Job 41, 42 and Matthew 16
Big passage today. Lots to cover. As usual, I’ll start in the Old Testament. Job 41 and 42 are different from each other. Job 41 is God talking about the leviathan. This creature exemplifies God’s power unlike any other. Verses 3-4 and 10-11 were the most powerful to me. God asks Job in verse 10, “Who then is he who can stand before me?” I love that. God is scary! “Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine. Chapter 42 was Job’s response, and God’s consequent reactions to his response. Job reduced himself and asked God’s forgiveness (v6), and God blessed him for it (v17).
Matthew 16 seems to really be answering lots of my questions. For one, why did Matthew record two accounts of Jesus feeding the masses? The two stories were so similar, and seemed so very redundant. Verse 10 gave me some insight. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The chapter opens with Jesus being pressed by the Pharisees and Sadducees [sad-you-see] for some signs to prove his claims. Jesus shuts them right down in verse 4.
An evil and adultrous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah.
What is the sign of Jonah? I don’t know. But I thought of my generation, how we are always saying “Prove it.” And the biggest issue is that we don’t know anything is wrong.
In 5-12, Jesus uses some figurative language with the disciples, and they totally miss it. But the point was his warning of the Pharisees’ teachings. This was the section that needs the account of the four thousand in chapter 15. Jesus asks them specifically about these two events, saying basically, What do I have to do to show you?!
Verses 13-20 are labeled “Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ.” This is an honest title, but it seemed to be so much more to me. I loved verse 15. “But who do you say that I am?” It’s always a personal choice, this life. We can’t even go by the fact that it is true. You’ve still got to believe, just as Peter does (eventually). And Jesus blesses Peter’s confession. Big time. Just read the book of Acts. Peter is hard-core (but, of course, flawed). I was kind of confused why Jesus told them not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. It’s not confusing, really, just interesting.
The last part of Matthew 16 is broken into two sections, but I felt like they should be kept together. It is one scene, where Jesus foretells his death and ressurrection, and Peter gets kind of upset about it. He told Jesus he wouldn’t let it happen. Jesus rebukes him, even calls him Satan. Peter was only thinking selfishly and not “on the things of God.” Right after that, Jesus turns to the others, as I see it, and explains to the group that we must die to our own desires and think only what is good in the eyes of God. This message to them seems a response to Peter’s selfishness. Verse 28 seemed odd, again. After praying about it, I think it has something to do with quality of life for evil people. I’ve heard people say, “Why do bad people live so comfortably and have so much when good people are getting screwed over?” And this just says to me, that Jesus will serve them what they’ve earned at the end of our days. Another bit on selfishness.
Lord, thank you so much for just being you. I am so grateful for all that you are. Please stay with me and help me to not think so selfishly. Let my desires die and let me live only for you. Thank you for your Word and your teaching. I love you, Jesus.
