A Building Block

Matthew 16:22-23 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 things of God, but the things of men.”
 
YOU have been around people who are passionate for a cause, haven’t you? Maybe you are one who is that way. I hope so. People with purposeful passion are builders. Peter was passionate. But Jesus needed to transform Peter’s passion from a stumbling block to become a building block.
   You can’t blame Peter for rejecting the Lord’s crucifixion prophecy. He had grown up in a culture with great hope for the Messiah. Galilee was even proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah to be of special importance to the Messiah’s reign. Then with much wonder, Peter has watched Jesus in action, and he’s hungered for Jesus’ teaching. Peter has left home and is gone from his wife. Peter has denied himself to follow Jesus, whose power was beyond expectation. Peter was a privileged Jew to become a disciple, passionately following his Master. He was picturing his Master would reign in Jerusalem forever.
   But Peter’s knowledge was incomplete. Lack of understanding and fear can sometimes cause us to be angry with someone. That seems to have happened here. Peter rebuked Jesus, “Never, Lord!” Imagine rebuking the Lord! But certainly Jesus’ words scared and confused Peter. What was this talk of sacrifice and death? And how could Peter understand the incomprehensible rising again? Jesus dramatically changed Peter’s Messiah picture when he said, “I’m going to die.” Peter’s passion was to then persuade Jesus from the cross.   
   But with, “Get behind me, Satan.” Jesus revealed the stumbling block between our hearts and Jesus’ truths. Christ-following requires passion to seek God, to stand for him, to sacrifice for him and to die to our own desires.
   Too often, though, when Jesus requires sacrifice, we echo Peter’s words, “Never, Lord!” Lacking wisdom and faith, becoming afraid of his call on our lives, we rebuke Jesus as Peter did.
   Through the cross, Jesus would transform Peter’s mind. Seeing the risen Christ and inspired with the Spirit, the stumbling block disciple became a great building block apostle for the church.
   Peter’s transformation points us toward the Lord’s eternal Kingdom. The church has come this far with the building blocks of unyielding followers. It will continue to grow in the same way until Jesus comes.
   Do you want to know God’s will for you life? Begin by understanding, “I am a building block for Jesus.”