Sometimes, when we receive God’s promise but lack wisdom, it is as though God’s pearls are cast to the swine. It really is important for us to be discipled, which should reduce such misunderstandings. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat, for example, did you ever for a moment imagine that happening?
Matthew 16:21-22 NIV
[21] From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
[22] Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Spiritual Gifts: Use with Wisdom
In case it slipped our mind, this incident follows Y’shua’s promise to Peter. Should we read Matthew as a somewhat chronological account of what is reported in the Gospel, we can assume that little time had passed between the two incidents. If that was actually the case, we can imagine that Y’shua’s promise was still ringing in Peter’s ears. Is it any wonder that Peter sought to nullify Y’shua’s pronouncement about dying.
Death is hard. And even as one who holds firmly to the promise that death brings the believer into God’s presence, letting go of a loved one isn’t easy. I’ve journeyed through the various stages of grief, and I’ve also accompanied members, friends, family, and frienemies – oh yes, neither friends nor full foes – through various burials. It isn’t easy. No one wants to see their close friends or relatives die. More so, Y’shua was predicting His own death … erm, Peter knew he had to intervene!
Self-Check
Have we had to stop someone from speaking ill over their lives or had others rescue us from self-harm, but that wasn’t actually what was happening?
Application
What Peter missed was that Y’shua was simply stating facts to prepare all the disciples for what was coming. He (Y’shua) was soon going to be crucified. Knowing the impact it would have on them, he sought to prepare them, perhaps to make it easier when the time came.
Negative.
That one clearly backfired. Although Peter was the only one to speak, we note that none of the others refuted him.
Peter’s response makes sense. He’d just been told that the gates of Hell would not prevail over his works. Moreover, he had the guarantee that what he bound in the earthly realm was also bound in the heavenly realm and the same for loosing. Why not rebuke Y’shua’s death?
Except, the Keys of Heaven also included (in my estimation, at least) the knowledge and understanding of spiritual things and of biblical prophecy. Y’shua’s death was prophesied in Genesis 3, after the Fall. God told the serpent that the first couple’s offspring would crush the head of the serpent’s offspring, and he would strike the human’s heel (see Genesis 3:15).
Isaiah also prophesied of Y’shua’s death. But Peter was having none of it. Armed as he was, with his new spiritual gift, he wasn’t allowing any harm to come to Y’shua.
But the ‘harm’ was ordained by God.
Our gifts must be operated in full accordance with God’s will. Otherwise, it is better that we didn’t have a gift.
I understand Peter’s action and probably would have done likewise. Nevertheless, it wasn’t in alignment with Y’shua’s task. And just like that, Peter was abusing the gift.
Pray that we are discerning in using our gifts.
Point to Ponder
Upon receipt, rather upon discerning what our spiritual gift is, might we take the time to understand it and seek God’s wisdom in using our gift to accomplish God’s will.
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May all we seek be found in Christ
