Pentecost 13A
August 27, 2023
Matthew 16:13-20
INTRODUCTION
Today’s readings will reflect on the question of what it means to be a Christian, a follower of Christ, not just in the safety of the church community, but in the world. “Do not be conformed to this world,” Paul exhorts, “but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God.” It’s a tall order! It is so easy to become conformed to this word, and all of its division and brokenness, and to be influenced by so many worldly powers and persuasions instead of the Gospel we proclaim. Isaiah reminds us to remember where we came from, to find our footing in that. And in Matthew, Peter will make a bold claim about who Christ is, even against the backdrop of a city known for its political and worldly influence – making Peter’s declaration of Jesus as the Messiah, over and against even the powerful worldly leaders for whom Caesarea Philippi is named, all the more remarkable!
Jesus will ask the disciples in Matthew today, “Who do you say that I am?” As you listen to today’s readings, ponder that question for yourself. Who do you say that Jesus is? Who is Jesus for you personally, for the Church, for our hurting world? Let’s listen.
[READ]
 |
| Altar to Pan in Caesarea Philippi |
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Who do you say that I am?”
It’s such a simple question, made up of words even my rising 1st grader could read with ease. And yet it is also so weighty, and so very important. It’s so important, that this question is asked of every person seeking ordination in this synod when they enter the candidacy process. “Who is Jesus to you – not in fancy theological terms, but in words that are personal and meaningful to you. Who do you say Jesus is?”
Well? What do you think? How would you answer it?
It’s a question I would hope we could all answer with some conviction… and yet, I can also tell you that when I was first asked, by the bishop herself, I had three religion degrees and a year as a missionary under my belt, and I found myself a little bit speechless. I wasn’t sure exactly how to answer. Who do you say Jesus is?
Perhaps part of the reason we struggle to answer this question is that we are not very practiced at answering it. We don’t very often exercise the talking-about-faith muscles. Perhaps we take a little too seriously Jesus’ enigmatic comment at the end of this text, not to tell anyone who he is! Please note, that this instruction was not meant to be a forever thing, just a “until after the resurrection” thing – you are allowed to talk about it now! And yet: we Lutherans have gotten pretty good at keeping Jesus a secret.
Professor Richard Ward tells a story about a time he was preaching in his home congregation, and his friend, who was a devout Jew, wanted to come and hear him. He hesitated and said, apologetically, “Well, I’ll be preaching about Jesus.” “So?” his friend asked. “Well,” he explained, “I’m afraid I would say something to offend you.” His friend retorted, “I’d be very disappointed if you didn’t preach about Jesus!” Then he went on, “Honestly, I don’t know why it is that my Christian friends are so afraid of talking about Jesus with me. I’m not afraid to talk about my faith with you!”
Oof! I wasn’t even there, and I feel called out by that! I suspect many of us can resonate with it – we worry about talking too much about our faith with people who differ from us because… why? We don’t want to offend? We are embarrassed? We don’t feel we have the language to do it well? We’re afraid of getting something wrong? We don’t want people to associate us with that kind of Christians?
I think there is something to all of those reasons, but I’m interested especially in that last one. An opinion piece ran in the New York Times back in May entitled, “Christianity’s got a branding problem.” I was immediately intrigued by the title. We don’t normally think about religions having brands, but when we stop to think about Christianity in America, I suspect you can come up with some different types (or you might say, brands) of Christians, right? And while some are not so different from each other, others seem diametrically opposed to each other. For example, the sort of Christian I am, formed by the Jesus I believe in, would not be found in Charlottesville six years ago, carrying a cross and shouting anti-Semitic and racist hate speech. That's not my brand of Christian. I am not the brand of Christian who will thump my Bible to support views that advocate harming or disparaging other beloved children of God. I’m not the brand of Christian who doesn’t believe in science, the type who views the Bible as a scientific account of history. And so yes, I am afraid that when people find out I’m a Christian, they will think I am a brand of Christian with which I do not want to be associated.
And therein lies our branding problem. Because as it is, the loudest Christian voices in our culture, the ones that dominate the news, are the ones from the extremes, the ones that seem to espouse more hate than love, the ones that seem full of judgment, the ones that cover up abuse. Meanwhile, the Jesus who is full of love and grace and forgiveness and mercy, who feeds and heals people without questioning their background, who reaches out intentionally to outsiders, even those of different races and religions… that Jesus isn’t getting so much play time in the culture at large!
The conversation Jesus has with his disciples in today’s story is remarkable all by itself. But it is made even more remarkable when we realize where it is happening: in Caesarea Philippi, beside an altar to the pagan god, Pan, and surrounded by emblems of the power of the Roman Empire. The city is named for Caesar Augustus, who called himself “son of the divine.” So when Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?” the subtext there is, “Will you declare who I am, even in this place that is so counter to who I am? Will you declare who I am, even in the face of other powers, and other gods? Will you declare who I am, even though the prevailing view is different, and even makes your declaration somewhat dangerous to offer?”
Boy, in that context, I’m not sure I could have been as brave as Peter! I’m not always brave enough even in my own, predominately “Christian” culture, at least in name, but full of other powers demanding my attention and loyalty, and declaring a brand of Christianity I’m not behind… I’m not always brave enough in the midst of all that to proclaim who I believe Jesus to be. Are you?
This is part of the reason we gather here each week, and hear a word of forgiveness, hear the life-giving Word of God proclaimed, and receive the sustenance and grace of the sacrament: it is to equip us to stand in our own Caesarea Philippis and confess who we believe Jesus is, for us and for this world.
I am not going to make you do that right now, at least not aloud, though I hope you will take some time to wrestle with the question, maybe journal about it or talk with a friend, maybe jot some thoughts down in your bulletin while you wait your turn for communion today. But I will answer the question myself for you, because sometimes hearing someone else’s answer can help us form our own.
Who do I say that Jesus is? It isn’t so hard to give the Sunday School answer: Jesus is the incarnate Son of God, the Savior and redeemer of the world. But these are big titles that don’t really resonate with my daily life, if I’m honest. So then I ask, “who is Jesus, and how does he show up for me personally, and why does it matter to me”?
Jesus is my teacher, who shows me how to live, drawing my attention out of my own belly button and ever toward justice and compassion. Jesus is my friend, who listens to my prayers and needs. He assures me of love when I feel unlovable; he forgives me when I mess up; he shows me the way toward life and abundance, even when death and scarcity are all around. Jesus is consolation for the past, and hope for the future, and an ever-present help in whatever faces me right now.
This is my answer for today – tomorrow it might be different – and that is also who Jesus is for me: knowing my needs as he does, he is there for me in whatever way I need him, even if I didn’t know I needed him in that way. (And sometimes, this is really annoying because they way I needed him was for him to say, “Johanna, you’re getting this wrong. Look in the mirror, will ya, and change your ways.” That’s really annoying! But I do need it!)
Most of all, who I say Jesus is, is this: he is God’s relentless expression of love and grace, and the promise that no ending is the end, because through Jesus, new life is always possible. And this is the Jesus I will willingly proclaim from the housetops, even in the shadow of other demands and false promises.
How about you? Who do you say Jesus is?
Let us pray… Dear Jesus, you are everything to us and for us, and yet still we often find ourselves unable or unwilling to express who you are for us. Embolden us, like you did Peter, to express who you are: the Messiah, the Son of the living God. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Full service can be viewed HERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment