Sermon for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost
Who Do You Say I Am?
By The Rev. Christie Webb -
Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
A pastor colleague was hosting some friends from out of town. As Sunday neared, one friend said “I’d like to come to hear you preach.” This friend was a devout Jew. My colleague got quiet for a moment. An awkward pause. And then muttered, “Well, I’ll be preaching about Jesus.” “So?” said his friend. “Well, I’m afraid of saying something that would offend you,” my colleague replied. His friend returned with this: “I’d be very disappointed in you if you didn’t preach about Jesus! 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.” (www.workingpreacher.org) Even pastors sometimes have a hard time talking about Jesus.
It seems that sometimes, or maybe often, we as Christians don't want to talk about Jesus.
Even now, as I preach to you for just the second time, I am nervous because this sermon is decidedly about JESUS and inviting and helping us all to name who Jesus is. “Is that too Jesusy?” I worry. And then I laugh at myself. Preaching about Jesus is my calling. You have called me to be here, I’ve moved across the country to do just this, and I still feel nervous about being too Jesus-y.
But Peter, Peter had no such problem.
Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”
And Peter boldly proclaims: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
The Messiah- the anointed one, the one set apart for a purpose.
The Son of- this is a bold statement. What does it mean to be the Son of God. In this Jesus is unique. An intimate connection to God.
Living God- this is my personal favorite part. I love that God is living, dynamic, moving, working.
“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter’s boldness is commended. “Blessed are you! My Father in heaven revealed this to you. You are Peter (which means rock), and on this rock I will build my church. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”
In other words… good answer!
I wonder. I wonder what you would say if someone asked you who Jesus was. What would you say?
[Silence.] Are you feeling a bit of panic? Unsure of what to say? Me too. And I do this for a living. When the question comes, in whatever form it does, like why do you go to church, or simply that awkward pause of wonder when someone learns that you do, we aren't sure what to say. I think that happens for many reasons. We are afraid we don't have the right answer. We are afraid we will offend. But also, because we don’t have any practice. So we are going to take time to practice, to workshop this question: Who do you say that Jesus is?
Let's warm up. Who do you say you are? In one or two sentences, share who are you. Open up an app on your phone, or find a pen and paper and write it out. I’m going to give you a minute do do this. [pause]
Here is what I came up with for who I am: I am first and foremost a beloved child of God, one who wants you to know how beloved you are too. I am a follower of Jesus, a listener to the Holy Spirit, and a celebrator of God's beautiful creation, a wife, a mom, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a pastor.
Friends, you know what would make my day, if you would share your answer with me, maybe in the greeting line on the way out, or at coffee hour, or send me an email.
Okay, to continue along, here is a next step: How would you describe someone close to you, someone you love, in 1-2 sentences. Again, we will take a short pause to write some ideas. [pause]
I decided to talk about my husband, helpful as a way to introduce you to my family. Here is what I have: David is a kind, gentle heart, a dad with amazing patience, a partner who laughs with me and listens deeply, a deacon in the ELCA who has a heart for teaching children and equipping people for growing in faith.
Now. The hard part. Who do you say that Jesus is? Maybe your statement will include words like friend, shepherd, guardian, prophet, priest, king, Lord, my life, my way, my end, like we will sing in a moment in our Hymn of the Day. Or maybe its words like savior, guide, peace, hope. Who do you say that Jesus is? You might also approach it as “what difference does Jesus make in my life?” Again, we will take a minute to write our answers.
Here is my answer: Jesus is my way, my truth, my life, God with us, Emmanuel, who goes to the darkest of places, even death on a cross, to bring life, light, and resurrection.
Now here is the thing, it is important to find the words to name who Jesus is, but it is also important to speak it out loud, so turn to someone close by and share what you came up with.
How did that feel?
Friends, here is the truth of it: we are here together because Jesus matters to us. How we talk about Jesus communicates what difference Jesus makes in our lives, and what difference Jesus could make in the lives of others. Here is my hope: I hope that the next time someone asks us in some way shape or form: “who do you say Jesus is?” we will have the courage to speak the truth from our hearts. Here is my prayer: God, give us the courage. God give us the words.
Amen.
The Rev. Christie Webb
Pastor - Mt. Olive Lutheran Church
Santa Monica, California
Sermon for:
August 26-27, 2023
