There is a peace over me. I am a rock, I will not be shaken or broken except by He who formed me and knit me together. I will be strong in Him who works through my weakness, I will be a shelter and a comfort to those seek rest and respite in You…whether they look for You or not. I will bring protection wherever you lead me, love and peace wherever my feet touch this earth. As the rock in front of Your tomb was rolled away, so too will this world see You instead of me.
But…I will be a stumbling block for those whom You and Your sacrificial life cause offense. I will be a rock of offense for men who say they know You but seek power, wealth, self-glory, and security at the expense of the least of these. They will want their ears tickled but I will not tickle them. I speak for the approval of my God, not men. Many will stumble, but many will rise again, as if baptized anew in the true Spirit of the Lord. And after many years, maybe I will be crushed and broken…but not before my work — the Lord’s work — is done. Why not be crushed and turned into wine?
Father, You are good. Please remove from me each day a little more of the Pharisee who lives in me. Peel off my layers and masks and self-love until the true Matthew Rock shines through – the one created in Your image. Truly, I am a Pharisee; white, male, educated, born in the West, wealthy and full of opportunity. But neither wealth nor poverty, power nor weakness, Western or Third World, define the pinnacle of God’s creation – humankind. I refuse to let these define me, for I am so much more – I am a child of God, a son of the High King, and entering more fully each day into Sonship.
