Daily Bread

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’

This passage from Matthew's gospel makes me smile. It reminds me of pupils in a classroom being asked a question by a teacher, one putting their hand up and getting the answer right, and being rewarded. I can imagine Simon's mouth dropping as Jesus told him how blessed he was and how his new name would be Peter and that he would be the rock on which God would build the church!

The question, 'Who do we say that Jesus is?' is a question that everyone can answer. For some, Jesus is a historical figure, others a myth, and others admit they don't know, but for us Christians, we answer just like Peter, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." For us, Jesus is way more than a historical figure or mythical creation, Jesus is our God, to whom we worship, adore, the one in whom we have put our trust, and to whom we have given our lives.

But here's a thing. Jesus' response to us is the same as it was to Peter. We are blessed as the true identity of Christ has been revealed to us and God is building his church on us, and the blessing of God is to be filled with God's overflowing love through the Holy Spirit.

The name Peter means 'rock' and Peter's 'rockiness' — his security, strength, reliability, and durability — came, not from himself, but from God through the power of the Holy Spirit living in him. In the same way, our strength comes not from within ourselves, but from God, and it is why we pray, "Come, Holy Spirit".

If you feel low, unworthy, despondent, weak, or ineffectual, then join the club. We all do and you are not alone. None of us can do this thing called 'life' on our own. We all need God, both in our lives and ministering to us through others. We all need the Holy Spirit to fill us, and we all need friends who journey with us and allow the Holy Spirit in them to minister to us. This is why church is so important. No, you don't need to go to church to be a Christian, but you absolutely need church because that is how God works — in and through us for each other. We are not meant to be Christians in isolation.

I remember hearing the story a pastor who visited a man who had previously left the church and who was struggling. One cold, wintry night, the pastor made her way to his house and they sat together, in silence, in front of the coal fire in his living room. The pastor took a pair of tongs and took one of the glowing coals out of the fire and placed it in front of the hearth. The glowing coal soon dimmed and became cold and black. She then took the tongs and replaced the coal back into the fire where it soon began to glow again. The man nodded and the pastor left.

Friends, we need each other. If you are finding yourself alone and struggling, lean into your church family, whether face-to-face or online. We're not perfect, but we will do our best to love you and make you glow.

Holy God
Jesus is the Messiah,
the Son of the living God.
Thank you for blessing me
and filling me with your Holy Spirit.
Help me to be your church,
and to love others
as you have first loved me.
May I minister to others
through the power of your Spirit
and allow others to minister to me.
Now and forever.