An Uncomfortable Truth

Yesterday morning I was reflecting on Peter's attempt to correct Jesus (Matt 16) and later in the day I ran across some verses from Isaiah that had a similar theme, of not wanting to hear what God was saying.

Here are the verses from Matthew 16:21-23 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!” 

[23] Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Here are the verses from Isaiah 30:9-11 NIV:

[9] For these are rebellious people, deceitful children, 

children unwilling to listen to the Lord's instruction. 

[10] They say to the seers, “See no more visions !” 

and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right! 

Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. 

[11] Leave this way, get off this path, 

and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!”

I had been reflecting on Peter's rebuke of Jesus, for saying that He was going to suffer and die, and rise from the dead.  It seems clear that Peter can't believe what Jesus is saying, or doesn't want to hear what He is saying.  The life that they shared together was coming to an end, and Peter is trying to get Jesus to change His mind.  In the verses preceding Peter had correctly named Jesus as Messiah (See Matt 16:16), and now He was trying to get Him to act like what they thought the Messiah would act like, and that certainly didn't involve going to Jerusalem to suffer and die!  Peter thought God's plans were totally different than what was being revealed, and so he corrected him.  

I know I often am telling God how I think His plan should work, and this is basically the same thing!  It is almost comical, the audacity to think that we know better than God, but this is nothing new.

The verses from Isaiah just uncover the same theme, just from 700 years earlier.  Here the people are  not wanting to hear the word of the Lord, and in this case, being really blunt about it!  They don't want to hear the truth, crying "give us no more visions of what is right!"  They don't want to be confronted by the Lord, for His words are uncomfortable!  

Again, I am reminded of how often this has been the case, where I knew what was right, but I didn't want to listen, instead choosing my own path, my own provision, working out my own plan, if you will.   The verses preceding these from Isaiah, is God rebuking them for turning to Egypt for help instead of turning to God!  They were thinking and acting like men who thought they knew better than God, and they were going down the path of their own choosing, and didn't want to be bothered with the "Word of the Lord".

This is such a dangerous path, for we can become deluded, thinking that we don't need God, or only need God when He says something we like, but reject anything that is uncomfortable or on which we disagree.  We are elevating our opinion over God's word, saying we are better at being god of our own life!  Yikes!

We would be wise to heed the words of Jesus, in response to Peter's "correction".  Matthew 16:24-27 NIV:

[24] Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [25] For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. [26] What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? [27] For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done."

I was just thinking that in our present culture how being offensive is now considered criminal.  We have somehow elevated our feelings to the level of judge and jury!  We have people losing their jobs because they said something that offended someone!  

The Lord, in His mercy and perfection, will offend us!  He will offend us that we might wake from our stupor, realize our delusion and change our minds and actions!  In the verses above, Jesus is forcing us to see the real cost of following Him, and for many of us this is offensive.  We don't want to lay down our lives, and we don't want to change our minds or thoughts! We want comfort and pleasant things!  We want our lives to go on the way we like and don't want to be confronted by the "Word of the Lord" or someone telling us we are on the wrong path!  We are just like the people in Isaiah, just like Peter, saying our way is better.

Lord, forgive me for any way in me that still thinks and acts this way, and help me to choose to follow You regardless of the cost.  Help me to wake from any delusion I am under, and choose Your way!  Help me to look to You for direction, guidance, and course correction.  

Lord, I pray for Your Church, for many have made a great business of preaching only what people want to hear, rather than Your Truth! Lord awaken us from our slumber, from any delusions, and help us to follow You!  

We will look different than the world, and while it might be uncomfortable, we will shine with Your Glory!

In closing, I am reminded of verses from later in Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV:

[1] “Arise, shine, for your light has come,

 and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. 

[2] See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, 

but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 

[3] Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn."

Amen and Amen!