Sermon for the 27th August 2023: Matthew 16 13 – 20

Reader Nelly Paraskevopoulou

A challenging lesson today.  How to interpret the words of Jesus? Who are we to even attempt this? It is with great humility that I approach this text. Keeping in mind the fact that as in many other instances the words of Jesus contain more than one meaning and we are called to try and understand them on more than one level.  Apparently Jesus is asking the disciples who people say he is. Referring to himself as the Son of Man. With this name Jesus aligns Himself with the prophetic figure from Daniel’s vision and emphasizes His dual nature as both human and divine.

Apparently. Why would Jesus ask this question? Maybe the time has come to say certain things and this question is a kind of introduction which leads further on to him naming Peter as the rock on which he will build his church. The text concludes with Jesus sternly ordering the disciples not to tell anybody that he is the Messiah. Why? Because he didn’t want people to see him as a temporal king, who would free Israel from the Romans? Or could there be other reasons? People were not ready yet to receive this message.

Jesus’ question to the disciples can also mean ‘why are you following me? Who do you say that I am? They are asked to examine their own beliefs about Jesus and what they see in him.

This narrative is crucial in Mark’s account (8:27-38) in which after Peter’s confession the story takes a shift towards the cross. Matthew’s account on the other hand begins with a complex genealogy, posing questions of identity. Jesus’s identity is closely linked by Matthew’s genealogy with Abraham and David, with a long line of royal blood and promises made by God through the prophets.  Jesus belongs in a long line of faithful servants of God. These men were important figures in the history of Judaism, who did exceptional things during their lives. As Jesus did. His identity is composed both with God’s relationship with Israel, but also with the time he is living in. Peter’s declaration about the Messiah, the anointed one, certainly refers to political independence. Peter is the disciple who is not afraid to speak up and gives the right answer. “You are the Son of the living God”. Peter is blessed because of this answer, which however was revealed to him by God, who is the only one who can reveal this kind of divine truth. He is also given a glimpse of the future church. Nothing can stop the power of Jesus. neither spiritual darkness nor the power of death. We need to remember this in these times of great uncertainty. What we believe about Jesus can unlock the kingdom of heaven and rescue us from darkness. When Jesus preaches about a kingdom of heaven, the disciples most probably hoped that he was referring to a temporal kingdom, with him as the anointed King of the Jews.  A few days later their hopes are dashed, as Jesus follows the way to his crucifixion.

 

It is interesting to note that the area of Caesarea Philippi was full of worship of false gods and in particular the Greek god Pan, who also had a temple there. Jesus asks these crucial questions in the midst of this pagan region.

 

Who do we say that Jesus is today? For each one of us as Christians. Why are we following Jesus? Why have people over the centuries suffered torture and death because of their faith in him? Why have they given up everything to live in the desert or devoted their life to prayer in monasteries? Why have they risked their lives in faraway countries spreading His message? Why have they lived moments of divine ecstasy?

 

When I posed the question to myself whilst writing these words, I found it quite hard to answer without seeming naïve or simplistic. I tried to put aside all the things I have read, studied, heard from people who know more and really look into my own heart. So I searched in the past for my first experience of Jesus. When I was a child there was a painting in my room of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. He was holding a little lamb in his arms and was looking at it tenderly. This image was a great comfort to me and still remains so. Jesus was there to protect me from my childhood fears, he held me in his arms like the little lamb, he listened to my prayers, he forgave my mistakes, he was Love, he was goodness and kindness. Later on, learning about the crucifixion and the Resurrection, Jesus became other things for me. He was the one who overcame death. He was the one who by his sacrifice saved all mankind from sin, whatever that is. He promised everlasting life. But for me above all he  remains the Good Shepherd.

 

From what I have understood, Jesus can be many things for many people. Depending on various factors, people choose to be inspired by different aspects of his life on earth. He was a miracle worker, a healer, a teacher, he could overcome evil and cast out demons, he let himself be led to the crucifixion because that was the Father’s will. His teachings are universal and have survived for centuries. Above all though he is the Risen Christ.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I think it would be interesting and revealing for each one of us to ask ourselves who is Jesus for us today?

 

Amen