“Who Is Jesus to Us?”
September 15, 2024
Rev. Rebecca Migliore
This story, of Jesus asking “Who do you say that I am?” and Simon Peter’s immediate response is important to the writer of the gospel of Mark. It could be called the apex of the story. It lies in the middle of the gospel—chapter 8 of 16 chapters. And with Peter’s blurted response, “You are the Messiah”—we have finally reached the point where the disciples know as much as we readers have known since the first verse of the gospel—“The good news of Jesus Christ (the Son of God.)”
It is as if we have been climbing a mountain, passing scenes of Jesus healing and teaching and exorcizing, of calling disciples and telling parables. All pointing to, all urging us to the summit, this moment in time. Jesus starts with “Who do people say that I am?” Which people? Those anomalous “they” who show up in rumor and innuendo—“Well, they say…” They could be anyone, or no one. It is easy to speak what “they” say, because you can’t be blamed for that! “They say” that Jesus might be John the Baptist (come back from the dead), or Elijah (a great prophet who it was said would appear as one of the signs that the Messiah was coming), or maybe not as great as Elijah, maybe one of the prophets—but one who was connected to God, one who was powerful, one who was speaking truth to power.
And then, if this were a film there would be a dramatic pause, the music would swell underneath highlighting the silence—and you would wonder, would he laugh at these suggestions? would he say, “how ridiculous ‘they’ are!” would he smile and nod and keep us all guessing? Would now be the time that he would name himself, that he would reveal himself, that he would settle all the whispers and the side conversations that had been going on since these disciples had answered his call to follow him?
He opens his mouth, but instead he asks a second question, a deeper question, a more personal question, a more dangerous question: “But who do YOU say that I am?” I can imagine that they all looked at each other. Do we dare say what we hope, what we dream, what we long for? Now there is no anonymous “they” to hide behind. Now it is Jesus asking, “Who do you say that I am?” “Who am I to you?”
And Peter, one of the first disciples, one of the inner circle, one of the most trusted friends—Peter blurts out what they are all thinking, but are too afraid to say out loud, “You are the Messiah.” And in typical Mark fashion, Jesus orders them not to tell anyone about him.
This morning I’m going to give us all a little time to try to answer that burning question, “Who is Jesus to us?” “Who is Jesus to you?” I invite you to be honest, to seek an answer that isn’t what you think you should say, but what is right now. And if the first thing that pops into your mind is one word—take a moment to describe what that word means to you. Don’t feel that you have to choose just one word—Jesus might be many things to you. I’ve given you a slip of paper to write down your thoughts. And after a minute or two, if you wish, you can share something of what you have written with someone else…Then I’ll call us back.
(time for reflection)
If you know me, you won’t be surprised to know that I have a kaleidoscope of answers to that question: everything from the refrain of last week’s anthem “More than silver, more than diamonds, you are precious, Lord to me;” to the vision I was given of Christ made up of all these different pictures of people; to the friend who is always there; to the healer of hearts and minds and bodies and souls; to the fighter for those on the outside; to the one who keeps asking me to be better, to hope harder, to believe in impossible things for such is the kin(g)dom of God.
Whatever answers we have to that question, today’s story reminds us that we must be ever vigilant to who Jesus is today, and what Jesus is about, even if that doesn’t match our expectations. That’s what happened to Peter. He thought he knew what Messiah meant. He may have used the right word, but he didn’t know the meaning of that word, or at least the full meaning of it. I’m sure Peter was envisioning a triumphant king “Prepare the highway” said John the Baptist. He was imagining a courageous leader like David (ready to go up against the Goliath of Rome). Or he was imagining a prophet raining down fire and brimstone upon those who did not listen to the word of God.
What he was not imagining was that this wonderful person, this incredible teacher, this magnificent healer, this powerful exorcist, would say that he must suffer and be rejected and be killed and after three days would rise again. That was not in the plan. And so Peter protested. “No, No, Jesus. That isn’t what I meant. That isn’t what we want. How can you be so pessimistic? How can you be so dark?” And Jesus rebuked him—"You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
What is so divine about suffering and rejection and being killed? True many of the prophets had faced that fate. Was that how this world worked? That all the things Peter, and dare we say, we, often want, like power and privilege and control and standing in the community and wealth—that those weren’t what a king, God’s anointed, the Messiah, would stand for, would be? It turned everything on its head.
Jesus underlined this point. “If you wish to come after me, if you wish to follow me, if you really believe that I Am Messiah—then know this. Your path will not be strewn with roses. It will not be an nonstop, joyful parade. We will not have “endless winning.” For the kin(g)dom may be near, it may be here, but the fight is not over. And if you follow, you too will need to carry heavy burdens, like the cross of the pain and ugliness and death brought by the powers of this world.
You too will have to be courageous enough to stand up and be counted in the marketplace and around the table. Who I am to you must color your world. It will not be easy. That is what it means to follow me.
It’s a good thing that we started with the high of “You are the Messiah!” in this story, in this sermon. Because by the end of our reading it has gotten decidedly less upbeat. This is no gospel of prosperity. This is not happiness and light forevermore. Jesus is not inviting us into a never-ending party. He is trying to warn us away, if we think this is going to be a piece of cake.
None of us gets handed a life without problems. Almost anything that is worth achieving takes hard work and dedication and choosing that goal over other things. That is true whether it is a friendship, or a career, or being a parent, or fighting for rights, or working for peace, or doing our small part of bringing in the kin(g)dom.
Who is Jesus to Us? Jesus is God’s voice in this world—speaking plainly and honestly. Look around. This is not the popular place to be. God is not interested in being popular. And God knows what it takes to go up against those who do not wish the world to change.
Come, follow me, with your eyes open. Come, follow me, because you know who I am. Come, follow me, and together we will live, we will move towards God’s Shalom—doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God.
May it be so, Alleluia, Amen.
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