Sermon 27th August 2023 – 13th Sunday after Pentecost
Text: Matthew 16:13-20 – Who do YOU say that I AM.
“But who do you say that I am? This is a question I find that
I continually ask myself. It is a question we should all ask ourselves in
regards to our relationship with Jesus. But who do you say that I am? Because
the answer determines how you live your life and the decisions you make. It’s
probably similar to the movement a while ago where people wore the “WWJD”
bracelets – What would Jesus do? So when you didn’t know what you were supposed
to do in a certain situation you were facing you’d ask yourself – what would
Jesus do in this situation. I never got into that movement or thinking because
I found it rather legalistic. It didn’t come from the heart. I better do it
because that’s what Jesus would have done. I don’t really want to do it – but
that’s what Jesus did. I don’t really want to forgive that person but that’s
what Jesus would have done.
Jesus says that our love for others – the actions that we do
– are to be from the heart. A life change – which is what the word repentance
means – a change of person – not a change of behaviour. Paul says the same
thing: By the mercies of God, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy
and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may
discern what is the will of God-- what is good and acceptable and perfect.
When Jesus asks his disciples the question he does so because
people around the regions didn’t understand the new revelation coming through
Jesus. They were still thinking in the old way. So when they were asked what
were the people saying about who Jesus was, there was no new way of thinking: Some
say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of
the prophets. Their minds kept going back to the old ways rather than the new
life God was introducing through Jesus. This would be a constant issue for
Moses whose birth we hear about today. As Moses would eventually lead the
Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to the new promised land, every time they
faced difficulty their immediate thought was – I wish we could go back to
Egypt. Back to the old ways. And isn’t that also how we humans think. When life
gets difficult we have the tendency to reminisce – to wish we could go back to
the ‘good old days’. But some day in the future – today will be the good old
days we will be reminiscing about.
Again, Paul says: Do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your minds. This is not about – what would Jesus
do – but who is Jesus. Who do you say Jesus is? Jesus is introducing a new way
of thinking in how we face adversity in life. He praises Peter’s confession of
faith because it was not based on human logic but by divine revelation: Blessed
are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,
but my Father in heaven. And that’s a big difference because Jesus says that on
that confession of faith he will build his church. And what a foundation that
will become: On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will
not prevail against it.
The old ways were not what Jesus was wanting to build his
church on – the traditions of the past. Jesus told a parable about foundations:
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is
like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and
beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on
the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them
into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain
came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house,
and it fell with a great crash.” It was the same house but different
foundation. Things were fine whilst conditions were good – but when adversity
hit then the house crumbled that was not built upon the rock.
The church has faced persecution from the first days it
began. But here we are today, 2000 years later and still surviving – the gates
of Hades has not prevailed. In fact, if we look at the birth of Moses we see an
interesting parallel of survival.
When the new Pharaoh arrived and wanted to eradicate Israel
it actually flourished. They set taskmasters over them to oppress them with
forced labor. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and
spread. So isn’t that interesting – the more they were oppressed the more they
flourished. It was the mystery Paul discovered – when I am weak then I am
strong. It’s the mystery Paul discovered in suffering that produced
perseverance, perseverance produced character and character produced hope. But
it all begins with the foundation of Jesus Christ in our lives. Built on the
rock. That is vital. It’s not what we build – as the foolish builder
discovered. No matter how strong the house was. No matter how professionally
built the house was.
It crumbled because it had no foundation. But the wise
builder who built his house on a rock found his house withstand the storm – not
because of his craftsmanship but because of the rock he had as his foundation.
So just as Jesus has built his church on a rock foundation so
too we are to build our faith on that same rock foundation. For us that foundation
is our Baptism where God first made his home in our lives. Where God made a
promise to us that he would be with us always till the end of the age. And
neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the
future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus our Lord, our rock and our salvation. But it all begins with how we
answer that question today. Who do you say that I am.
Who do you say that Jesus is. The answer is not – a good role
model to follow. The answer is not – an inspirational leader who can teach us
so much. The answer is not – the greatest leader who ever lived. The answer is
– you are the Christ – God’s Son – the one who died for my sins. Or in the
words of Doubting Thomas – my Lord and my God. When Jesus asked Peter, “But who
do you say that I am?” he wasn’t asking Peter to recite a series of doctrines
about the Christian faith. He wasn’t
inviting him to recite the Apostles’ or Nicene Creed off by heart. Jesus was
inviting Peter to express where he placed his faith. He wasn’t asking Peter if he was Lutheran,
Catholic or Anglican. He wasn’t asking him what his mother’s maiden name was. Jesus
was asking, as he asks you today.
Who do you say that I am.
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