27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" 28 And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets."29 He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. 31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." 34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Who
do you say that I am? This is one of the most notable conversations of
Jesus, and certainly one of his most memorable interactions with Peter.
Who do you say that I am? It is a question within scripture that I
suspect most of us are familiar with. Some say you are John the Baptist, some
say Elijah, some say a prophet, or other. But, you, Jesus asks, who do
you say that I am?
Today
we find Jesus and his disciples on the road again. They are making their
way from Bethsaida to Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus will begin to transition
to Jerusalem. This moment of walking and talking serves as an interlude
between Jesus’ public ministry and Jesus preparing the disciples for his
impending death. And it’s on the road, on the way, that Jesus asks
the disciples “who do people say that I am?”
So
the disciples offer some answers based on their experiences with the crowds.
They’ve witnessed first hand all that Jesus has done and they no doubt
have an ear to the ground and the rumblings of the crowds. They have a
handle on the crowds expectations and interpretations of who Jesus is. Some say
John the Baptist, some say Elijah, some a prophet, or other…
But you, inner circle, whom I have called to be my disciples, my followers,
first hand witnesses...who do you say that I am? Peter steps up and
quickly replies, you are the Messiah! Without hesitation, out of Peter’s mouth
comes this declaration of faith, You are the Messiah!
I suspect most of us think nothing of it because, of course Jesus is the
Messiah...we know that. Why wouldn’t Peter know that?
“You
are the Messiah.” I often wonder what makes Peter respond in such a way?
I wonder what it is that allows…empowers him to respond to Jesus with
such a profound and decisive proclamation
of faith? His response is more than a recitation, or simple answer.
Rather it is a response of faith and confession. And I always wonder, why now?
What changed for Peter that helped him to see and understand? I mean, he
and the disciples don’t have the best track record for knowing who Jesus
is...So what changed?
Somewhere
along the journey, Peter has come to know and profess Jesus as the Messiah.
That’s who Christ is….or, for Peter at least, the Messiah is who wants
Jesus to be.
We often praise Peter for proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, but I think that’s only because we A) know the ending of the story, and B) have a different understanding and expectation of a Messiah because we know the ending of the story.
And as confident as Peter may be in declaring Jesus as the Messiah, it all blows up in his face when Jesus tells them that the time has come for the son of Man to undergo great suffering, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, the scribes, and be killed. This doesn’t sit well with Peter, so he gets in Jesus’ face and rebukes him. You’re wrong, Jesus! No Messiah of mine will be defeated! My messiah absolutely will NOT undergo suffering. He surely wouldn’t be rejected by those in power. And my Messiah absolutely will not, cannot be killed.
For
Peter, there is a drastic disconnect between his naming of Jesus as the
Messiah, and Jesus’ actual reign as a Messiah. Peter can not reconcile
who he thinks and says Jesus is with the actions and impending future of Jesus
as the Messiah.
Jesus
responds, “Get behind me Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine
things but on human things!” This exchange isn’t about Peter’s deep love
for Christ and the prospect of a broken heart if he has to watch his friend,
mentor, and rabbi die. No, Peter’s reaction is because the future Jesus
paints is NOT the future Peter wants or expects of Jesus as Messiah. Peter is
selfishly professing who he wants, needs, implores Jesus to be rather than
understanding who Jesus says he really is.
For Peter and the Jewish tradition of his day, Messiah was an anointed king, a
ruler in the line of David that would come to reign over Israel. He would
restore Israel from the Gentiles. He would reclaim their independence and glory
as God’s chosen people. He would overcome adversaries and oppressors. He
would rule like no king before. For the Jewish people, this is what the longed
for. This is how they interpreted the prophets. And for Peter, Jesus was the hoped-for
Messiah. Challenging authority, leading with confidence and power, teaching and
healing in the name of God. Nothing was going to stop Peter’s expectation of
Jesus as Messiah.
But
the problem is, that’s not who Jesus is. That’s no what Jesus will do. In
fact, nothing to this point in the gospel of Mark has given any indication to
Peter that Jesus will reign in this way. Rather, Peter has set his mind
on human things, selfish desire. Calling Jesus the Messiah carried such
connotations and expectations, and every one of Peter’s expectations were
crushed when Jesus told him what is to become of the son of man.
Peter
confidently declares Christ as Messiah, yet his naming is selfish. It’s
rooted in his own understanding, his own hope and expectation. Jesus, you’re
our Messiah, long awaited, and our expected Messiah is you are and will be for
us.
Peter
certainly is the first, nor the last person to define Jesus from his own
perspective, hope, and expectation. For as long as Christ has been
proclaimed, the world has found a way to pigeonhole, define, limit, manipulate,
or interpret that proclamation to best suit their personal need, agenda, or
hope. For centuries, the name of Christ, the Messiah, the son of God, has
been confidently, yet falsely proclaimed to attack, defend, or justify human
ambition and action. Human things. And when Christ is interpreted and
proclaimed out of personal pride, preference, or perspective, then we abuse
both the power and humility of the gospel message.
And I’m not saying we should fault Peter. After all, Peter’s hopes for a
Messiah aren’t drastically different than our own. How often do we pray
for Jesus to come and rescue us from our troubles. Or pray for Jesus to guide
political leaders and elected officials. How often do we call upon Christ
to bring justice to our enemies and righteousness to our actions. How we often
do we call upon Christ to end war, calm creation, give meaning and
understanding, demolish hatred, and restore us as God’s chosen people.
But
the word of warning in today’s Gospel is that Jesus, the Messiah, the son of
God and son of man will reign, rule, and resurrect well beyond any of our
preconceived notions, preferences, expectations or understandings. We don’t get
to define Christ, even in our best of intentions.
Rather
we are defined by Christ. We live, move, and have our very being by grace
in Jesus, the son of man, the son of God, the Messiah. And our Messiah is
one who exceeds all expectations, leading with humility and grace. Jesus will
restore, redeem, and set free, but he’ll do so in the most contrary way to the
world’s expectations. Rather than lead with force, and power,
conquering adversaries and punishing the oppressors. Jesus will willingly and
knowingly undergo suffering. He’ll be rejected with humility and grace. He’ll
give up his life for the sake of the world. So all people might have life
and life abundant.
This is our Messiah. And if ever we hope to faithfully proclaim Jesus as
our true Messiah, and have confidence in our understanding of the son of God in
doing so, then our call is to set aside our selves, and follow. To lay
down our life, and inward, selfish ambition, expectation, or hope, and follow.
For naming the messiah is empty if only abstract. It is in the concrete action
of serving and following our Messiah that will give faithful understanding to
our proclamation.
This is what Jesus instructs when he tells the crowd to “deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.” Jesus would have Peter, the disciples, and the crowds turn from their selfishness. Dissolve and preconditions, expectations, or understandings they may have for their Messiah..and follow.
Who
do we say Jesus is? Make no mistake brothers and sisters, this is a
question that the world is asking, and the world is groaning for an answer that
is faithful. Who do you say that Jesus is? What is our response? Is it
simply enough to say, “He is the Messiah”?
Well Brothers and Sisters, first it
starts much like it did for Peter when Jesus bid him to come and follow.
We too, in the waters of baptism have been named and claimed, marked with
the cross of Christ, sealed by the holy spirit, and called to be visible
witnesses of the kingdom of God.
Raised in faith, we too are taught and formed.
We read and discuss the stories of Jesus. We hear Jesus’s sermons and
teachings. We learn from his miracles, parables, and healings. We too,
like Peter, come to know, understand, believe in, depend on, follow, and
proclaim Jesus as the messiah, the risen son of the living God. Our Faith in
Jesus Christ and our ability to proclaim as witnesses to God’s blessing of
grace and love is empowered by our daily, tangible experiences of the living
God in Jesus Christ.
In worship we are invited to Christ’s table to be consumed by the body and blood of Christ. We are filled again and again by the Spirit, We are fed and nourished, and we are sent out by God to follow Christ with a greater hunger. We follow Christ with a hunger for justice. We follow Christ as he serves a ravished world with love and grace. Follow to feed the hungry, care for the poor, clothe the naked. Follow the Messiah as he advocates for the outcast, gives voice to the oppressed and stands firm in the face of injustice.
We are called and sent as a church, a body of
individuals, empowered by our experience of the living God through the Spirit,
to be visible and verbal witnesses to the world that Jesus IS the Messiah, the
son of the living God.
It is through this calling that we respond answer
who Christ is. In faithful following and witness to Christ, our naming
becomes a confession.
So,
“who do you say Jesus is…” Some
say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, some prophet.
Who do
you say Jesus is? Some
the Messiah, a king of kings, a mighty ruler. Some say the son of man and son
of God. Some say Lord, healer, and
teacher. Some say redeemer.
But
perhaps the most powerful answer of all might be, “come, let me show you…”
Amen.
© Pastor Daniel Locke, preached Sept. 16, 2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran Jacksonville, FL
No comments:
Post a Comment