Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Church – The Body of Christ

Matthew 16: 13-19
v17-18 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.


Who is Jesus to you and me?  is a very important question we need to answer. Right from our child hood, we learned and believed that the supreme God of the universe took on human flesh, lived among us, and then, in His immense love, died on the cross that we might be forgiven. We need to personally understand and experience who Jesus is to you and me especially in the context of Covid -19. All of us are called to grow in our faith. There is always more to know of Christ. Just because attending a Christian church, a person cannot be a Christian. A person becomes a Christian when we respond to the will of Christ obediently. If we claim Jesus as our Lord and submit ourselves to Him, we become part of the body.  Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. The church belongs to Christ, not because we've decided to make Him the Head, but because He is the Head and He has decided to make us the body. The body serves at the direction of the Head. So, our calling is to be responsive to Him.
In this passage, Jesus asked 2 questions to his disciples. The first question was “Who do people say the Son of Man is”? They answered “Some say John the Baptist; others say, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets” Then, the second question, “But what about you. Who do you say I am”? What the crowd thought didn’t matter anymore. The mentality of the world was irrelevant. Jesus was concerned about the answer of disciples. Their answer was not just “Jesus”. It was much more. “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’” (v. 16). And the response of Jesus was mentioned in our Key verses today.  

PRAYER
Dear Jesus, the Son of the living God, enable us to proclaim you as our Lord and Savior always, irrespective of our circumstances. Help us to obey Your will gladly as You are our Head and do our responsibilities perfectly as the Church – the body of Christ. You are worthy to receive all glory and honor and power, for You created everything in this world and everything existed because of You. In Jesus most precious name we pray. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
We live in a society where individualism is cherished and flourished. We are not complete in and of ourselves. When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, we become the part of the body of Christ. Jesus calls us to follow, but only when we submit our will to His will can we be assured of being a part of the body of Christ, with all the privileges and responsibilities that come with that.

Rev. George Varghese
Asst. Vicar, The Chicago Mar Thoma Church.

Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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