Lent 9 ~ Wait On the Lord

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When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My heavenly Father.   ~  Matthew 16: 13 – 16

          The Gospel passage above is a familiar one, yet only today did a thought come to me. That it was entirely possible that up to that point, even Jesus did not know who would tend to the flock after His death. That this part of His knowing could have been misted out even for Him, Son of God. But if it were so, a quiet certainty was nevertheless strong in Him that God would reveal who that special shepherd was to be. In peace and trust, the Son waited on His Father. And at the moment when Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”, Jesus knew God had spoken.

          I cannot be sure if I’m right about Jesus not knowing but one thing’s for sure: God is again reminding me about the exigency of radical trust especially when mists hang low and thick over the path ahead. On this Thursday of the Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, God is teaching me that just as I need to be obedient to His call to work, to write, to study, to pray, to care for those He has entrusted me, or to care for myself – so too must I obey the call to wait on Him.

13 comments

    1. It really is, isn’t it? I just thought about something a little different – of people who are naturally mistrustful – worse when it’s even extended to God and His actions. I imagine that even when good things come their way, a lifetime of being suspicious would render it difficult for them to partake of joy. How sad that is.

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  3. Dear Caitlynne – this is totally, utterly, completely incorrect. 😥
    Jesus is the WORD and the WISDOM.
    The CREATOR, the ALPHA and OMEGA.
    There is nothing, zero, nil which is beyond His understanding and knowledge.
    He is reading your heart and mine – He is all in all.
    May He bless you always and open the ears and eyes of your heart. 🤗🙏

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    1. I have no doubts whatsoever, Ana, that as the Son of God, living in human form on this earth, Jesus knew everything – as revealed to Him by His Heavenly Father. But my sudden thought as I reflected on that Gospel passage yesterday was – was it possible that Jesus – in his human, earthly form – was subject to waiting to hear His Father’s choice of who in the flock it would be? I asked this question of myself not with any intent to diminish the divinity of Jesus. But God took the form of man on earth for a reason – in simplistic language – to lead us back to heaven by example. How could He be this example if He did not walk in our shoes – all the way – in grief, in anguish, ….in the waiting that calls for faith? And walk our walk He certainly did. He got upset, He wept in grief, He experienced the violence of fear and the anguish of abandonment as He hung on the Cross. That was His humanness even as He was the Son of God.
      I don’t have the ability of theologians or even more knowledgeable others to frame this differently, but this is me, plainly speaking from the heart.

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      1. Oh Caitlynne – I DO understand your thinking BUT be sure – nothing to the Babe in the Crib at Bethlehem – from His Mother’s Womb – from the times of Moses and Abraham – from before Noah THAT IS – from ALL ETERNITY – THERE IS NOTHING not an iota, not a jot, not the tiniest bit of information relating to ANYONE, ANYTHING – WHICH WAS NOT KNOWN BY JESUS in His HUMAN FLESH.

        Peter and all the others, HE CHOSE FROM ALL ETERNITY.
        The Virgin Mary, He chose from all eternity. etc etc etc AND HE CHOSE YOU TOO Caitlynne!

        John 14:9 – “Jesus saith to him: Have I been so long a time with you; and have you not known me Philip? he who seeth Me seeth the Father also. How sayest thou, Shew us the Father?” (Douay Rheims)

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      2. Blessed with divine knowing did not exempt Jesus from earthly un-knowing. That is why he was/is the Son of God and not some superhero as some people think. Again, do forgive the clumsiness in my wording.

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  4. Oh Caitlynne – this is Heresy in the form of Arianism which declares that Christ is not truly Divine!

    What can I say except what Jesus says:
    John 14:9 – “Jesus saith to him: Have I been so long a time with you; and have you not known me Philip? he who seeth Me seeth the Father also. How sayest thou, Shew us the Father?”

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    1. Ana, I never said He was not Divine.
      Please don’t misinterpret my words.
      Jesus suffered my pains and for my sins right to the bitter end when He said, My God, My God, Why have You Forsaken Me?
      He is my God. My One and Only. I bang at the door of His Sacred Heart all hours of the day, I weep in His Arms, I tell Him all my woes and joys – only because I know and believe my Jesus is Divine.

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      1. As GOD HE KNOWSALL, EVERYTHING is decided by Him, He is EVERYWHERE, He created ALL THINGS, orders All, DECIDES All, provides for the birds and the bees. FORESEES and REVEALS all, Nothing is beyond His Understanding or Providence.
        What you, dear Caitlynne, will do tomorrow, when you will die.

        Your statement above is horrific and terrible HERESY! “That it was entirely possible that up to that point, even Jesus did not know who would tend to the flock after His death.” EITHER YOU ARE CRAZY or know and understands nothing and you have a false manmade Jesus whom you keep as your pet. This statement of yours is shocking beyond belief!

        🙏

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      2. Reading this final comment, I’m glad the Jesus I know is different to yours.

        I’m so thankful He is
        Not false
        Not man-made
        Not a pet
        Not violent
        Not arrogant

        I know He is not any of the above because He has not taught me to do as you have done.

        I’m glad the Jesus I know is One Who is very firm with me yet loves me beyond anything of this earth. He corrects each and every one of my failings, sometimes even sharply, yet not once has He used satan’s rough language to “drive home a point” and caused me to flee from those words. No. In fact, if anything, every word the Jesus I know has spoken to me has brought about contrition which makes me hold on to His hand much tighter.

        Again, I reiterate: I’m very glad my Jesus is not the entity you believe is Jesus. I know this because God taught me a long time ago (and continues to teach) that humility is the true sign of His presence. When I look for truth in someone’s words, I look first for humility.

        And when humility is missing, I flee – because I know God is not present there.

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