Fact Checking Life

 

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance6 to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:21-25 ESV).

 

We live in a culture that demands we check the veracity of the things we hear and read. Fact checking has become a part of our reality. There is great insight in our reading today concerning the determination of the truth. The words of Jesus to Peter here came soon after the faith-filled profession Peter had made when he said to Jesus, “You are the Messiah” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus was now teaching his disciples that he had come to suffer, be killed, and rise again. He would offer himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. That was not a truth they wanted to hear. So, denial became the choice of the moment.

 

Peter rebuked Jesus, saying, “Never, Lord! . . . This shall never happen to you!” (v. 22). So Jesus called Peter out and revealed that he had missed the main point of Jesus’ mission. From a human standpoint we can sympathize with Peter. We too would likely be shocked to hear that Jesus had come to suffer and die to rise again and give us new, abundant life.

 

Today, though, we know how important it is to discern truth from lies, listening for God’s Word rather than listening to the lies of false religions and false teachers around us. It should be clear to us that it takes effort and perseverance to prepare ourselves to discern properly. So until Jesus returns to make all things new, we must read the Bible and listen to Jesus, who died because he loved us, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven to make his abundant life available for all who believe in him. Trust the truth, the way, and the life.