Significant events in our lives change us and can help us to grow in our relationship to Christ and our understanding of who God is and God’s very nature. When I lost my brother to mental illness, I came to understand that our God is big enough to handle our anger and frustration with Him permitting these tragic events in our world. When I had the opportunity to participate in a cross-cultural mission trip, I came to understand that “The American Way” is not the only way or even the best way… the context of one’s world matters!
Our experiences change us and help us to interpret and understand the Bible and its testimony to who Jesus is, how God loves us and how God desires to use us in this world.
Peter learned this on that Passover night long ago.
You see, Peter, devoted to the idea that Jesus was the Messiah… the Christ… the “Son of the Living God”… had a concept that His Kingdom was to be a worldly kingdom and that he was supposed to fight to defend the Kingship and Kingdom of Christ. So, he took up the sword and struck, only to find himself being disciplined by the One he loved. Peter’s understanding of what God “needed” or expected of him was not God’s understanding… Jesus needed no defense by human hands!
Strangely, maybe even understandably, this is a common view for us as Christians. We read the Old Testament scripture that our God is a “jealous” God (Exodus 34:14), and we assume that means we need to force every knee to bow and tongue to confess Jesus as Lord! Jesus points out that He is able to call more than a Legion of Angels to defend Him if He wants that. Talk about “Shock and Awe! So, our God does not need us to defend or want to subdue this world by force. He told the religious leadership who wished to quiet the crowds on His entry to Jerusalem that should the crowds be shushed… the very rocks of the road would cry out His name. He doesn’t wish to force us to praise Him but hopes we will choose to do so!
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