Seeing the Kingdom

June 15, 2016

My 2016 Ongoing Journey: Exploring Matthew to discover what following Jesus and becoming more like him would look like.

Matthew 16:24-28  ~ Like real estate’s value standard, “Location, location, location,” the key to understanding many texts of Scripture is “context, context, context.” Three weeks ago, when I wrote my last blog, the context was established for this text.

Peter had made his “good confession,” but almost immediately then scolded Jesus for not being “the Christ” in the same way Peter expected. Jesus response was a stinging rebuke: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Ouch!

Here was my response: “I have acknowledged Jesus as my Savior; but, am I a stumbling block to him? Am I trying to force Jesus into my mold—to direct where he leads me; confirm the ‘spiritual’ choices I’ve already made and to which I’m already committed?”

Without that context the text today loses some of its power. Denial of self in order to follow Jesus includes letting go, if necessary, even our most cherished beliefs and understandings. The prevailing mindset must be, “It’s not about me nor about my beliefs; it’s about Jesus.”

Jesus concludes the passage, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” How many of them missed it because they could not let go of their already held expectations? Will I miss it for the same reason? Have I missed it already?

That's the way it looks through the flawed glass that is my world view.

Together in the Walk,
Jim