The Rock of Life

 

~~~ Numbers 20:1-13 ~~~ Psalm 95 ~~~ Matthew 16:13-23 ~~~

 

Rocks and obstacles connect the readings together today.

Moses is now facing the issue of no water.

Water is vital for all life.

The people were justified in complaining for lack of water.

Moses is in mourning over the death of his sister Miriam.

It was Miriam who saved his life.

Over the years she must have brought him great joy.

 

Moses and Aaron once again come before the Lord; asking for his help.

God never fails us; he instructs Moses to strike the rock

with his staff ordering it to produce water.

 

Moses is used to following the instructions of God,

but this time he misses the mark.

This time he fails to give God proper credit.

Water does gush forth from the rock as God promised,

in spite of his not saying it had come from God.

 

These are the waters of Meribah,

where the children of Israel contended against the LORD,
and where the LORD revealed his sanctity among them.

 

 

Psalm 95 makes reference to this day

when the people failed to praise God for his gift of water.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert...

 

The hearts of the people had taken on the characteristics of the rock. 

Later Jesus uses the analogy of the rock to establish

the foundation of his church.

 

Jesus confirms that his disciples are secure

within their own hearts as to his identity.

We too must have that same interior security.

We cannot shy away from answering the very same question

 posed to the disciples that day.

"...who do you say that I am?"

 

You are the only one who can answer that question.

 

Peter answers this same question with such conviction

 that Jesus considers him to be a rock.

This was a complement, Jesus was confident in Peter's belief.

 

Soon after this Peter, witnessing all that Jesus was doing,

 cannot imagine him suffering. 

 “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”

 

 At that moment Peter becomes an obstacle for Jesus.

Jesus needs Peter to understand that his dying on the cross is required.

 

“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

 Moses had many obstacles to overcome as he

led the people across the desert.

Today we see one closest to Jesus, Peter, becoming an obstacle.

Peter had good intentions. He loved Jesus and did not want to see him suffer.

 

Sometimes things that appear to be good

may actually be obstacles in our life.

How can we think as God wants us to think

when we are so accustomed to thinking as humans do? 

 

 We can only come before the Lord praising him

for all that he has done for us,

asking him for constant guidance.

 

 Blessings in facing your obstacles with conviction.

Lord, prevent me from ever being an obstacle for someone else.