confess with your lips...

even if you have no clue what it means.

Peter maybe the first disciple to call Jesus the Messiah to his face, but it seems abundantly clear that he has no idea what it means to say Jesus is "the Messiah, the Son of the living God." They are standing in the major military city of Caeserea Philippi. Jesus has been challenging the Pharisees openly. He has performed feats of great strength (miracles). Jesus is going to lead the rebellion to free Israel from oppression. Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

OR

They are standing in the major military city of Caeserea Philippi. Jesus has been challenging the Pharisees openly. He has performed feats of great strength (miracles). Jesus is going to march toward Jerusalem where he will offer himself to death on the cross. Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

See what matters is only that we are trying to get it. We confess Jesus as the Messiah even though we have no idea what that really means, and that's OK. Jesus knows Peter is using the term in a way that is vastly different than Jesus uses it, but he doesn't correct him, instead he offers him this blessing, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Today I am realizing how little I really understand, and being very much ok with that.