Peter went from being a building block to a stumbling block. Read Matthew 16:22- 23. Monday, I wrote about how confident I was in having the answer to Mrs. Smith’s question in the third grade. The answer was "b". Sheila raised her hand and confidently said, “b.” Wrong! The classroom was arranged in three sections. The first two rows were the smart kids. The second two rows were the average kids. The third two rows were the below-average kids. Mrs. Smith started calling on each student, beginning with the smart kids. The first three guessed at "a, c, and d". Each student was told "no". There were only four possible answers, and they were all wrong. She called on Bruce, who said "b". She called on me, and I gave "b" as the answer. That’s wrong. She went from the smart kids to the average kids, and then she called on Jenny. Jenny answered the question like this: “What is the national bird of the United States? A. Turkey, no; B. Eagle, yes; C. Cardinal, no; D. Dove. No.” Mrs. Smith said, “Jenny, I am moving you to the head of the class.” Mrs. Smith taught us that there was more to learning than just knowing the answer to the question. There was a process in responding that Mrs. Smith expected. Over 50 years later, I still remember that lesson. At Caesarea Philippi, Peter went to the head of the class when he told Jesus, “You are the Son of the living God.” Then, just a few moments later, Jesus sent him to the bottom of the class, calling him "Satan" and a stumbling block. Peter loved Jesus. Peter put his faith in Jesus. Peter’s first answer was inspired by God. But Peter did not comprehend the process and mission of a Messiah. My wife, Rhonda, shared the Father’s Day Sunday message. She faithfully studies her Bible and often brings a perspective that is new and fresh to me. She said, “Jesus’s rebuke was not meant to destroy Peter, but it was meant to transform him. Failure does not disqualify us from God’s work. He is committed to our growth.” Whether we find ourselves promoted to the head of the class or demoted to the back of the class, we are still under God’s grace.

Holy God, place me where you need me in order for me to grow in faith, hope, and love. Help us to get the right answer and to understand that you have a process for developing us to become more like Jesus. Help us to never lose sight that you love us. Amen.