“THE GOOD QUESTION”

Sunday, September 17, 2006

United Lutheran Church-Redwing

Mark 8:27-38

‘WHO DO THE PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM?”…BUT HE ASKED THEM, “BUT WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?”  PETER ANSWERED HIM, “YOU ARE THE MESSIAH!”  JESUS SAID,  “IF ANY WANT TO BECOME MY FOLLOWERS, LET THEM DENY THEM-SELVES AND TAKE UP THEIR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME. FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SAVE THEIRLIFE WILL LOSE IT,,AND THOSE WHO LOVE THEIR LIFE FOR MY SAKE, AND FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL, WILL SAVE IT.”  

 JESUS SOMETIMES DOES A REALITY CHECK!  I think he did with his disciples as they headed into Caesarea Philippi. They had been in crowds everywhere-as many as 5,000 people or more at a time. With sick people and hungry people, religious people and “those called sinner”, farmers and fishermen, kids and revolutionaries. Expectations and perceptions were very different from one another.  But then, what else is new? What are people to think of someone who heals all kinds of diseases,  or teaches like the greatest of rabbis, or as comfortable to be with as your best friend?

 In the midst of all this, Jesus asked his disciples a straight-forward question. “WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM?”  The answers differed. Some say, “JOHN THE BAPTIST”--.teacher, preacher,  reformer calling for repentance and turning around, or changing direction in their lives. Some say, “ELIJAH!”...ushering in a new era, new age. And some say, “ONE OF THE OTHER PROPHETS”…forth-telling the coming of God and announcing the injustices of the ages.

Then came the REAL QUESTION,  THE GOOD QUESTION!  THE KEY

QUESTION!  ”BUT YOU, “WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?”  I doubt Jesus asked either question because He was concerned about his reputation.  I believe he asked both because he was concerned about what his disciples had come to believe.   Nothing the disciples nor the rest of the world did could change who he was. A public opinion poll would not alter that.   Christ’s identity is not dependent upon a vote. However, it was(should I say, still is) critical that who His disciples believed him to be was of great importance.  Who we believe Him to be of even greater importance.  What they believed concerning Jesus would make a difference to the message they proclaimed and carried from that moment on. A difference that would change the world.

What they believed would not change Him; but those beliefs would and did change THEM.

He was and continues to be concerned because it influences the perception of this world, how we live in this world and what we are willing to do for Jesus Christ, for the sake of the world.

What variety of answers would we give if Jesus were to ask us that GOOD QUESTION that KEY QUESTION, which by the way, He still does? Would we respond…GREAT TEACHER.  (Good answer). His teachings are still revered--

-insights, illustrations in his stories and parables, graphic and thought provoking. 

-thoughts and images have produced music, art, drama, literature…more so than any

        other teacher who has ever lived(from my perspective).

Would we respond…GREAT FRIEND(Good answer, too). “What a Friend we have in Jesus” is more than an old hymn title…A sharer of burdens,  a comforting companion along life’s journey…a ready and responsive listener to what tears at our hearts.

Would we respond…GREAT SOCIAL REFORMER(Good answer, as well). Advocate for the poor and trod upon, calling for those changes in the world where people have been outcast and in need of people to walk with to bring changes and equality to bear on behalf of all the people.

Or God’s great REVELATION..  Jesus makes God personal and accessible.  “THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND LIVED AMONG US FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH.  WHOEVER HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN GOD.”   If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus.

“WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?” is the RIGHT QUESTION.  It is the KEY QUESTION, THE GOOD QUESTION for the ages.  For we can know all the answers and still remain uncommitted and unchanged. Like the cabbie I once read about who realized that  his

passenger was a clergyperson on his way home from the airport. “I REALLY LOVE THE BIBLE.  I CAN’T TELL HOW MANY TIMES I’VE READ IT.  I KNOW WHOLE CHAP-TERS BY MEMORY.  IT’S MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOK!” When asked, “What church do you belong to?”  He answered, “OH NONE.  I’M NOT A CHRISTIAN!” Knowledge of and faith in can be two different entities.  Knowing Jesus and knowing about Jesus is not necessarily the same. We can acknowledge Jesus as teacher, claim him as a sensitive friend, even see as prophetic the voice, and yet be in the same seat as the cabbie.

              Forget the hearsay and innuendos, speak for yourself and Peter breaks the uneasy silence.

finally confessing, “YOU ARE THE MESSIAH, YOU ARE THE CHRIST, YOU ARE THE ONE WE BELIEVE IN!” All well and good until, Jesus in essence tells the rest of the story.

Instead of praising Peter for his insight, Jesus enjoins the disciples to silence. God had made the startling choice to enter human life in the person of Jesus, just how startling that choice was, is

revealed when Jesus follows Peter’s confession by beginning to teach the disciples what is yet

to come. The Son of Man must undergo suffering, rejection, death before being raised again.

Suffering and death, as far as Peter is concerned, should not be part of this job description.

Jesus in Peter’s eyes, goes off the deep end/yet here in Mark’s Gospel Jesus speaks of suffering as an inevitable component of his Mission. Confessing Jesus as Messiah, as Christ, as Lord of our lives changes forever the one making that confession.  So it forces those disciples, and us, to shift from an intellectual exercise to the realm of life-changing experience.

              Last Wednesday, as we met with all the confirmands and parents at our Orientation, I briefly mentioned this morning’s Gospel. I then shared my personal thought that the question Jesus raises, is the question of the ages…the question for Confirm and “post-confirmation folks” alike. The goal in the journey of confirmation guiding us in our

studies with these young persons in this congregation, as well as the question of  all who journey in the Christian  faith is…WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?” And it will be THE question, a good question, I believe until we draw our final breath.

The very next morning, Thursday, I checked “GOD PAUSE”, a morning devotional sent to Pastors each day and noticed that a friend had written the reflection for the morning. I was intrigued by what he had to say about this very question, He encourage us to take a picture/an icon of Jesus, look into his eyes, hold that vision and be held using the question again, “WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?” He then suggested to reverse the question and to ask Jesus, “WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM, LORD?” The exchange of eye contact engages the question differently. Look into the eyes with the question of heart, in mind, soul and strength. He closed with words from an old hymn: ”TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS, LOOK FULL IN HIS WONDERFUL FACE. AND THE THINGS OF EARTH WILL GROW STRANGELY DIM IN THE LIGHT OF HIS GLORY AND GRACE.”

This challenging gospel text is a clear reminder, the first passion

prediction, of what Christ has come to do for us and for our world.  He is more than prophet, teacher, friend.  He is all of that and more. For he has come to suffer for us, to die for us, to be buried for us, to be raised for us, to offer for us these great gifts of forgiveness, salvation, and yes—the opportunity to realized how deeply we are love and cared for by God through Jesus.

              So that we can say, “You are Jesus, the clearest picture of God. You show me that God is love, because you love me.  You show that God is compassionate because you have compassion, even for me, in my weakness and frailty.

You show that God is forgiving, because you have forgiven my sins by bearing the in your own body on the cross.  I would not be here today if it were not for your living out God’s love, compassion, and forgiveness.”

              You are the promise that no matter how muddled, confused, or wounded I may be, you suffer with me in my suffering, and because you suffered for me and your world, I can suffer foir

someone else. You have carried my burdens. Now I can carry someone else’s”

              I believe that, in part, that’s what it means for Jesus to ask us, “WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?” And for us to ask Jesus,  “WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM, LORD?”

Then we experience what it means to be called to discipleship! When we are able to confess, ‘YOU ARE THE CHRIST, (SON OF THE LIVING GOD’! It becomes a confession of faith.  Faith that pulls us out of ourselves…that draws us to the heart of God, and from there to the

heart of the world.  Turns us into disciples of Christ…Not just MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH.

IT IS NOT ONLY A GOOD QUESTION…”WHO DO YOU I AM”…IT IS THE KEY QUESTION!

William Willimon(formerly Chaplain at the Chapel at Duke University)now

a Bishop in the Methodist Church, tells the story of a conversation he had with the father of one of his students.  A father was very upset with Willimon, got Willimon on the phone one

              day and shouted…

              “I HOLD YOU PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!”

              *”Responsible for what?” asked Willimon.

              “FOR WHAT’S HAPPENED TO MY DAUGHTER, YOU ARE

              RESPONSIBLE!”

              *”Me?” asked Willimon.

              The father was upset because his graduate student daughter had

              just informed him that she was going to “put all that aside” or

              “thrown it away” as the father described it.  She was going to go

              and do mission work in “Haiti”

              “ISN’T THAT ABSURD!” shouted the irate Dad.“A BACHELOR

OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

FROM DUKE, AND SHE’S GOING TO GO DIG DITCHES IN

HAITI.”

              *Willimon said, “I doubt she’s received much training in the

engineering dept. for that kind of work, but she’s probably a

fast learner and will get the hand of ditch digging in a few

months”(His attempt at a little humor, hoping to get the father

to ‘lighten –up’)

“LOOK, THIS ISN’T A LAUGHING MATTER.  YOU ARE COM-

PLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE TO HAVE ENCOURAGED HER TO

DO THIS.  I HOLD YOU PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE!”

*Me, what have I done?”  Willimon responded.

“YOU, YOU INGRATIATED YOURSELF TO HER. YOU

FILLED HER HEAD WITH ALL THAT RELIGIOUS

STUFF.  SHE LIKES YOU; THAT’S WHY SHE’S THAT’S

WHY SHE’S DOING THIS FOOLISHNESS.”

*Willimon fired back, “Now look here buster, weren’t you the

one who had her baptized?”

“WHAT?  WELL…YES”, the father said.

*And then, didn’t you read her Bible stories, take her to Sunday

School, let her go with the Presbyterian Youth Fellowship to

ski in Vail?”

“WELL, YES, BUT…”

*Don’t  “but” me…It’s your fault that she believed all that stuff,  

that she’s gone and thrown it all away on Jesus.  It’s your fault

not mine.  You’re the one who introduced her to Jesus, not me!”

              The Father paused a moment, silence on the phone, then meekly

              replied, “BUT ALL WE EVER WANTED TO BE WAS A

              PRESBYTERIAN!”

              *”Sorry”, said Willimon, “you’ve messed up and helped make her a

              disciple!”

Faith is something that involves us in a living, dynamic relationship with

the one we call, “THE CHRIST, SON OF THE LIVING GOD!”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in

the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  AMEN.

                                                                                    Pastor Clark Cary