Friday, November 17, 2023  

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Today’s Scripture Reading
Matthew 16:13–20

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. (NRSV)

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Reflection

I spent eleven months serving as a YAV in Daejeon, South Korea. It was an experience that really opened my worldview and nurtured my drive to make the world a better, more connected place. But it was also a very challenging year for me.

I was, to an extent, a celebrity during my time there. Complete strangers would come up to me and say “hello,” before running away in laughter. Not actually interested in holding a conversation with me, just excited to use their limited English. Or waitresses would fight over who had to serve me, fearing I spoke no Korean at all. I will not brag about my Korean skills, but I got to the point that I could at least order in a restaurant and argue with the taxi driver who was ripping me off.

There were several points during the year when I was frustrated by the assumptions people made about me, simply because I was American. It felt like it was getting in the way of the work I was trying to do.

When Jesus tells the disciples to keep his secret, it is always a little unsettling to me. I love singing “Go Tell It on the Mountain” on Christmas morning. I wonder why Jesus wouldn’t want the news spread far and wide. But in Jesus’s lifetime, the truth about his identity was dangerous to him. It would have made the work that Jesus was trying to do difficult.

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Prayer
Let me not get too wrapped up in labels and assumptions. Let me get down to the business at hand. And do your work. Amen.

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Written by Katie Patterson, Manager of Worship And Youth Ministry Programs

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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