It’s Greek to Me

A Series on Lent: Peter’s Journey
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Mt 15:1-20

[Lent is a time of reflection. During Lent, we will be looking at Peter’s Journey to learn how his reflections on his own life, his culture, his religion and his savior changed his life forever.]

  

Have you ever felt like you just didn’t get it? That you didn’t understand what someone was trying to tell you. It’s like the old saying goes, “It’s Greek to me”.

 

One of the basic courses that I took as an engineering student at Michigan Tech was dynamics. Dynamics is all about… well, I really have no idea. That class was when I figured out that engineering wasn’t for me. I didn’t understand what the professor was talking about. It was Greek to me.

 

I would imagine that’s how Peter felt in this story. The Pharisees had confronted Jesus about not making his disciples follow the “tradition of the elders” of washing their hands.

 

In response, Jesus took the opportunity as a teachable moment to confront the Pharisees. In fact, he escalated it to the point where he no doubt embarrassed and shamed them in front of a crowd.

 

Being highly astute, the disciples pointed out to Jesus that he had offended the Pharisees. I’m surprised that scripture doesn’t quote Jesus as saying, “Duh!”

 

Instead he tells them a parable that applied to the Pharisees. But Peter didn’t get it so he asked Jesus to explain the parable. To which, Jesus chastised Peter… again.  Jesus then explained the point he was making in this teachable moment.

 

¹⁶ “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. ¹⁷ “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. ¹⁸ But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. ¹⁹ For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. ²⁰ These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.” NLT

 

The text doesn’t tell us whether Peter finally got it or not. The point is, that we are no different than Peter. Sometimes, we just don’t get it. We don’t understand what the Lord is saying to us. It’s Greek to us.

 

The good news is that Jesus never leaves us; never quits working in our life; never stops loving us; and never stops trying to teach us. 

Our job is to keep listening; keep looking; and keep believing until it’s not Greek anymore.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams