It is not uncommon to hear in secular Western society the statement: “If God is really there, why doesn’t he show himself in a more clearer way? More people would believe in him then.” This is the kind of question that the Pharisees and the Sadducees ask of Jesus in Mathew 16:1. They ask for a visible sign of divine power. Jesus refuses to give them a sign right there and then, because he knows they wouldn’t repent and turn to him, even if he performed one, right on the spot.

Be Careful What You Ask Of God

He has already given many miraculous signs in towns like Korazin and Bethsaida, and instead of repentance and trust in the Lord, they produced greater unbelief and greater judgment. For example, see Jesus’ words of woe to these towns in Mathew 12:20-24. When people come with prideful and cynical hearts to ask questions of God, with no intention to surrender to him, or they come to the Lord, expecting him to do some trick, like he is some ringmaster in a Circus show, it won’t really do any good for them. How can you encounter God without a true searching and humble disposition. We see this in other places of Scripture as well.

For example, one of the greatest and most visible manifestations of God’s power was in Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian slavery in the Exodus. God brought Pharaoh to his knees through 10 great plagues (Exodus 7-11). The Israelites visibly saw the powerful interventions of God on their behalf. And not only that, they then experienced God parting the Sea, enabling them to escape the approaching Egyptian army (Exodus 14:26-31). They were delivered through the parted Seas, but the Egyptian army perished when the Lord covered Pharaoh’s army with the waters.

The Israelites saw great manifestations of God’s power with their physical eyes. But then on the other side of the Sea, as they begin their trek to the Promised Land of Canaan, the Israelites continually complain against their faithful covenant God (for example read Exodus 16, 17). Many of them manifest a heart of unbelief that refuses to trust the Lord. Later on in the book of Exodus, they build an idol, a golden calf, when Moses was taking a long time in coming down from the mountain (Exodus 32). It ends up that the entire adult population, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, die in the desert. They wander aimlessly in the desert for 40 years and fail to experience the blessings of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. God judged them for their unbelief. They refused to die to their self-centeredness and to their idolatrous hearts.

So beware what you ask of God. He might do it. But if you don’t respond in faithful discipleship, your situation may end up worse, then if God didn’t give what you asked of Him. Jesus said that those who are given much, more is expected of them. Be careful what you ask of God and with what attitude you ask it with.

Peter’s Great Confession

In Mathew 16:13 we have a real turning point in Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus intentionally takes His disciples to one of the most pagan places in all of Israel – Caesarea Philippi (verse 13). In this area we have the blatant worship of pagan deities like Pan.

It is in this very dark place that we have the climactic confession of Peter that Jesus is the Messiah (Mathew 16:16). It is the 1st place that a human person within the Gospel narrative confesses Jesus as the Messiah/Christ. It is on the basis of this confession that Jesus declares that He will build His church and that the gates (i.e. the power) of hell (i.e. darkness) will not be able to prevail. This is the first time Jesus mentions the church in the Gospels. The word appears only one other place in the Gospels, Mathew 18:15-17. Even the kind of powerful pagan worship at Caesarea Philippi will not be able to stop the advancement of God’s kingdom through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus and the faithful discipleship of Christians.

It is right after this divinely-inspired confession of Peter that Jesus begins for the first time to talk openly about His upcoming arrest and death in Jerusalem (Mathew 16:21). It is noteworthy to mention that at this first explicit mention of Jesus’ suffering, Peter took His Master aside and said “Never Lord“. (Mathew 16:22).

Jesus rebukes Peter by saying to him: “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” (verse 23). One minute, Peter is used as a mouthpiece by God, the next minute he is used as a mouthpiece by Satan. How fickle we humans are! Peter had the confession right but not the commitment. If His Lord is going to suffer in this world to accomplish God’s purposes, how much more will he need to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow him.

In the rest of today’s reading, we see the disciples slowly come to understand what a cross-shaped life looks like. They are concerned about questions like who is the greatest in God’s coming kingdom (Mathew 18:1-9; 20:20-28). The Lord patiently teaches them that greatness is measured differently in God’s Kingdom than in the kingdoms of the world. Greatness in God’s eyes is becoming like a little child, in humble trust, and becoming a servant of all.

May the LORD give us the mind of Christ so that we can more and more perceive God’s thoughts and God’s ways in this world. May He form in us more and more the character of Christ so that we can be seen as servants who love the LORD and love people.

QOTD: Are you ready to follow the Lord on His terms?