Today we continue in our Lenten sermon series featuring one of the most well known disciples, Peter. Last week Peter hit a high note. When Jesus asked who Peter believed Jesus to be, Peter said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Today’s scripture passage opens our eyes to the fact that Peter, while he had the right words, didn’t entirely have the right understanding. He was “fixed” on the notion of a Messiah who would free them from Roman rule. When Jesus began to talk about how things would get tough–really tough–Peter rebuked him, unable to accept Jesus’ talk of suffering and death. Jesus, in turn, offered a rebuke of his own.
Peter’s experience invites us to reflect on our experience. What happens to us in the face of tough times? How do we hold the reality of suffering, our own or others, alongside a belief in a loving God?
Scripture passages: Psalm 130:1-8; Matthew 16:21-23
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