Sermon - Sunday, September 3, 2017

Readings –Jeremiah 15:15-21; Psalm 26:1-8; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28

Grace and peace to you in the name of our risen Lord and Savior … Jesus the Christ. AMEN

In last week’s gospel … Jesus asked the disciples who people said he was. And they gave answers of various prophets. Then Jesus asked them who they said he was. And Peter quickly answered … “You are the Messiah … the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)

Peter got it right.

But this week we learn that he was only half right. He knew that Jesus was the Messiah … but his perception of what the Messiah should say and do … was all wrong.

I’m sure Peter thought the Messiah would free Israel from Roman occupation and oppression. Perhaps Jesus would lead the people out to a new promised land … much the same as Moses had done … so many years before.

But Jesus … God … had a different game plan. A plan that makes no sense … to our human way of thinking. But … to our human way of thinking … most of what God does makes no sense to us. We would always find a different way … a bigger than life way. We would want God to demonstrate strength and power.

But God always seems to do the complete opposite … of what we would do. Jesus didn’t come in power … and strength … and might. He came in vulnerability … humility … and weakness. He came in all his humanity … just like us.

And perhaps … that’s the most powerful statement that God could make. Yes … God is all-knowing and all powerful. But to come in vulnerability … humility … and weakness … just like us … is a statement that God understands who you are … to the core of your being. More importantly … it’s a statement that God is present … and will walk with you … just the way you are … within your humanity … with all your vulnerabilities and weaknesses.

One of the devotions I read this week ended with this prayer … God of true life … give me courage to become the person you created me to be … through Christ. Amen

When I read … the courage to become … I thought … isn’t that true. Aren’t we always “becoming?” Our lives are not stagnant. We are always changing. Be it a concerted and intentional effort to change … or change forced upon us by the circumstances and challenges of life. Our lives are in a constant state of change … a constant state of flux. Nothing remains the same.

And therefore … neither do we remain the same.

And then the next part … to become … the person you created me to be.

Wow! God doesn’t create each of us in a cookie-cutter fashion. God gives each of us different talents and abilities … different personalities … different strengths and weaknesses. And then God lets us have at it. God lets us grow into those talents and abilities … figure out on our own … how to use those God-given gifts. All the while … God is present … waiting … longing … to be in relationship with us ... watching … as an expectant parent … as we grow and mature throughout our lifetimes. Sometimes we stumble and fall. And sometimes we get it right.

We are so like Peter … so human. Or perhaps … Peter’s example gives us permission to be human … to have flaws … to trip and fall … and sometimes … to get it right. Because if God can call Peter a rock … and build his church upon Peter ... then God can … and does … build his church today … upon … and through … each of us.

Perhaps that’s why God sent Jesus in vulnerability … humility … and weakness. Perhaps that’s why Jesus was deserted by his friends … rejected by so many people … tortured … and finally put to a painful death on the cross. So God could say to us … in our moments of darkest despair and hopelessness … I understand your pain. I understand what you are going through.

Oh … not to make it sound like life is all despair and hopelessness. It’s not. There are many joyful and happy times. And hopefully … the good outweighs the bad. But when we’re joyful and happy … we don’t tend to turn to God as often. We’re too caught up in the fact that life is good. We’re savoring the happy times.

But … God is there in the good times also ... loving … longing … and waiting … for us to acknowledge God … to love God back.

The best part is … death wasn’t the final answer for Jesus. God raised Jesus. And in that resurrection … we too are raised … to new life … eternal life. In that resurrection God certainly showed strength … power … and might. But not in the way our human minds work. I would have had Jesus jump off the cross … and slowly walk away … thumbing his nose at all the naysayers.

But I think that’s why that prayer resonated with me so much this week. Give me courage to become the person you created me to be.

It says there is more that I can be … more than I am today. I still have potential. God isn’t finished creating me yet. You … still have potential. God isn’t finished creating you yet. That’s exciting!

But … it also says … it may not be easy. You don’t need courage if it’s easy. It may mean taking risks ... stepping out of your comfort zone. And what it really means is … having faith that God is right there with you … guiding … and carrying you when necessary … through the fear … the uncertainty … and the unpredictability of life. And also … God is there … in the joys … the accomplishments … and the triumphs.

Give me courage to become the person you created me to be. I think that should be our prayer at the beginning of every day. Certainly … it should be our prayer as we contemplate being a disciple of Jesus Christ ... and how we might use the gifts that God has given us … for the sake of God’s kingdom.

In Jesus Christ … there is promise … and there is hope. Peter only heard the part about Jesus being killed. He missed the part … or didn’t understand … that Jesus would rise again. Christ’s promise … is in that resurrection. Our hope … is in that resurrection. Our lives … are in that resurrection.

Jesus Christ is the wind behind your back … that propels you forward. Christ is the promise … that makes it even possible … for you to move forward … for you to have the courage to become the person God created you to be. And in that … God brings God’s kingdom to life through you.

That’s an awesome … and scary … thought … God brings God’s kingdom to life through you.

Let us pray:

God of true life … give us courage to become the people you created us to be … through Jesus Christ.

AMEN

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