Scripture Readings: Exodus 3:1-15 & Matthew 16:21-28
Happy Father’s Day
Moses not only survived in the Nile River’s tragedy, but also, he grew up in Pharaoh’s household as the adopted son of the Egyptian princess. Moses probably had an identity crisis between the Hebrew slaves and Egyptian ruling class. When he witnessed a violence between an Egyptian slave and a Hebrew slave, he involved in the Egyptian’s death and got in big trouble, and both sides rejected him.
After he ran away from the incident, Moses was called by God in the wilderness during a time of confusion, suffering, and identity crisis through the burning bush incident. When he was on the mountain of God beyond the wilderness, a very small bushfire caught his attention. The small bushfire would be over quickly, but this one just keeps going, and the bush doesn’t seem to be getting burned up. When Moses turned aside for a closer look, God called to him out of the fire, “Moses. Moses!” Moses’ first words were “Here I am.”
“Come no closer!” says God. “Remove your sandals, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And God continues, “I am the God of your father. And Moses, who had turned aside to look, hid his face, for he was now afraid to look. But the fire goes on burning, and the bush is not destroyed. God appeared to Moses in an unpredictable, but unmistakable way which is burning bush.
From the fire, God speaks to Moses again saying, “I have heard them crying out, and I am concerned about their suffering. I have come down to deliver them from slavery, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” Now this is already amazing news. It was widely assumed that either God was powerless, or that God had rejected the Hebrews and was against them.
However, God is compassionate and is for the oppressed, and is coming to the rescue. And when God starts on a project, God chooses and prepares someone for the task. “So come,” says God to Moses, “I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt.” When Moses was not confident in God’s calling, God said to Moses, “I will be with you.”, “I am who I am.”, and “I am the God of your father.” He promised His Presence. God cared for his people and provided for their deliverance.
God breaks up the hardened hearts before us when we commit to his service. God calls us to do His work. God speaks to us in a variety of ways if we are tuned in. He will never ask us to do something without his presence to guide and protect us. God prepares and provides resources for the tasks to which he calls us. May we follow what God wants us to do. Even when in doubt, may we never forget that God alone is faithful.
As God saw and heard His people’s suffering and cry, may we remember God was with us in the past. As God promised His presence, may we remember that God will be with us. As God is looking after all of us, may we be sensitive to the pain in the people around us. As God called, shaped, and equipped his servant, Moses, He calls, shapes, and equips us today.
In Matthew 16, Jesus referred to his coming death and resurrection several times. Jesus generally had avoided conflict with his opponents. But to fulfill his and the Father’s plan, he must suffer, he must be killed, and he must be raised on the third day.
This was according to God’s plan for our salvation. Jesus indicated he would suffer many things at the hands of the religious leaders, because this suffering was an integral part of the price Jesus paid. In God’s plan, Jesus died on the cross as the lamb of God, for the sake of all people. By this means he would redeem a sinful people. But he would be raised as the triumphant and restore his entire kingdom to its proper place.
As in Peter’s responses, we can find that Jesus’ disciples still had far to go, even though they had grown so much in their understanding. They knew him to be the Messiah-King, but they had not yet understood Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection. After this moment, the disciples, still with limited understanding, focused on Jesus’ suffering and death. They seemed to overlook the triumphant ending of his resurrection. Perhaps they responded out of fear for themselves due to possible persecution.
Peter had tried to correct Jesus’ thinking, but Jesus showed Peter that it was human concern. Peter had the misconception that the Messiah-King could never suffer. On the contrary, he must suffer if he was to accomplish the Father’s will. In verse 18, Peter was a rock on which Jesus would build his church, but now Peter was a stumbling block in Jesus’ way, interfering in Jesus’ way of obedience, love, and salvation.
Jesus attempted to fill the disciples with God’s thoughts regarding the necessity of suffering. He wanted to replace their incorrect thoughts. And Jesus takes the road to the cross. In contrast to his first coming to earth in humility, the next coming would be in his Father’s glory. Jesus foretold the day when all the losses of his obedient followers would be abundantly compensated. As in verse 27, Jesus will reward each person according to what they have done. A true disciple will follow the king, Jesus to victory through even suffering and receive great reward for it.
Enlarging the kingdom of God would be impossible without followers who are willing to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Jesus through their own dark valleys. Even in a world of darkness, may we devote ourselves to the King Jesus and follow Him as true believers and disciples. I pray that we can overcome hardship and difficulties following Jesus to victory.
We will be fine even in identity crisis and difficulties because God is with us. When God calls us to do His work, we can respond to God, ” Here I am” rather than “Who am I?” Let us remember that God hears our prayers and cries. God is even coming down for His people’s rescue. God promises His presence to us. May we be victorious even through suffering, believing in Jesus’ presence.
As we follow the guidelines of Jesus’ words and Scripture by depending on the Holy Spirit, we can be assured that we are acting in accordance with God’s will. Jesus demands our total obedience. As disciples of Jesus, may we be prepared to follow Jesus everywhere he has gone including the cross.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
(Ref. Bible, commentaries, theological books, UCA materials)