Thursday June 29, 2017
Peter is detained in prison after the murder of James and he now experiences persecution. The church prays for him and he is released mysteriously by the power of an angel saying, "Put on your belt and your sandals, and your cloak and follow me" (see John 21). Peter will survive this time but one day he will be led to the cross. And Paul is in prison, writing to Timothy, waiting to die and speaking of what he has done by preaching to the nations. He is relying on God to bring him to the end.
Jesus demands that his disciples tell him who they think he is-others think he is a prophet (true enough-do we see Jesus as a prophet?) but he wants to push them further. It is Peter who answers that he is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God-knowledge that has been given to him by the Father, though it will take years and the experience of Jesus' death to give him understanding of what those words mean. Peter is bound to the foundation of the church with the promise that nothing will stand against it for Jesus will be with them, to forgive and to hold bound those who do evil. These first leaders were human and sinful as we are-yet we need to call our leaders today to the cross and to the preaching of the gospel, and hold those who do evil bound for their words/works.
