The Bible Readings: (Numbers 20:1–13) (Psalm 95) (Matthew 16:13–23)
"If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts." – Psalm 95:8
Today’s readings offer a powerful contrast between obedience and disobedience, revelation and misunderstanding, divine authority and human weakness. All in today’s readings. In the Old Testament reading from Numbers 20, we see Moses and Aaron confronted by thirsty, complaining people. In response, they go to God, who gives clear and specific instructions: “Speak to the rock, and it will pour out its water.” But instead of speaking, Moses strikes the rock, twice. Water flows, the people drink, but God is displeased.
Why? Because even in leadership, obedience matters. God's instruction wasn’t about the outcome, it was about the heart. Moses let frustration dictate his actions. Perhaps he was exhausted by the constant grumbling of the people, weary from the burden of carrying others’ complaints. Still, he allowed his emotions to override God’s command. As a result, he and Aaron would not enter the Promised Land.
This moment invites us to ask: Where in our lives are we letting frustration override faithfulness? Where are we doing things our way, rather than God’s way?
In our modern world, this tension is everywhere, especially in leadership. We might think of our politicians, who, unlike Moses, rarely seek God’s will before acting. Yet we, too, are called to lead in our own circles: in our families, our communities, our workplaces. And like Moses, we are often tempted to let weariness or anger lead us, rather than obedience and trust. The challenge is not just to get results, but to remain faithful in how we get them.
The Gospel from Matthew 16 shifts the focus from disobedience to divine revelation. Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” And Peter, in a moment of divine clarity, responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In this moment, Jesus blesses Peter and declares: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”
It is a moment of profound honor, yet just a few verses later, Peter stumbles. When Jesus begins to speak of his coming suffering and death, Peter rebukes him. And Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me.”
What a dramatic shift. Peter goes from being the “rock” to a “stumbling block” in mere moments. It is a clear reminder that faith is not a one-time declaration—it is a daily journey of aligning ourselves with God’s will, even when it’s difficult to understand.
These two readings, Moses in the wilderness and Peter before Christ, speak to the human heart. We are all capable of receiving divine revelation, and we are all capable of disobedience. We can speak with conviction and fall short with weakness in the very next breath.
So the psalm today rings all the more true:
“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”
Let our hearts remain soft, pliable, open, obedient. Let us resist the temptation to act out of frustration, pride, or fear. Let us remember that our strength is not in what we do for God, but in how we listen to Him.
And finally, let us pray, Lord, may we hear Your voice and not harden our hearts. May we walk in obedience, even when we are tired, even when we don’t fully understand. Reveal Yourself to us, as You revealed Yourself to Peter. Let us be the rock, not the stumbling block. Amen.
Pal Ronnie
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