The Kingdom founded on a Rock



Al Khazneh (The Treasury) at Petra

Matthew 16:13-19

There is an ancient kingdom found in the midst of an unforgiving desert. Petra is an archaeological treasure found in southern Jordan. Cut from the mountainous rock surrounding it, it is equally a ready made National Geographic photo-shoot and backdrop for an Indiana Jones sequel. Petra was created by the Nabataeans, which Wikipedia describes as:

"an ancient Semitic people who inhabited northern Arabia and the Southern Levant, their settlements in CE 37 – c. 100, gave the name of Nabatene to the borderland between Arabia and Syria, from the Euphrates to the Red Sea. Their loosely-controlled trading network, which centered on strings of oases that they controlled, where agriculture was intensively practiced in limited areas, and on the routes that linked them, had no securely defined boundaries in the surrounding desert."

This mysterious oasis of both water and creativity is analogous to the Kingdom of God, the mysterious oasis of living water that feeds our spirituality. We will use this ancient Nabataean city as our visual guide as unlock Christ's explanation to his Disciples of his own Kingdom. 

Revealing the Face of God


Betyls (Baetylus) from Petra



When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Like many of the ancient archaeological treasures of Egypt and Greece, anything that wasn't bolted down in Petra has been taken away to museums in far away lands. Luckily. most of the treasures in Petra were bolted to the ground: or rather carved out of the mountain. Among the things that could be chiseled away (like this Nabataean sculpture now in Basel) was there idols. Like many Arab groups in the pre-Islamic world, the Nabataeans were polytheistic. Yes they did go through years of being influenced by Greco-Roman religious ideas and even had a Christian period but their early indigenous notions about deity were very much so tied to their rocky environment. Unlike most of the idols of the ancient world, the Nabataeans left their depictions of deity as close to an unadorned block of stone as possible. Often their idols (properly termed Betyl or Baetylus) would just be minimalistic details of a face in stone. Though the Nabataeans were the most simplistic, several ancient cultures have places featuring a Betyl: places with a sacred stone where the local deities were worshipped.

Now even though the Israelites of scripture were the theological polar opposite of the Nabataeans (being monotheists) they also had their own experience with a Betyl experience... you may know it as Bethel. In Genesis 28: 11-19, Jacob (later known as Israel) had a mysterious dream in which he encountered God. We usually call this vision "Jacob's ladder." In it God introduces Himself as the god of his forefathers. Then Scripture says that "Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel." In Hebrew "Beth El" means "House of God. Jacob was slowly discovering what had gradually been becoming apparent to God's throughout Scripture: the God of Israel was not a local deity equal to any of the other idols of their neighbors, rather the God of Israel was the God of the Universe... the only God.

So Christ brought his band of Disciples to Caesarea Philippi to question them about the image of God. They were far away from Bethel but they would have an experience like that of Jacob. They were far away from Petra but Christ would tell them of the great city built on a rock that they would form. For at this moment the God of Israel incarnate would ask them about his identity. This was a culminating point in Salvation history, where all of God's efforts to reveal Himself would come to a head. Christ asked the Disciples collectively who the multitudes believed him to be. They responded John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah... all holy men and prophets who had guided Israel in the gradual revelation of God's fullness. But then Christ asked his Disciples who they had intimately come to know him as. And Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Simon Peter had come to know him as the One whom the prophets foretold and Scripture promised. The image of the invisible God. And in response Christ told Simon Peter who he understood him to be.


The Rock and River of Revelation

Ad Deir ("The Monastery").at Petra



Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 

The name of the ancient city of Petra comes from the Greek word Πέτρα meaning "rock." Simple enough. The foundation of the buildings are rock...and the walls and the ceilings. Actually rock seems to be the primary building supply for the whole town. But why would anyone decide to live in a rock in the middle of a desert (even if it is a beautiful as Petra)? The answer is a river... or at least a waterway. Specifically one named Wadi Musa. As I stated earlier Petra was an oasis. The Nabataeans were a clever people who had created a system of channels through the Wadi Musa from the Ain Musa. Any of you who are familiar with Arabic may recognize that "Musa" in both words is the Arabic name ( موسى  ) for Moses in Scripture. Wadi Musa refers to the valley of Moses that the Ain Musa, or Spring of Moses, flows through. Local legend connects this this site to the place in Numbers 20:1-13 where Moses struck the rock and water flowed out.

When Jesus heard Simon Peter's testify of his being the Christ, he shared the living water from his own well. This was the revelation of whom Simon Peter was in Christ. He did this with a play on words. He called Simon Peter by his Greek name Peter (Πέτρος) rather than Hebrew name Simon. This is because in Greek Peter meant the same thing as the town Petra. To put it another way, Πέτρος = Πέτρα. Jesus was saying that Peter was a rock. And much like the Nabataean architects of Petra, Christ found rock to be a suitable foundation to build his Church on. One that the powers of evil and death could not prevail against. But what did he mean by this?

Moses carries great significance in all of Scripture for several reasons. Moses was the first miracle worker. He also was a leader in forming the people of God into a free national identity... which would lead to them eventually claiming a land/state and later on becoming a kingdom like Nabataeans in Petra. However his most significant aspect may be his being the first person to commit to writing the revealed word of God. Peter has great significance throughout Christian history. He would eventually go on to found the Church in Rome, becoming its first bishop. Roman Catholics believe that this is the foundation of the primacy of Rome, the idea that the sitting Bishop of Rome (the Pope) leads the worldwide Church in the same way the Peter lead the Apostles after Christ's ascension. This is a point of contention between Roman Catholics and other Christians such as the Orthodox Churches and Protestants. No as a Baptist (Protestant), I obviously have an opinion into this matter, but I think that we all may be missing the greater truth in this matter: The tie between Moses and Peter (the river and the rock) in the Kingdom of God. The rock that Jesus honors in Peter is the same thing that allowed Moses to make rivers run from rocks: divine revelation. Both Moses and Peter had ears to hear what God was speaking or as Jesus said "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." God was not just honoring Peter or Moses for being their own faulted selves but rather for being vessels that He could work through. Vessels of the revealed Word of God. Moses gave us the first five books of Scripture and Peter lead the Apostolic generation that delivered to us the culmination of God's saving message to humanity. They are the the Law and Grace. The revelation of the truth of God that is a rock upon which to build God's kingdom (Church) where God's nation is feed by the river of life.

Accessing the Kingdom



The Treasury at Petra, as seen from al-Siq, right before the passage ends.

And 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.”

Wadi Musa has carved away at the dessert over the millennia, leaving a rocky, cavernous terrain. In one of these areas it actually just smoothed the path of a natural geological fault split apart by tectonic forces, shaping it into a natural road. This area is known as The Siq, or al-Sīq السيق‎, to the locals. This narrow gorge serves as the main entrance to Petra. It is the metaphorical key to entering this mysterious ancient city.

The Bible is no stranger to metaphors. Jesus was known for his extensive use of parables, but he also continued the biblical tradition of using idioms and other forms of colorful depictions to explain spiritual truths. His proclamation of Peter's future was no different. Jesus said that Peter possessed the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. And just like The Siq, these metaphorical keys were symbols of a greater truth. Both keys represented the limited, narrow access to a kingdom. Both represented access to an oasis that is the salvation of pilgrims: travelers who grew weary from traversing the desert. The key to the Siq is a passageway through steep rocks. What are the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven that God gave to Peter? What are these keys with the miraculous powers to bind (lock) on earth and in heaven and loose (unlock) on earth and in heaven?

I will keep you in suspense no longer because I believe that discovering the nature of these keys will help you discover the nature of the Kingdom of God. Just as the Siq is a crevice between rocks that creates a passage way to Petra the city made of rock, the keys of the Kingdom of God are made of the same substance of the Kingdom of God. The keys of the Kingdom of God is forgiveness. When Peter decided to forgive someone on Earth he was echoing the mercy that was given them in Heaven. When Peter retained the sins of someone on Earth it was only because God in heaven had retained them...and forgiveness of one's sins is what gains one admittance into Heaven. The keys to the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of God are made of the same substance. The Kingdom of God is forgiveness. God's reign in our lives (and the universe) is all based on a relationship of mercy, grace and love. For mankind, God's Kingdom is known in the forgiveness that we receive through Christ. This forgiveness is the key that Peter wielded in his preaching. It is the same key that we the Church share with our brethren, neighbors, strangers and enemies. Forgiving one another and being forgiven by God opens up the Kingdom of God.



General view of Petra

There is an ancient kingdom found in the midst of an unforgiving desert. This city is the Kingdom of God. It is a mysterious oasis of both water and rock, Law and Gospel, justice and mercy. In it reside both Peter and Moses... Old Testament and New Testament...Jew and Gentile... Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox... all of God's people throughout the ages that were "strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."

This Kingdom of God... of God's people... of the Church... of forgiveness, is the body of Christ.



Hall of Fame

Mighty Josh, Kadir Nelson

Hebrews 11

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for...

Today I will be pitching a change up. You may have noticed that I did not post on an Epistle last week and that I did not post on an Old Testament or Psalm verse this week. This week I changed things up by presenting two epistles. Yes I will post on something from the Gospels on Sunday (that will probably never change) but this week I wanted focus on the theme of heroism that is evident in both Epistle selections. Discussing Hebrews 11 requires  us to make another change up by reading an actual entire chapter and giving minimal illustrative detail. The last change up is the fact that I will actually be discussing baseball in detail. Like Hebrews 11, baseball is known for its cherished heroes of bygone years. Of all the major professional sports, baseball has the most famous Hall of Fame. Over the years I have heard scores of ministers preach sermons that referred to Hebrews 11 as the Hall of Faith. This chapter's retelling of the acts of the heroes of the Faith is where the world of sports and religion meet up (in this chapter and in Tim Tebow). When you look up the definition of Faith in the dictionary you will usually find the text of Hebrews 11 verse 1... but it is usually from the popular and poetic King James translation: "Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." That is both the textbook definition of Faith and the biblical text definition. Faith is Babe Ruth pointing his bat in the direction that he will hit a home run before it is even pitched. There are many types of Faith depending on the object of that Faith. So what about religious faith? What about faith that's object is God? Well that is the type of faith that Hebrews 11:1 is discussing and the rest of the chapter shows faith in action. Faith is one of those things that you don't fully understand the definition of until you see it acted out. The actions of faith of the ancients in the Hall of Faith are reminiscent of a particular set of heroes in the baseball Hall of Fame. A few years back Major League Baseball took a season to honor the achievements of the Negro Leagues of the early 20th century. Sports is a subset of society at large and when Segregation ruled the land it also called the plays in athletics. Kadir Nelson's paintings documenting Negro League Baseball greats are all put together in a wonderful children's book entitled We Are The Ship. Kadir Nelson is probably this generation's Norman Rockwell and he uses this illustrative skill to depict the trials and joys in the journey of these sportsmen. They played in an era before Jackie Robinson fought to integrate the sport. Likewise the Old Testament heroes acted out their faith long before the time that Christ integrated the worlds of Man and God. It is with that hope in the promise of a new era one day that all of these heroes toiled. It is the hope of the future reward of knowing God fully that we fuel our present day faith.




Hilton Smith, Kadir Nelson

Opening Pitch

...By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith...

Like an opening pitch from Hilton Smith, St. Paul (the assumed writer of Hebrews) starts off his catalogue of the faithful with the opening chapters of Genesis. He explains that we understand that understanding the universe is based upon the principle of faith, being that things that we cannot see and do not fully understand crafted those which we do see and comprehend. This is not a refutation of Science but rather assertion that there is someone working behind the curtain. There is more to life than we understand at the moment. That is always the case in spiritual matters and why a relationship with God is important. This faith centered relationship with Him can be understood as the first act of worship. Faith is an act of worship and is the beginning of how we connect with God. before he was murdered Abel worshiped through sacrifice. Before he was translated into Heaven Enoch-worshiped through a holy life. Before the judgment of the Flood Noah- worshiped in belief and obedience. All of these heroes acted in faith and their faith was accepted as suitable worship to a saving God.

Low And Away, Kadir Nelson

The Battery

...By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones...

Baseball is a peculiar sport in that to play the game one team most willingly and repeatedly throw the ball to the direction of the other team. The foundation of defense in baseball is something called the Battery. The members of the battery are the pitcher and the catcher and their communication and effective cooperation is paramount to the team's success. Faith is based on a community: a team. The community of faith has a similar battery. Before the community of Faith was the Church it was Israel and before there was an Israel there was a couple. It was just Abraham and Sarah. These fore parents of Israel were also the fore parents of faith. Through their obedience and growth with God we see faith enacted. When they finally have their son Isaac and Isaac begets Jacob, and Jacob begets the twelve patriarchs which includes Joseph we see the family of faith. Faith is a family, not necessarily a physical one but a spiritual one. We inherit the spiritual strength and teachings of those that have gone on before us. We stand on each other's shoulders in faith and communication and cooperation enable the whole team to grow.

Slide, Kadir Nelson

Calling Balls And Strikes

...By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned...

When U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts sat through his Senate confirmation hearings he was asked what his job was as a judge. He responded that "My job is to call balls and strikes and not to pitch or bat." In stating this he was referencing the job of an Umpire, the on field judge in a baseball game. The umpire stands between both teams and upholds the laws of baseball. Similarly Moses stood between God and his people Israel upholding the divine Law of the Torah (first five legal books of the Old Testament). God not only chose Moses as giver of the Law, but Moses also sat a a judge overseeing the people's concerns. Everyday Moses heard cases and met out judgment according to God's Law. His caseload was so heavy that his father-in law, Jethro, convinced him to appoint other capable men as judges... like a circuit court system. As Hebrews 11 states, Moses was not only a judge and law giver but he was also the leader of the Israelites in all of their struggles from their emancipation until his death. Moses' actions display a faith that perseveres. It is also faith that exercises judgment. In all it is a faith that lasts because it foresees the endgame. It understands the whole council of God and the progressive direction that the object of our faith, God, is leading us to.


Kansas City Dougout, Kadir Nelson

The Dugout

...By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground...

In the majority of sports the bench is seen as a place of shame. It is viewed as the seat of losers and extra unnecessary players. However a team is only as strong as its bench. In baseball it is shaded and called a Dugout. The offensive structure in baseball only allows for one batter at a time, so the dugout is not the place for forgotten players but a reserve of future leaders and scorers. The Kansas City Monarchs were such a strong franchise in Negro League Baseball because their "bench was so deep." Heroes of faith only last for so long and when they die God raises another one. They are a diverse group but God shows a different aspect of faith in each one. Rahab was a Gentile prostitute who ensured the Israelites conquest of the city of Jericho. Rahab shows faith that redeems the imperfect. Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah were all judges in Israel before a monarchy was installed. David and Samuel were kings, however, like Moses and the judges they overheard cases everyday and made decisions based on the counsel of God. Then Paul goes on to mention the unnamed prophets, soldiers, administrators and everyday women that exercised faith while suffering. Faith saves, faith exercises good judgment and faith empowers long suffering. Faith does all of this to show that true faith endures to the end. Faith goes all nine innings and beyond.

Game Bus, Kadir Nelson

...These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Many of these greats of the Negro League jumped on the team bus and ventured off to another game in a segregated league. The would not go on to enjoy the fruits of their labor on a national, integrated stage like Jackie Robinson, Satchel Page and Willie Mays. But their years of struggle in an unjust system that made a way for the Black, Latin, Japanese and scores of other ethnically diverse players that have played in Major League Baseball since integration. None of the ancient believers in the Hall of Faith enjoy what you and I have. They died before seeing the fulfillment of their faith in God: Jesus the Messiah. Yet it is their great work and enduring faith that encourages us today. They surround us like a great cloud of witnesses from heaven. They watch us as if from a stadium in Heaven and when life presents trials to our faith they implore us to play on. They cheer until we see and opening to steal home and join them in Heaven. If we endure, if we can fight back the tears and remain in the game, then we too will be members in the Hall of Faith.

 

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

-Hebrews 12:1