Sunday 23 August 2026

Psalm 138

Background
This passage forms part of a collected series of sayings of Jesus dealing with truth. In Matthew chapter 16 there is a section about signs and a section about wrong interpretation; but this section is about a true revelation. It's a warning about Jesus' death on the cross and what discipleship might involve.

Jesus asks Peter "Who do you say I am? You are part of my inner group – who do you think you are following?" Peter’s response is heartfelt. He says "You are the Messiah, God’s son." Jesus confirms this and tells the disciples not to share this insight.

Jesus was not the only miracle worker and teacher of his time. There were several groups wanting to bring political change, and among them were the Zealots. They all understood ‘Messiah’ in a way that suited them and clearly Jesus had a different level of insight into the meaning of Messiah and he did not want his followers to be misunderstood or associated with groups who had a different agenda to that of Jesus while he was alive.

Clearly the disciples didn’t follow the instructions given to them not to tell anyone he was the Messiah. We would not be people living and exploring the Christian faith for ourselves if they had. The thing that changed of course was the death and resurrection of Jesus and then the context became different. The other groups didn’t fade away, but the wonder and miracle of Jesus' resurrection made things different and the story, and the meaning of the story, needed to be told. Indeed, Jesus himself told the disciples they would be witnesses.

The disciples told Jesus' story and shared who they believed Jesus to be. We have the same tradition, and same calling – to tell others about our faith and who it is we believe in.

To Ponder:

• There are still concepts and words that mean different things to different people. Our life experience shapes our understanding. What can we do to ensure that we communicate what we mean and not the things other people think we mean?
• What situations do we find ourselves in when it may be best to remain silent about our faith?

Bible notes author: The Revd Malcolm Peacock
The Revd Peacock is Superintendent Minister of the Mid Glamorgan Mission Circuit. He has a deep and abiding interest in Celtic theology and believes those who are minorities or feel themselves marginalised should be given a voice to speak for themselves.