One of the most difficult statements of Jesus is this one right here, but it helps to consider it’s parallel in Matthew 16.

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. — Matthew 16:15-20

This binding and loosing is closely associated with the fact that Peter had been given “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Why was Peter going to get the keys? What are the keys? Well, Jesus is talking to Peter because Peter got the question right by affirming Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. In other words, Peter was the first to fully affirm the true identity of Jesus.

Also, the keys most naturally refer to the means by which someone enters a restricted space. If heaven is a restricted space, then the keys most likely would refer to the permission or ability to control access to heaven.

Does this mean Jesus is going to give Peter the power to control access to heaven? Actually, yes.

See, we have already seen from Jesus’ interaction with the centurion that the only people who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who live by the full authority of Christ, and Peter has just joined that camp by affirming the full authority and identity of Jesus as the Christ. Therefore, Peter has discovered (or been given by the Father) the “key” to the kingdom of heaven—the affirmation of Jesus’ true identity.

With that key, he may enter heaven. But more profoundly, with that key, he may invite others, or (heaven forbid) prevent others from also entering. On top of it all, Jesus asserts that if Peter uses his key (presumably by proclaiming this truth of Jesus once he has been resurrected) some people will find freedom, and some people in rejecting the message will remain in bondage to sin. Some will be bound, some will be loosed, but it’s because of their response to the message—the key—not to something inherent to Peter.

Here’s what it means for you and me today. God has given us IMMENSE power. We have the power to determine who enters heaven and who is kept out. If you want to keep someone out of heaven, tell them many lies about the kingdom and the key to getting in. Or better yet, simply keep your mouth shut at all times and never let on that there is a key.

Of course, I’m being facetious, but the fact remains that we have been given immense power to affect by our actions here on earth, the eternal composition of heaven itself!

Christian unity in the name of Jesus has at its disposal the power of Jesus to bring freedom to many today and salvation in the age to come!

BIG IDEA FOR THE DAY: Do you gather with other believers to pray with agreement about the salvation of those you know?

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This parable of the shepherd has been used often to talk about God’s incredible love for “lost” people—usually referring to unbelievers. That’s probably a fair understanding of this parable, but in this passage, here in Matthew, it comes in a context and with specific phrases that make that interpretation somewhat less than ideal.

In fact, Matthew sandwiches this parable in between Jesus talking about the importance of having a right attitude toward little children and dealing with issues of reconciliation. Then, to close the parable, Jesus clearly refers to little children when he says, “…your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.”

So what’s happening here?

On Sunday, I briefly commented that anytime there is a relationship conflict, it results in two people being “lost” to each other behind the issues of the conflict, and that we should press on in the pursuit of reconciliation just like God persists in pursuing us even when we are living sinful lives apart from him. I still believe that’s valid in the context of this passage, but it isn’t the primary meaning.

The point of this parable here is to illustrate the broken-hearted condition of the shepherd whenever a sheep is lost, and though it does apply to anyone who’s lost, Jesus applies it directly to the lostness of children. God hates it when a child is turned off to the things of God.

Well, how are children turned off to the things of God? When adults mistreat them or directly lead them to sin.

Here’s the point I believe Jesus is trying to make. Children know nothing about God and about life except for what they see in the lives of the adults around them. Adults have immense power over the eternal destiny of children. Therefore, it is imperative that Christian adults maintain good healthy relationships with each other and with the children they know so that those kids can grow up understanding the greatness and love of God, their heavenly Father.

BIG IDEA FOR THE DAY: Be intentional about living in a way that children will “get it” regarding your love for God.

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Reconciliation is so important to Jesus that he gives us a clear, specific formula for dealing with times when someone has sinned against us. I made a few points in yesterday’s message that I think bear repeating here.

#1. Ask, “Is this an issue of sin?”

Many conflicts have at their root a sin that someone has done to you, but truth be told, many conflicts are simply the result of your feelings being hurt, differences of opinion, or personality quirks. It’s important for us to know the difference. Sin needs to be addressed simply, clearly, objectively, and straightforward-ly. However, if this conflict isn’t an issue of sin, perhaps there is no need for confrontation.

#2. Approach the other person with the Bible.

If there was an issue of sin, be clear, specific and brief as you simply share with them what the Bible says and when and how they violated it.

#3. If no repentance, bring obvious witnesses.

If there is no repentance, we are to try again with witnesses who are either obvious because they were their to observe the original offense or because they are mature enough to monitor the current process. (Don’t go around fishing for witnesses, though. The Bible calls that gossip.)

#4. If no repentance, bring it to the church.

Jesus meant by this the intimate gathering of believers to which you and your brother belong—the house church, most likely—not the entire corporate body. Much damage has been done in making certain sins too public. However, everyone who knew about the original offense or who should have a part in the result of step #4 should be included in step #4.

#5. If no repentance, the other person isn’t a Christian.

This is the only time in the Bible when we are allowed to make a judgment call on whether another person is saved. If they have not repented following this process, though, Jesus allows us to conclude that the other person isn’t really saved.

This process is clear, simple and straightforward. It gives us the ability to be objective in the midst of a relationship conflict, and I encourage you to learn and implement this in your relationships.

Tomorrow, we’ll consider the power at work when Christians operate in unity.

BIG IDEA FOR THE DAY: Consider conflict from the standpoint of sin to get a clearer picture of what’s going on.

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How often I recall reading about Corrie ten Boom who after surviving the hideous treatment of a concentration camp, was confronted by one of her captors who had subsequently found Christ. Talk about an enemy! As she looked at him approaching her, after having shared her marvelous testimony with a large crowd, she felt welling up within her anger, hatred, loathing and every physical sign that might accompany such feelings. How could she even speak cordially, let alone lovingly, to this man who had been so vile and cruel, Christian or not! But she remembered this verse, “Love your enemies,” and knew that she could not be disobedient to her Lord. As an act of obedience, not of love, she reached out her hand, sweaty palm and all, and offered a greeting to “her enemy.” At the moment her hand touched his, every vestige of hatred drained from her body, and she was healed, healed of the ungodly thoughts that were poisoning her body and her spirit. Then miraculously those poisonous thoughts were replaced by love, love for a brother in Christ.

More than once the Lord has walked me down the same path. No, I have never experienced the abuse of Corey, but I have been the victim of rumor and other abusive treatment by those who I had once perhaps even trusted. My first reaction is to withdraw, protect myself, write them off, and avoid them at all costs. But then the Lord has brought them to cross my path, and as He did, He would remind me of His command, “Love your enemies.” Each time that I have reached out in obedience, God has replaced the resentment with love. You see “love your enemies” is only something that He can do through you. He commands the kind of love that you cannot generate yourself.

Christ said that He came to seek and to save those who are lost; that includes our enemies. The Bible says, that even while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Yet, he calls us “friend.” How can we hesitate to obey when he commands, “Love your enemies”?

BIG IDEA FOR THE DAY: Do you have an enemy who should be loved today?

Last night, I went to my daughter’s graduation from preschool, and the program had all the students in the preschool up on stage performing songs and poems for the parents. It was a cute program and there were many parents in the audience who were bleary eyed from tears as their dear little ones said poems about how wonderful preschool has been even though they love their parents more. I was totally focused on my own daughter of course, and I bet there is a lesson in there about how God pays attention to us, but the lesson I’m focusing on today came from something that happened later on in the evening.

Each of the graduating “seniors” wore a robe and a mortarboard hat complete with tassel and they walked across a bridge to symbolize their passage from preschool into school, but as they crossed the bridge, their teacher had them stop in the middle. They were supposed to say their name, their age, what school they would be going to, and what they wanted to be when the grew up. Their teacher would then announce the special award they had won, flip the tassel, and then allow them to finish crossing.

None of them did it that way, however. My daughter, usually so confident and bold, wouldn’t say a word as she stood on that bridge, and when I talked to her afterward, she told me that she was just afraid of having all those people stare at her.

This week, we have been thinking about fear and how faith in Jesus can alleviate fear. We have been looking at a number of passages that address our fears. But there’s one fear that many people have that we haven’t addressed. It’s the fear of public speaking.

Now, why would I even bring up public speaking today? Why would I bring up public speaking in the context of the passage you just read? It’s all because I realized something today about public speaking that directly connects with this passage. Let’s see if I can explain this. Public speaking is an example of interpersonal relationship on a mass scale, and the fear of public speaking is the fear of relationship problems multiplied by the number of people in the room!

I think every one of us has the fear of relationship problems, confrontation, forgiveness, dealing with difficult people, but in this passage, Jesus tells us the secret of responding to all relationship issues. Love the other person regardless of how they feel about you or how they treat you. In other words, biblical relationships are not a two-way street but a one way street as far as you are concerned. Your only concern in any relationship is what YOU can do to represent God and show love.

So here’s the end of this rather long devotional. The fear of public speaking evidenced by my five year old daughter and many other people in this world is simply a symptom of our realization that human relationships are difficult and complex, and something about them causes fear in us mostly because we are afraid of the unknown and potentially negative response of those other people. But according to Jesus, concern for their response is completely irrelevant to doing things right. Our concern is not for their response but for whether we have actually shown love. However they respond is frankly up to them.

BIG IDEA: Be concerned with how much love you show, and not fear how people respond.

The photo, by the way, is from another pastor’s blog article on stage fright.

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