How many of you today have felt that you have just received a huge new learning, something that has truly transformed your life, and you share it at home — and no one is listening?
Or maybe you have started a new diet and it is really working for you… you are excited about it, and share it with those who know you best… and they just don’t get how important this discovery is for you?Read More »
Lectionary Genesis 2:18-24
You’ve all heard the 10 reasons why God created, Eve, right?
Seriously, there is so much debate now about the correct interpretation that we should give of the Creation story, and especially of the role and relationship between man and woman. The Church is supposed to be shaped and guided by the Word of God, and yet it is clearly evident that our cultural norms and expectations have guided our interpretation of the Bible, and even come into play with respect to the translation of the Bible.
There is no question that gender issues have been shaped by our culture. In a patriarchal culture, the Church accepted and used passages of the Bible to justify male superiority and female servitude.As cultural views shifted, we have looked back at the translations and words used, and searched for a new understanding of the Bible – but we should ask ourselves, are we simply looking to once again “be right”, as opposed to being guided by the Word of God? Are we simply now looking to justify a feminist or egalitarian perspective of the creation story that is acceptable in today’s society? Or are we looking for the Bible to present to us an actual Biblical response to the question of “what is a Godly relationship between a man and woman?”
This morning, I would like to explore the verses of Genesis 2: 18 to 24, and provide some insight regarding translation and meaning. But this is merely one of many possible understandings and meanings that can be found, and I would venture to say only scratches the surface of a possibility of interpretations. But there are lessons here for us! While God created man & woman equally in His image, there is no doubt that we are different – the same way that the males and females of all species are equal but different.
In Genesis 1 we find a chronological view of Creation – from day 1 in which God creates time, through to day 7 in which God rests. On day 6, God is particularly busy, creating all creatures that habitat on land. Great and small, he creates them, and when God is done, he declares that “it is good”. After this God – Elohim – the multiple nature of God, decides to create man in his image. God says:
“Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.”
And so, man is created, both male and female. In order to avoid confusion, I’m going to use the term “mankind” to refer to humans, and man to refer to the male gender. To emphasize the godlike nature of mankind, God gives mankind dominion over the earth, and asks Adam to name all of the animals.
The creation story in Genesis 1 is repeated in Genesis 2, but told from a different perspective, demonstrating different facets of God’s character. And so, in Genesis 2, we rewind a little, and are given more details regarding the creation of mankind, and in particular the differentiation of men and women.
Most versions of the Bible have simply translated verse 18 “It is no good for the human to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” or “a helper that is just right for him”. And because it was culturally acceptable and appropriate to define “helper” as an assistant or as subordinate to the man, the woman was interpreted as having a role of serving: somehow intended to be responsible for catering to the needs and demands of her husband. Because if woman is the helper, man is the boss, right? Even Paul says that the man is the head…
But much has been written about the translation of this section, especially regarding the original term “ezer” having been user rather than “azar”. “Ezer”, with an e does not mean the same as “azar”. Azar does mean helper or servant, but ezer has a different meaning completely.
The word EZER is used in the Old Testament some 21 times, 2 in the context of Eve (women made in creation), 3 times in relation to man’s help and 16 in relation to God. And the 3 times it’s used in relation to man’s help, it is referencing that help did not arrive such as that help which only God can provide.
So let’s see what other words and terms ARE used throughout the Old Testament that might have been used to describe women as servants or assistants, that would have clearly established woman’s role as being subservient to that of man:
So, what does ezer mean, then? Ezer is help from God: not only from a superior, but a miraculous help. Divine intervention.
Before you go off thinking that women are witches and we really fly on broom sticks, let’s get into the translation issues a bit more closely. Ezer means that God is the help. Ezer conveys that it is never a servant, helper or assistant.
So, how does this help us? Well, possibly because if we realise that this was Divine assistance, we will realise that maybe we’ve always been misunderstanding this verse. It never was intended to say that the woman was the helper! In fact, it should not be ascribed to any human at all. So, if she isn’t the helper, what did God make? What does Genesis 2:18 refer to?
Let’s look quickly at the other word that rises in this verse – “suitable” or “right” or “companion”. The word in Hebrew is kenegdo. Kenegdo arises from 2 words: Neged refers to a mirror image or reflection, and ke refers to “himself” or “likeness”. So, God has said he will make a likeness of his mirror image or reflection. So, woman was supposed to be a mirror-image of man.
Going back in the verses in chapter 2 of Genesis we see what the story of the creation of Eve starts out with the only time God says about creation – “this ins’t good”. And what isn’t good? It’t not good that man is alone. Man is incomplete – because unlike all of the creatures that he has just named, male and female, Adam is alone.
And so God says, I will help man by making his mirror likeness, a reflection of himself. The solution for man’s loneliness is woman, made to reflect him. God did not create woman to be man’s servant, or assistant or subservient to him. He didn’t make Adam “the boss”. But rather, God makes them one – flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone. Equal and together. In harmony and communion.
But, as with the fall in Eden, the moment we allow our self-interest to get in the way, we start to run into relationship and control issues. The moment we start to allow our egos to rule, we look at our differences, and then separation and domination begin to take hold, rather than unity and oneness. Separation and domination was never part of God’s divine plan for men and women.
Lessons we can take away from Genesis 2 today:
Today I would invite all of you to explore how you were created to be “just right”, a Divine gift to help and connect with those around you.
“Boasting in my Weakness” – Really?
A teacher said to her students in class one day,
“Boys and girls, there is a wonderful example in the life of the ant. Every day the ant goes to work and works all day, a busy life. And in the end, what happens?
Little Johnny replies, “SOMEONE STEPS ON HIM.”
We live in an era in which life is a constant struggle. Everyone wants to be healthy and strong; nobody likes to be sick, weak, depressed or worried. And yet, we face problems and tragedies; we struggle to live up to expectations – whether our own or those imposed by others. We’re not quite who we think we should be. Just like Paul in his letter to the Corinthians.
Take a moment and put this in context: this letter to Corinthians was not written in a vacuum. When Paul wrote this letter (which by the way is his 4th letter, not the second), he didn’t pen in the chapter and verse designations. Those were added much later in history. So chapter 11 and chapter 12 are one continuous thought. In chapter 11, Paul writes about the suffering he has endured because of the name of Jesus. He tells the Corinthians that he has been imprisoned for preaching the gospel; he has been whipped on several occasions; he had been beaten with rods. He tells them that on one occasion the Jews stoned him; and left him for dead. But he survived (probably with deep lacerations and broken bones.) Paul was shipwrecked three times, spending one night in the open seas. He experienced intense times of suffering and yet found strength.
It is apparent as you read this part of 2nd Corinthians, that some in the church in Corinth were questioning Paul’s authority as an apostle. “Not good enough.” So in Chapter 11, Paul tells about all the things he could boast about, both good and bad, that make him an apostle. But in Chapter 12 the tone changes, because he is not living in the past. Our past history and our past glories are all fine and well, but the real question is “who are you today?”. Paul is writing this letter to the Corinthians when he is no longer in sparkling health and strength. Who keeps singing “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen?
The church in Corinth has these “super apostles” or “big shots” that were criticising Paul. Paul responds, admitting that he was not a trained speaker, (2 Cor. 10:10), implying that the so-called super-apostles were trained speakers. One of their favorite criticisms of Paul seems to have been that he was not very impressive in presence or speech. Paul warned the Corinthians against the pretense that knowledge can create. Toe to toe with these orators, Paul would fail. In many respects, his writing also lacked sophistication and talent.
And yet Paul says, he will boast about his weaknesses. We feel unhappy and worried about our weaknesses, but somehow he has accepted his weakness in a positive way and so he is able to boast about it. And he even accepts that he needs it long-term. In order to remain focused on God, rather than himself and his exploits, Paul has this “thorn in his side”. He prayed repeatedly and yet the thorn remained in his life. I don’t think that ‘three times’ means Paul said three prayers but that he spend three seasons in prayer pleading with God to remove this from his life. And yet he has an unanswered prayer.
None of us wants to really be moved outside of our comfort zone, and so we react to life’s situation by rejecting the difficulty. Paul, for all his abilities and mighty use by God, could not escape the fact that he was human, and thus inevitably susceptible to weakness.
Paul doesn’t like it.
He can’t change it.
And God won’t remove it.
Had Paul focused on the injustice of this torment in his life, he could have become a very bitter man, consumed by how unfair this harsh and excessive situation had become for him. But Paul not only accepted his negative circumstances but he also expresses his joy and happiness over them.
I hate looking weak or insufficient. I particularly loathe being wrong, especially when the mistake I’ve made has public ramifications. What will people think? God forbid that someone realise how far behind I am at work, or that I get upset and short-tempered with my daughter when I’m tired, or that I can’t seem to get things right in my marriage, or that I don’t think quickly on my feet and always come up with the perfect rebuttal three days later! I get frustrated by these deficiencies and perceived weaknesses – I’m inadequate and useless. And so, since I don’t like to feel this way, I adopt a fake persona that I hope others will see (or that they will at least pretend to see, because I pretend to see the fake persona they put forward).
We live in a world where all the photos of models in magazines are Photo-shopped to perfection, where there’s a special model for hands, and another for backs and another for legs. Where there are body doubles for actresses in Hollywood for those close-up shots or for the action or dance scenes – each one showing a perfection that perhaps the actress doesn’t actually have.
Boasting in weakness goes so against the way the world operates today. We don’t boast to our peers about our weaknesses or in a job interview. Typically, when we’re asked to focus on our weaknesses in an interview, we are trained to say – “Well, I would say that I’m stubborn, and I just don’t give up until I’ve finished the project that I’m working on to successful completion.” or “I care too much about my work, and don’t have a good work-life balance.” – or whatever we think the perfect answer to the question is.
In our conversations with our friends, we don’t say, “Hey! Turns out I’m really bad at empathy and I’m totally self-centered. Isn’t that great?”
So, let’s each take a moment to reflect – what is your greatest weakness? What are you truly ashamed of?
Each one of us has something that we try to hide and pretend isn’t there. And if it’s a habit that we’re trying to break or a type of reaction that we know is wrong, whatever you do, don’t label it as “SIN”, so passé! No one “sins” anymore… No one is a “sinner”.
Let me put it this way – the Bible says if you know what is right and you don’t do it, it’s sin – so, when you’re on that diet for your diabetes and you know you shouldn’t eat that chocolate bar and ice cream, that’s sin – not necessarily for someone else, but for you. Because you know that it’s bad for you! And yet you insist…
For how many of you, has ignoring and trying to hide this weakness, bad habit or character flaw actually worked? As much as we may hate it, ignoring our weakness doesn’t make them go away. How many of you notice a character flaw in another person and say nothing, because you’re polite? You see someone faking it and you go along with the charade, because you want them to go along with your charade? They say there’s “nothing wrong” and you say “okay”, because it’s the easy way out.
If I took the time to actually ask, and they answered me honestly, I might have to do something about it! I might then have to care for this person later, and ask how they are doing again… and then hear the truthful answer! And it’s so much easier to just accept the “nothing wrong” and “okay” and carry on as if nothing had happened.
But that’s not who we are supposed to be! We’re not supposed to be shallow and callous people, living on a surface, pretending that the weaknesses don’t exist.
When I don’t have enough love in my life, God reminds me that God is LOVE – it’s unlimited! I may be frigid and uncaring, but when I’m filled with God’s love there’s more than enough to go around! I can be filled to overflowing – because God created me to be His vessel. It doesn’t matter how much love I have, the question is “how much love does God have?”And so, it is when I can truly say “this is my weakness” that I allow God to shine through! When I finally accept – “this is how I am”, I’m wonderfully and perfectly made, and God just wants to shine through all the cracks in my character, then I can truly boast in my weakness.
When I don’t have enough patience, God reminds me that He is PATIENCE – unlimited…
When I am filled with anger, God reminds me that He is goodness and kindness… unlimited…
I would invite all of you, during our coffee time after the service, to take a moment and share with someone your weakness, (yes, that one that you are SO ashamed of) and how God can shine through you, in spite of yourself!
Today, March 8th, is International Women’s Day, and I would like to take this time to celebrate women in the Church!
I realise that throughout Church history, we have had leaders who have said:
“What is the difference whether it is in a wife or a mother, it is still Eve the temptress that we must beware of in any woman… ”
– Saint Augustine of Hippo, Church Father, Bishop of Hippo Regius, 354 – 430
Or even Luther who stated:
“No gown worse becomes a woman than the desire to be wise.”
Throughout the history of the Church, we have found philosophers, scholars and debates about the role of women in society & the Church. The very idea that women might participate actively in the Church received support in the early years of the Church, but over time, this fell out of favor. We find the following decision issued by the Synod of Carthage (398 AD).
“A woman, however learned and holy, may not take upon herself to teach in an assembly of men.”
These types of attitudes lead Elizabeth Cady Stanton to comment:
“The Bible and the Church have been the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of women’s emancipation.”
Shirley Williams said:
But then there are also celebrations of women in the Church also.
“These people do not know that while Barak trembled, Deborah saved Israel, that Esther delivered from supreme peril the children of God … Is it not to women that our Lord appeared after His Resurrection? Yes, and the men could then blush for not having sought what the women had found.”
–Saint Jerome, (the 2nd most prolific writer after Augustine in ancient Latin Cristianity) after criticism for dedicating his books to women
Most recently, Pope Francis said
“We have to work harder to develop a profound theology of women within the church. The feminine genius is needed wherever we make important decisions.”
We know that some of Jesus’ earliest followers were women – Mary Magdalene, Joanna, & Susanna. We find women at the foot of Jesus’ cross, and women were the first to see Jesus after his resurrection.
“When [the women] came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven… But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”
–Luke 24:9-11
We find the importance of women in Paul’s ministry: women were important members of the early christian church movement. Homes of believers were where groups of Christians met and held meetings. Those who could offer their homes for meetings were obviously considered to be important in this setting, and often went hand in hand with leadership roles. We find Lydia of Philippi (a wealthy dealer in purpose cloth). Acts mentions that “she and her household” were baptised. (Acts 16: 11-15).
Although we may consider that the 1st century woman’s role was in the home, turning her home into a public religious setting opened up for these women opportunities for religious leadership. These women were given leadership roles, dignity and status in return for their patronage, receiving a renewed dignity within Paul’s movement.
Even in Titus 2 we find:
3 Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not be malicious gossips… spending their time tearing others apart… Instead, they should teach others what is good.
The role of women was that of active teachers… But striving for unity, not division. There was no room in the early church for women who caused division.
Given that Paul is supposed to have said in 1st Corinthians things like:
But, funnily enough, he then finishes this paragraph with
So… women were to be eager to prophesy, but were not supposed to speak?
Of course, the most quoted scripture regarding the role of women in the Church is probably 2 Timothy 2: 12:
“I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man.”
And yet this appears to conflict directly with so many of Paul’s letters and greetings, and the women that he mentions in his Epistles. I’m just going to list for you the women that Paul sends his special greetings to, and some of the circumstances in which he greets them:
Paul in his letter to Timothy discusses the criteria for Deacons in the early Church which is explicitly directed to both male and females. Women flourished in the deaconate between the 2nd and 6th centuries. The position required pastoral care to women, instructing female candidates and anoint them at Baptism. They were also required to be present whenever a female would address a bishop.
We also find
I find it difficult to relate these instances of respect and high esteem to the concept of a Paul that hated women and put them down. These messages of thanks were to women (and men) who had played a vital role in Paul’s ministry.
But what do we do if two thoughts or passages seem to conflict? This is where the heart of the gender debate begins… On one hand, we have those who say, “well if the Bible says to do it, then we ought to do it.”
Well, Leviticus 19 says that “You shall not put on a garment made of two kinds of materials.” If you’re wearing a cotton polyester blend or any other blend for that matter, you’re disobeying Biblical command this morning. Well, you may be saying that’s an obscure Old Testament command. And you’d be right.
But five times, Paul and Peter tell Christians to “Greet one another with holy kisses.” Done any kissing in church lately?
Oh! That verse is historical & cultural…
So what if in Timothy Paul wasn’t talking about women generally, but some particular & specific women that Timothy was having problems with? We may never fully know or understand the circumstances of this particular verse in Timothy.
I think it’s a fair conclusion that the testimony found in the bulk of Scripture, including the Pauline texts, speak plainly for women to be able to fulfill any ministry or position that the Spirit of God places upon them, whether it be teacher, prophet, pastor, evangelists or apostle.
When we look at the church, more times than not, there will be more women than men in church. Often times this is seen as a failure on the part of the church. In reality it may be the success of women being in MORE tuned with the Spirit of God. If there is to be a great awakening in the church, it will take place because we, the women in the church will see begin to see ourselves as God sees us. Women may hold the key to unleashing the power available in the church.
As we read in this morning’s Epistle, God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. We may not fully understand the power of Jesus’ sacrifice, but we should whole-heartedly believe and cling to it.
Let us pray:
Creator God,
We give you thanks for the ministries that you have given to each one of us. We give you thanks not only for those women who have served you over the centuries, but also for those who serve you in whatever capacity today.
Today we specifically ask for your protection and peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where over six million people have died in the conflict so far. We pray for the 40,000 women & children each day that are raped and tortured… asking for your healing hand over their lives. We pray for justice for them – that even thought their country may not have anything of economic interest to the West, that you enlighten our leaders to see the needs of these people and intervene.
Today we ask that the lines of gender, race, wealth, and status completely disappear as we are transformed by your Spirit to be the “new creatures” in Christ we are called to be. May your church truly become the place where there is “neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female” for we are indeed all one in the grace and mercy of Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
Childhood memories, especially childhood memories from beach-houses and idyllic holidays, are usually the best moments etched in our minds. Well, not all of them…
Our school year was the US one, not the Panamanian one – at odds with all my friends. One of the benefits, was that whenever we’d spend our holiday at the beach, we’d have the beach completely to ourselves. Us and the fishermen.
Our beach was fabulous, except for the occasional jellyfish It was very unusual for us to get them still alive, but their dead bodies wash up on the shore regularly. A little scientific research, and I found the following:
even detached tentacles from the jellyfish itself can still sting and cause you pain, irritation, allergic reaction etc. It’s important to understand that the nematocysts (stinging structures found in the tentacles) can remain very active long after the jellyfish is dead, as long as two weeks.[1]
I didn’t get a live one – I got a tentacle wound around a leg. Initially it was just pain in my calf, then on the thigh where it had stung some more, then the realisation that the leg was going numb… By this stage, my beach holiday was miserable… The pain and the fear.
What do you do? Grab your child, stick them in the car, and run off to the ER – about a 20 to 30 minute drive away. One problem: Mum & Dad didn’t HAVE a car. We’d been dropped off at the beach, and were to be picked up at the end of the holiday. No cell-phone. No phone lines. No electricity. No taxis… Just us, the beach, and a few fishermen.
So off to the fisherman’s house we go! He was home. He had them sit me on a stool in his dining room, and then rubbed my leg down with some oil that he had sitting in a bottle on the shelf. Apparently, though, that wasn’t enough – the poison had been in my leg for too long already and he was worried it was going to my heart. So he pours a glass of this oil, for me to drink. Cod Liver Oil. All of it. Down. Now.
Please God, NEVER AGAIN.
One day of rest, and it’s all back to normal!
Today, I’d like to talk to you about a Fisherman you’ve probably heard about a lot: Peter.
We find him today before the Sanhedrin, questioned by the high priest:
28 We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” … “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God [that…] raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 … that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.
The Peter that Jesus asked to follow him, this isn’t the same Peter we find standing before the Sanhedrin.
I can only imagine that Peter grew up in a home quite like that of the fisherman I visited. No school. No cool electronics and gadgets. Nets mended and repaired over and over again.
And then Jesus shows up. Peter had a choice. He left the world’s security behind him and chose to walk with Christ. … it’s a walk of faith. He left that boat, the net, the bankroll of fish and began a new fishing enterprise: Peter and Co. Fishers of Men. “we catch ’em, God cleans ’em”
The Peter we know from the Bible was brash, bold, opinionated, emotional, volatile, quick to talk, and he made a ton of mistakes. We love him because there’s a lot of Peter in each of us. We know this Peter: he’s proud – so proud that he couldn’t possibly let Jesus wash his feet, he tells everyone what to do, he speaks and acts before he thinks, he chopped off the, and he even walked on water for a moment in true faith. But inside, a fearful man.
And yet, Peter was to be the Rock on which the church was to be built.
We may envy the closeness he had with God: That special relationship with God; that constant communication with Him. Like many of the other “heros” we find in the Bible: I envy what they could accomplish for God. It was amazing how God can take these weak and imperfect individuals and do such amazing things through them that they could so greatly impact people. Unswerving faith. They trusted God when it didn’t make sense, when it wasn’t popular and when things were not going their way. They are legends that we are talking about thousands of years later because of the kind of faith that they had: “That’s the type of person that I want to be” or “that is the type of faith that I would like to have.”
Peter, this is the man:
Peter’s greatest desire was to be with Jesus – we see this when he walks on water:
When Jesus asks if the disciples will turn their backs on him, it’s Peter that responds: “to whom shall we go, you alone have the words of eternal life, we believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Then we see Peter, at the height of Jesus’ popularity and triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Celebrating and happy that HE is on the side of the Messiah.
I can just imagine him: “Yeah, I’m one of his disciples. You know, I’ve known him probably the longest out of all of us. And I’ve got an inside track with him, ‘cos I’m important, you know. I was picked to be one of the elite, of this special force that’s with him.” Chest puffed out.
And so, imagine Peter’s complete confusion when Jesus, somehow, before his eyes, changes. Jesus starts to talk about death. And how salvation isn’t going to be war or rebellion. There’s not going to be any glory in battle. He’s going to go to the cross.
The same Peter that sworn that he would never turn his back on Jesus and that he would follow him to the death – suddenly he doesn’t recognise Jesus any more. This isn’t what I signed up for – we’ve supposed to triumph – we’ll be famous. What on EARTH are you talking about? How is your death supposed to help our cause?
And so we find Peter, doing exactly as Jesus told him that he would: denying him three times. After Jesus was handed over to the Pharisees and the Romans, Peter stuck around to watch. Three times he was recognized as one of Jesus’ disciples, and three times Peter denied it, even cursing the name of Jesus.
And then Jesus looked into his eyes. I can’t imagine the pain of the moment: because I’m sure that in Christ’s look there was no accusation. Not even pity. It would have been a look of love “it’s okay, I understand, and I forgive you”. Not I told you so.
All his bravado and declarations, gone. On the most important night of his life—on the most important night in history—Peter, “the Rock,” sat alone in a dark corner weeping. This wasn’t common place for him. He was a strong self-reliant fisherman. He was bold! He was courageous! And now, he was completely undone. The Rock had been shattered.
And it’s only upon that shattered Rock that Jesus can build the church. Peter needed to stop trusting in the physical, in his strength, in his motivation, in his way of seeing the world, and accept that there was another way. Peter had human courage, but he lacked spiritual courage. He was brave, but only as far as he had control of the situation.
Every single day we make choices that show whether we are courageous or cowardly. We choose between the right thing and the convenient thing, sticking to a conviction or caving in for the sake of comfort, greed or approval. We choose to believe in God and trust him, even when we do not always understand his ways, or to second-guess him and try to do it on human strength.
When we’ve been broken and then revived by the Holy Spirit, we will follow in spite of the masses; we’ll be faithful in spite of public opinion; powerful in spite of the lukewarm standards.
That’s the Peter we find standing before the Sanhedrin. The one that has been purified by the fire of trials and knows what he really looks like on the inside – has thrown “himself” away and allowed himself to be filled by the Holy Spirit.
Most of us are like the Buddhist scholar that comes to see the Zen Master. An expert: we talk about our extensive doctrinal backgrounds and how much we’ve studied and learned. And the master listens patiently and makes tea. When it’s ready, he pours it into the scholar’s cup, until it’s overflowing and runs over the floor.
The scholar jumps up, crying “Stop, stop! The cup is full: you can’t get any more in.”
And the master replied: “You are like this cup: you are full of your own ideas of the way. You come and ask for teaching, but your cup is already full. I can’t put anything in it. Before I can teach you, you have to empty your cup.”
If we want to be filled with the Spirit of God, and let like Peter, we need to allow Jesus to shatter the rock of our own illusions of grandeur.
Divine Presence: Letting the Infinite flow in my life 