Loving God, you ask us to recognize who Jesus is, promising that our lives will never be the same once we do.  By your Spirit, help us to continue to grow in love, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

            The conversation that we hear in today’s gospel takes place in a rather interesting location – Caesarea Philippi, which is known today as Banias.  Not only was it part of Syria, but it was also home to a sanctuary for the Greek god Pan, and a temple in honour of Caesar Augustus.  In the midst of a pagan sanctuary, close to the springs of the river Jordan, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Mt. 16:13).

         Initially, the disciples mention several prophets, both recent and ancient, all of whom spoke God’s word to the people of Israel.  However, Jesus also wants to know how the disciples will answer this question: “But who do you say that I am?”  Peter, who always seems to be the first to speak, blurts out his answer.  “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16).

         It is a pretty bold response, given the location.  The Roman Emperor was known by many different titles, including son of god, lord, and saviour.  When Peter says that Jesus is Son of the living God, he is thinking of the God who created heaven and earth and all that is therein, and not the pantheon of Greek and Roman gods.  At the same time, the title of Messiah immediately puts Jesus at odds with the governing Roman authorities.  The Messiah was seen as a prophet, priest, and king, who would rescue God’s people from all oppressors.

         Were Jesus’ true identity to become widely known, his ministry would have come to an end in pretty short order.  Because of this, we have the stern order that comes at the end of today’s gospel.  “Shh.  Don’t tell anyone that I am the Messiah!”

         One would think that Peter and the other disciples probably struggled to understand what was going on.  After all, the traditional understanding of the Messiah was as a very public figure who would reign on the throne of David and conquer the oppressors.  A Messiah who didn’t want anybody to know would seem very strange.  In fact, a Messiah who would suffer and die at the insistence of the religious leaders (which we will hear about next week) was even more difficult to comprehend.

         At this point in the gospel of Matthew, we are just starting to get a glimpse of the courage that will be required of those who follow Jesus while still living in the midst of the Roman oppressors.  In fact, it is similar in some ways to the courage shown by Moses’ family in the face of the Egyptian oppressors (Ex. 2).  Confessing that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of the living God will come with consequences, and the lives of his followers will be changed forever.

         For us, too, the question of who we say Jesus is has consequences.  Should we be among those who think that Jesus was just a human being like any other, our lives won’t look that much different from anybody else.  However, when we believe, like Simon Peter, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and our Lord and Saviour, that faith will be reflected in our lives.

         When we believe in our hearts that Jesus loves us, came for our sake, and even suffered and died for us, we can’t help but respond in love.  When we believe that through Jesus we have forgiveness and salvation and even peace with God, there is gratitude that fills our hearts, giving thanks for God’s grace and mercy.  And, when we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, who gives us our faith in the first place, both the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit show up in our hearts and in our lives.

         One of the phrases that Paul uses in his letter to the Romans is that we are to be “transformed by the renewing of [our] minds” (12:2).  He also writes about having the mind of Christ, as we grow up in the faith and become more Christ-like.  As human beings, we tend to be focused only on ourselves – and maybe on those who are closest to us.  However, becoming more Christ-like involves focusing outwards, with love for God and for God’s people.  This happens only by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in and through us.

         Admittedly, there still will be challenges in our lives as we follow Jesus – just as there were for all of Jesus’ first disciples.  However, no matter what those challenges are, we do not face them alone.  In fact, sometimes we only learn to rely on the Holy Spirit through those times when we cannot handle everything ourselves.  We are very much like Peter, who often stuck his foot in it, sometimes misunderstood, and even denied ever having known Jesus.  It took a while for him to become the rock that Jesus knew he could be.

         We, too, are still growing up into Christ.  And, as we do so, God continues to look at us in love, inviting us into the gift of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Lectionary 21(A)                              Matthew 16:13-20

August 27, 2023                              Exodus 1:8-2:10

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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