Peter was right but not right enough.

 Twenty Fourth Sunday in OT  B  2021

 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asked his disciples two questions.  The first was an information, polling question:  Who do people say that I am?  The second was a more personal spiritual question:  “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter responded:  “You are the Christ.”  Peter was right, but not right enough.  Peter has the right answer, but not the right meaning.  Peter had hoped that the long-awaited Messiah was to be regal, powerful, and a strong leader.   Peter did not understand the words of Jesus that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected and be killed and rise after three days.

Unaware, as yet, of the true nature of Jesus’ identity, Peter tried to set aside the unthinkable notion of a suffering Christ.  Jesus was explaining to his disciples his upcoming suffering, passion, death and resurrection.   For Jesus this is what the meaning of Messiah is, and this is the straight truth.

There is a crossroads in the journey of faith for many of us in our discipleship of the Lord Jesus.  We encounter that crossroads when we personally have to deal with suffering and struggle.  Sometimes that suffering is of our own doing -- dealing with the weaknesses and the demons within each of us – or sometimes the suffering comes from having to deal with realities we cannot control or manage -- as in illnesses or death of someone close to us.

In the face of dealing with life’s struggles, what happens to the piety and the prayerfulness of days gone by?  In speaking to the first disciples, Jesus is saying you indeed will experience rejection, the cross, and ultimately death.  This is the meaning of discipleship.  What is our understanding of our discipleship of the Lord Jesus?

The Scriptures today are inviting to reflect on the meaning of our discipleship of the Lord Jesus.  The Scriptures, in a sense, want us to restart our baptismal commitment, how we are to live as the disciples of Jesus?

Jesus asks us the same question he asked the first disciples:  Who do you say that I am?   Like Peter, it’s easy to give the right answer.  When we shortly profess the creed, we are giving the right answer for our discipleship of Jesus.  But as for Peter and so for us, it’s not enough to give the right answer in the words we speak.  How we live our lives validate the words we say in professing the creed.

 

 

The Scriptures today are teaching us about the meaning of discipleship.  In what situations of life are you willing to embrace suffering as a means of embracing the cross in your journey of discipleship?   In the big picture, denying yourself and taking the cross is far more than giving up candy during Lent.  It is a complete reordering of our principles and priorities in order to “restart “baptismal commitment.  Turning away from self-centeredness, we embrace other-centeredness and God-centeredness.

--There is no one we will not forgive.

--We are committed to share what we have in the service of others.

--We are simply going to be kind to each person we share life with today.

--Prayer, our relationship with the Lord, is going to be a daily part of our DNA.

 

May we restart our baptismal commitment by seeking to serve, rather than being served, and by our willingness to deny our self so that we can more fully embrace our discipleship of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This weekend, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of 9/11.  How does our discipleship of the Lord Jesus help us to pray and reflect on this 20th anniversary of 9/11?

 

Gracious God, our world changed with the 9/11 attacks.  We have seen how easily buildings fall and how quickly lives can end.  As we remember 9/11, may it remind us that you are our only true security.  Give us your strength to face the memory of this attack and the changes it made in our lives.  Give us your compassion to help each other and recognize need around the world.  Give us your hope as we face an uncertain future.  Give us your peace.

 

Gracious God, we lift to you in prayer all those who died in the Twin Towers, at the Pentagon, and on United Airlines flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

 

 

We entrust them to your loving care.  Console their families, friends, and all who mourn this loss in the hope that all who trust in you find peace and rest.

 

We pray for those who courageously responded to provide aid and comfort for the afflicted.  May their painful memories of that day be healed and transformed into strength and positive resolution.

 

We also pray for ourselves as we seek your strength and guidance.  We live in the aftermath of this tragedy and under the shadow of future acts of aggression.  We stand in need of your assistance.

 

Enable us, Dear God, to put an end to fear:

 

--By resolving to live lives that are based on respect for one another.

 

--By resolving to live with much peace in our hearts and never settle disagreements in our lives in a violent way;

 

--By resolving not to fall into the trap of blaming entire ethnic groups, races or religions in response to acts of hostility;

 

--By resolving that justice, not revenge, prevail in our world.

 

                                                                                                                                   

Let us resolve that in the face of hatred, we will show love; that in times of despair, we will be voices of hope and creators of new dreams; that in times of darkness, we will be sources of light.

 

Let us resolve that we will never regard forgiveness as weakness, but rather as a source of strength in our lives and in our world.

 

And let us honor the memory of nearly 3,000 individuals who died on September 11, 2001 by resolving, with your help Almighty God, to truly live this way so You may be glorified, and Your love made known to others through us.  Amen.

 

May God give your peace.