Sermon for September 3, 2017
Proper 17A – RCL Track 1
Jesus began to show his disciples that he
must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and
chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord!
This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind
me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not
on divine things but on human things.”
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want
to become my followers, let them 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 will find it. For what will it profit them if they
gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return
for their life?
“For the Son of Man is to come with his
angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has
been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste
death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Just last week – and indeed just a few short verses ago Peter
declared Jesus as the Messiah – the living God and Jesus in response praises
Peter and declares that he is the rock on which the church will be built. And now as Jesus is describing in a little
more detail what it will mean to be the Messiah Peter is having comprehension
problems!
In a few short verses Jesus goes from declaring Peter the rock on
whom the church will be built to calling him a stumbling block and Satan. Which is why I like the disciple Peter so
much. He is so much like all of us. In one moment he gets it and declares Jesus
the Messiah and the next minute he is denying Jesus and declaring that the
activities of this messiah are not what he understood.
It is easy – perhaps too easy – to imagine that Peter thought the
coming of the Messiah meant a warrior King who would throw off the yoke of
oppression – defeat the Roman occupation.
Not a messiah who acknowledged that the leaders would plot to kill him –
and indeed that he must go down that path to death – before resurrection and
salvation could happen.
Peter could not imagine that the Romans could be overthrown with
the kind of power Jesus was displaying.
It was fine that Jesus welcomed everyone – the outcasts, the sinners,
the tax collectors. But in Peter’s
imagination perhaps he thought Jesus was just waiting for the right moment to
launch his offensive and call in the angel army to establish God’s kingdom.
Peter could not imagine that love of God and this crazy love of
neighbor – all neighbors, which even means the Romans who are occupying the
land, could lead to the kind of Kingdom
Jesus came to inaugurate. Peter could
not imagine how this would look. It was
counter to everything he understood. It
was upside-down thinking.
And in our reading from Exodus we hear Moses having a similar
lack of imagination. How could he
represent God and save the people from Pharaoh?
After all he was on the run from the Egyptians. But God was calling him out of a burning bush
that was not being consumed to be a deliverer to the oppressed. And Moses was having none of it. He even tested God and wanted to know God’s
name so that he could use that as a tool to show Pharaoh that he was coming
from a place of power. Asking God’s name
was pretty cheeky and was right up there with sacrilege. But being able to name
God Moses felt would put him in a place of power. And God gave him a name “I AM” God
is – period. Not just the God of
Moses’ ancestors but God is.
Always.
And Moses still could not imagine. In our lectionary we will skip the part where
Moses still had his doubts. Where Moses
could not imagine going up against a powerful person like Pharaoh. Where he complained that he was the wrong
person because he did not speak well.
Moses could not imagine that God could use him, this simple man – recused
from the Nile all these years ago – that God could indeed use Moses to set God’s
people free. And yet we know how it
went. And it was not all smooth sailing
for Moses and for God’s people but ultimately they were set free.
So we can forgive Peter if he can’t imagine either. The people are once again in bondage under
the colonial rule of Rome and are suffering.
And perhaps worse it seems that some of their religious leaders are in
cahoots with the Romans. Or at least
have found a way to prophet off of the imperial power so have no interest in
freeing the people.
In our current political and social climate we too may have the
same problem that Peter had. We want to
proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah – the son of the living God who is the great
I AM. But when we see everything
happening around us we can’t imagine doing anything that will really help usher
in God’s dream of Love of God and Love of neighbor.
When we see the devastation of Hurricane Harvey we wonder if
climate change is going to increase the intensity of storms out of the Atlantic
Ocean as scientists are predicting. And
if so how do we, as simple people, take actions to reduce and even reverse some
of the causes of climate change?
When we see on the news and in other venues the expressions of
white supremacy and hate can we imagine a way forward? When we see the violence of anti-fascist
groups can we imagine loving those people – or perhaps we like Peter wonder if
such anti-fascist violence is necessary to throw over the hate and violence
that we see from the other side? Can we
imagine a way forward without hate that will embrace and spread God’s love for
all of creation?
When we see people hungry and thirsty on the streets of the
capitol of California can we imagine a way to serve them? California is the sixth – and I read
approaching being the fifth largest economy in the world. And yet we have many people without homes and
without food. We have many people who
have no one to love them and therefore retreat into self-medication. We have people who have mental illnesses
without access to healthcare. And this
is in a state that is one of the largest economies of the world.
With all that is going can we imagine a way forward that is
different? David Lose – a preacher I
follow, asks us “Can you imagine that God is at work in and through your life
for the good of the world? Can you imagine that this congregation has something
of value to offer its community? Can you imagine that when you befriend the
lonely or encourage the frightened heaven rejoices? Can you imagine that,
though afraid, when you stand up to those who spew hate God is with you? Can
you imagine that even small acts of love and generosity challenge the world
order and introduce a different reality? Can you imagine that God wants for us
not just comfort but freedom? Can you imagine that love is more powerful than
hate? Can you imagine that God raised Jesus from the dead?[1]
Peter is not Satan but it seems he lacked the imagination that
there was a way forward that was different than the world expected. Peter could not – at that time – imagine that
Love and acceptance could change the world.
And I am sure that you have the same problem from time to
time. How are we, located in the heart
of the Capitol of one of the largest economies of the world going to change the
world? After all our governments have
not been able to find a way to provide housing for those priced out of the
housing market. We have not been able to
find a way forward as a society to make sure that everyone has affordable and
accessible health care – including mental health care and addiction treatments.
But we can imagine and we can do more than imagine. We can advocate for affordable housing. We can be a voice that counters something
called the Nashville Statement issued this week that espouses that God only
values what they call traditional households.
You know the ones – a working father and a stay at home mom with 2.3
kids and a dog and cat. And while I am
being a little facetious with that description it is not far off.
We at St. Paul’s need to
frequently say we welcome and love all families. Families with single mothers or single
fathers, Families with two mothers or
two fathers. Families with no kids – no
matter what the make up of the genders.
When we love and value our neighbors as God commanded we can make a
difference
And I am frustrated at how slowly things change but I am also
heartened. I am heartened with I see
folks at our mid-week service who appear to have almost nothing taking care of
each other as family. I am heartened
when people who have little help to open our parish hall as an impromptu
cooling center for folks in downtown.
And provide a simple meal for those getting out of the heat.
Jesus asks us to recognize that ministry can be disruptive. That the cross – especially at this point in
Jesus ministry in a symbol of disruption as much as it will become a symbol of
salvation. Opening up our lives to those
around us is likely to be disruptive.
Opening our doors to those society shuns will be disruptive.
But keeping the doors closed to a hurting society is death. Keeping our hearts closed off to those the
rest of society shuns is death. And when
we act to shun and hate those different from us then we are stumbling
blocks. It is then we too will hear
Jesus say to us to “Get behind me Satan.”
Can you imagine? Imagine a
society that really acts out the great commandment to Love the Lord our God
with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds and with all our
strength. Imagine a society that really and truly loves our neighbors as
ourselves. Can you imagine it? If you can imagine it you can help bring it
to fruition.
It is not an accident that this church is still active. God has work for us and I believe it is to
mirror and model God’s dream. A dream
where all of God’s creation is loved and welcomed – no matter what society
would say. A dream where we can model
how to turn our society right side up.
And we do that every time we open this place up to our community. Every time we offer a sack lunch. Every time we offer communion to those who
dare walk into this building. Every time we welcome the stranger.
Can you imagine?
Amen.
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