Link to full passage on Bible Gateway
If
Anyone Wishes to Come After Me, He Must Deny Himself
Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you
say that I am?” And Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living
God.” Jesus told Peter, “Blessed are you, because flesh and blood did not
reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Peter understood (by
revelation) what the Pharisees and Scribes could not. Though they witnessed
countless healings and miracles by Jesus, the Pharisees and the Scribes were so
caught up in their own traditions that they would not recognize Jesus as the
Messiah. They rejected Jesus because He didn’t match their perceptions and
dogma. Jesus told them that they invalidated the word of God for the sake of
their tradition. “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘This
people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in
vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’” Dear
Father, thank You for preserving the testimony of Your Son in the gospel accounts
and for revealing Him to us. Thank you also, for the miraculous preservation of
your Word. May we not be guilty of invalidating Your words (like the Pharisees
did) because we choose rather to follow precepts of men. Thank You for Your
Spirit so that by Your Spirit we may walk in Your ways. May we follow Your Son
Jesus on the path of righteousness into Your glorious kingdom where we shall dwell
with You and Your Son and the children of righteousness forevermore.
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