price and agreed, not realising how many that would be. By the time you get to the last square it would take:
1,840,000,000,000,000,000 - one quintilian eight hundred forty quadrillion grains.
At 64 grains per gram that would be 288,230,000,000 tonne - two hundred and eighty-eight trillion, two hundred and thirty million metric tonnes. A mind-blowing amount!
Today – well in 2019 wholesale prices anyway, that would cost £3 million for every man, woman and child in the whole of the UK.
If the invention of a chess set was worth £195 million, million, pounds, there must be very few, if any, who could pay what they are worth.
So what is your soul worth then? Is it more than the game of chess?
From our reading we can explore what our souls are worth. Just knowing, without reservation that Jesus is the Messiah, The Saviour of the World, Your Lord and Saviour! Jesus can still win you the keys to Heaven and that has to be priceless! So how is it that Peter is entitled to the Keys of Heaven in one breath and yet in what looks like the next, is told to “Get thee behind me Satan”. When it comes to Satan, I know someone who believes, “Satan is just a metaphor for the absence of good”. I also know he is called the king of the air and the evil one amongst other things. Here Jesus has recognised Peter’s statement for what it is and tells him to ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’ Satan has distracted him!
A good friend of mine has reminded me, on a number of occasions now, to put on the full armour of God. This is sound advice, for all of us, if we are to stand firm at all times. We live in hope for a vaccine for Covid-19, the armour of God is a vaccine against the wiles and ways of Satan. It is only in wearing it, that we can do the work we are called to do, secure that Satan can’t touch us. Then, in prayer we can achieve all that God asks of us – and we get the keys to Heaven too.
I wonder, is your soul worth having? Then print out “Ephesians 6:10-18 The Armour of God, and stick it on your fridge or bathroom mirror? Say it often enough and it becomes a way of life.
I can forget things, other thoughts distract me, or I allow myself to think I am to busy at times, but again, who gave me these thoughts and these excuses?
Perhaps we all need to try on the full armour of God every day. What do you think?
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist and truly know you are loved by God, His priceless son or daughter with the breastplate of righteousness in place, knowing without question that your sins are forgiven! Your sins are paid for by the Messiah himself on the cross, every time you repent and seek his help! Then, with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. A peace given to you from God, by the Holy Spirit. A peace that passes all understanding.
'In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Because you know deep within, in your unshakeable belief, that you are God’s child! Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Then you can stand and declare who you are, a much-loved child of God, and as Jesus said to his disciples, 'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’
If we just keep our heart set on the things of God and not on the things of this world we get both the keys to Heaven and we get to keep our souls too!
How great will that be? May it be so to the Glory of God! Amen.
Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’
14 They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’
15 ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’
16 Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’
17 Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Jesus predicts his death
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
Ephesians 6:10-18 New International Version
The Armour of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Message
In our reading, when Jesus asked whom his disciples thought he was, Peter replied the Messiah to which in verse 17 Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven'.
Today by comparison, we can read it in the bible, we are told it in church, we celebrate the birth of God’s son at Christmas, even some non-believers do that.
And yet, if asked on the street, who would we say Jesus is? If you were asked personally, what would your answer be: - God’s Son, The Lamb of God, my brother, my Lord, The Messiah, how would you answer?
If Jesus can build his church on Peter just because he knows Jesus is the Messiah, what can he build on us? That thought sent a shiver down my back but is it because I am thinking of retreat or revival? Perhaps it is the middle of the road option, my salvation.
Jesus then questions the value of our soul and what we might be able to give in payment for it.
I was talking to the children today about the invention of the game of Chess and what was paid for it. Is your soul worth more than the game of chess?
A mathematician invented the game for the emperor who was so impressed he offered to pay anything the mathematician wanted. Do you think you are worth more than a Chess set?
The mathematician asked for 1 grain of rice on the first square and 2 grains on the second. Doubling the number for each of the 64 squares. The emperor thought this a silly price and agreed, not realising how many that would be. By the time you get to the last square it would take:
1,840,000,000,000,000,000 - one quintilian eight hundred forty quadrillion grains.
At 64 grains per gram that would be 288,230,000,000 tonne - two hundred and eighty-eight trillion, two hundred and thirty million metric tonnes. A mind-blowing amount!
Today – well in 2019 wholesale prices anyway, that would cost £3 million for every man, woman and child in the whole of the UK.
If the invention of a chess set was worth £195 million, million, pounds, there must be very few, if any, who could pay what they are worth.
So what is your soul worth then? Is it more than the game of chess?
From our reading we can explore what our souls are worth. Just knowing, without reservation that Jesus is the Messiah, The Saviour of the World, Your Lord and Saviour! Jesus can still win you the keys to Heaven and that has to be priceless! So how is it that Peter is entitled to the Keys of Heaven in one breath and yet in what looks like the next, is told to “Get thee behind me Satan”. When it comes to Satan, I know someone who believes, “Satan is just a metaphor for the absence of good”. I also know he is called the king of the air and the evil one amongst other things. Here Jesus has recognised Peter’s statement for what it is and tells him to ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’ Satan has distracted him!
A good friend of mine has reminded me, on a number of occasions now, to put on the full armour of God. This is sound advice, for all of us, if we are to stand firm at all times. We live in hope for a vaccine for Covid-19, the armour of God is a vaccine against the wiles and ways of Satan. It is only in wearing it, that we can do the work we are called to do, secure that Satan can’t touch us. Then, in prayer we can achieve all that God asks of us – and we get the keys to Heaven too.
I wonder, is your soul worth having? Then print out “Ephesians 6:10-18 The Armour of God, and stick it on your fridge or bathroom mirror? Say it often enough and it becomes a way of life.
I can forget things, other thoughts distract me, or I allow myself to think I am to busy at times, but again, who gave me these thoughts and these excuses?
Perhaps we all need to try on the full armour of God every day. What do you think?
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist and truly know you are loved by God, His priceless son or daughter with the breastplate of righteousness in place, knowing without question that your sins are forgiven! Your sins are paid for by the Messiah himself on the cross, every time you repent and seek his help! Then, with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. A peace given to you from God, by the Holy Spirit. A peace that passes all understanding.
'In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Because you know deep within, in your unshakeable belief, that you are God’s child! Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Then you can stand and declare who you are, a much-loved child of God, and as Jesus said to his disciples, 'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’
If we just keep our heart set on the things of God and not on the things of this world we get both the keys to Heaven and we get to keep our souls too!
How great will that be? May it be so to the Glory of God! Amen.