Who Do You Say That I Am?

 

                                                         Who do you say that I am? Lee Vincent 

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Matthew 16:13-16 NRSVue

Open our eyes Lord
We want to see Jesus
To reach out and touch Him
And say that we love Him
Open our ears Lord
And Help us to listen
Open our eyes Lord
We want to see Jesus

Maranatha Praise Chorus

I've been thinking about Jesus a lot during the past few days after looking ahead to the Sunday readings (yesterday) in the Common Lectionary. Jesus' disciples were brave and cowardly, insightful and dumb as a post. In other words, a lot like us. Wandering around Galilee they would squabble about who would be first in the kingdom, try to act as bouncers for their Master, and be genuinely befuddled about his true identity and purpose. 

In the hills above the lake/sea is biblical Casarea Philippi, now the Banias Nature Reserve in an annexed area of the Golan Heights. While there -- was this some sort of spa day? -- Jesus asks the disciples who others say he is and then who they see standing in front of them. Peter has his "aha!' moment, although he goes on the blow it and gets compared to Satan. Ouch. 

Through the years I would ask search committees of congregations interviewing me for a ministry position if they saw themselves as a Christ-centred community of faith. The response was often "crickets" -- people genuinely struggled with the question and in one instance a clergy presbytery rep pre-emptorally answered "no." I couldn't get away fast enough.

 I'm not sure how we got to the place where this might have seemed like a trick question, or beyond their ken. Or how we could end up with a "celebrity" clergyperson in UCC ministry who had dispensed with Jesus and God and crowed about it -- heard much about her lately? 

At the same time I am keenly aware of the Jesus-y folk who invoke his name and yet seem to be doing so as some sort of dog-whistle for conservative values which veer into white privilege and supremacy. To me this is a form of blasphemy. 

Matthew 16 continues with Jesus speaking about his impending suffering and Peter's inappropriate response: 

 And Peter took [Jesus] 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 hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

 I don't want to be part of a "Jesus optional" church, even if that is due to earnest indifference rather than intention. And I sure can't stand those who crucify Jesus for their own ends, often misappropriating the cross to justify exclusion and triumphalism. 

It's okay to wrestle with our understanding of Jesus and we've probably all changed our outlook over time. Perhaps we need to return to this passage several times a year as a spiritual spa and reaffirmation day. On those Sundays, we could ask the Jesus questions and also repeat the Not-So-New Creed of the United Church with the essential phrase: " to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope."

We are not alone,
    we live in God’s world.

 We believe in God:
    who has created and is creating,
    who has come in Jesus,
       the Word made flesh,
       to reconcile and make new,
    who works in us and others
       by the Spirit.

We trust in God. 

We are called to be the Church:
    to celebrate God’s presence,
    to live with respect in Creation,
    to love and serve others,
    to seek justice and resist evil,
    to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
       our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,
    God is with us.
We are not alone.

    Thanks be to God.