By John Larkins
Matthew 16:13-19 says, “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’
“Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you lose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.” Jesus did not want the Jewish priests to kill Him as a threat to their positions, before He could complete other aspects of His mission.
Led by Peter, the Apostles are given the authority and insights necessary to lead Christ’s new Church, called “The Kingdom of God.” How are these men different from others? Listen to Jesus explain why He teaches ordinary people in parables. Matthew 13:10-17 says, “The disciples came to him and asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’ He replied, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving for this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.
“But blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it and hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Members of this current generation must be warned of the risk they take by rejecting Jesus Christ’s message as to the way to salvation: “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be members of his own household. Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whosoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.”
This Son of God came to convert the world to his Church, The Kingdom of God. Convert! How could His commands be clearer?
If there is any way I can be of service, please email me at johnlarkins@bellsouth.net.
