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Your Words Reflect Your Faith
Have you ever said something brilliant? Have you ever said something stupid? Have you ever said something stupid right after something brilliant? That’s what we call “putting your foot in your mouth.” It makes you feel like you want to disappear, doesn’t it? Trust me, I know the feeling well.
Peter also knew the feeling well. Matthew 16 shows him doing just this. Immediately after boldly confessing Jesus as the Christ (verse 16), he rebukes Jesus (can you imagine the nerve!) for saying He would suffer and be crucified (verse 22). In the first account, Peter looks like a giant of faith (which he was!); in the second, his words prove him a fool.
What’s the difference in what Peter said? Jesus gives us a clue. Jesus identifies the source of Peter’s confession of faith: “Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (verse 17). But later, Jesus rebukes the origin of Peter’s ill-thought rebuke: “You are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (verse 23).
The lesson is simple. When Peter listened to God, his words were commended by Jesus. When Peter listened to himself, his words were condemned by Jesus. Peter illustrates how easily we can vacillate between faith and unbelief. His trust was extraordinary, yet his understanding was incomplete. How true this is with us! Our words reflect the one to who we are ultimately subjecting our wills – whether All-Wise God, or puny mankind. If Jesus responded directly to everything you said, what would He say?
