And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. - Matthew 14:32-33
Jesus generally avoided calling Himself the Son of God. He inferred it, accepted the title from His Father and from followers, He never corrected anyone else who said it, but at His trial, He finally and openly admitted it. His favorite title though was Son of Man. And this is not because He was fond of some titles and not fond of others. It was because Jesus wanted to emphasize His deep ties to the human race, and because He desired for people to discover for themselves who He truly was.
Jesus was an enigmatic figure. The Jews did not really know what to do with Him, or how to categorize Him. That aspect will come up again in Chapter 16. Suffice it to say that Jesus was not necessarily what men were hoping for…and yet He was. The people of His age were used to honoring strong political heroes. Religious leaders had their pedestals too, but the popular idea of the Messiah was one of a social leader, a revolutionary, who could go toe to toe with the Romans and win. The hope was that some prophetic demigod would set them free from state oppression, wrangle the empire into submission, raise the Jews to national glory, and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity. Some things never change.
Humans are not over their penchant for seeking out secular spiritualistic saviors. Someone who will right all wrongs, bring justice to the masses, transform the economy, give the people what they want, and make the nation great. A person who has charisma and an aura of godhood. This year alone, there are more than 64 countries (not including the European Union) that will hold national elections. That represents 49% of the world’s population who will be voting for old or new leaders. That is staggering. All this at a time when dependence on governments might be at an all time high while suspicion of governments is equally at an all time high. And how many of these elections will be tainted with fraud, or at least called out as such? Who knows. And yet, the people keep on voting, keep on electing, and keep on hoping. Meanwhile, leaders keep on campaign, keep on getting elected, and keep on failing to save the world…much less solve even the most basic of problems. Go figure.
What is emerging on our planet is a very scary scenario. We are all drowning in a sea of economic, cultural, social, legal, moral, and personal troubles. And we are desperately reaching up our hands out from the murky depths below, waiting for some public figure to rescue us. But it just doesn’t happen. Why? They are drowning themselves. In what? All of the above. But the most consequential trouble is that of sin. Human sin. And from that, no man can save himself. And really, all of our greatest problems in the world are the result of the proliferation of sinfulness. Therefore, we don’t need another politician, we need God. We don’t even need more politicians who come in the name of God, we need the Lord Himself, the Son of God. He is the only One who can save the drowning soul, calm the seas, still the winds, and rescue a perishing world.
This weekend we will embark into Matthew chapter 14. We will wisely discern the hidden plot behind the narratives contained in it. This will be heavy, but the moment is right for it. We will lean into The Life and Teachings of Jesus: Politics. Pray that Christ will be lifted up and that the the Word of God will be spoken. I am praying too. I know how sensitive this is, but the words that God has laid on my heart must be said. Is His church ready to listen?
Pastor Dean