The Powerful Story

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Greenwood, Virginia
Proper 17, Year A
August 30, 2020
 
If Matthew’s gospel was made into a Netflix series, this week would be Season 3, Episode 2. 
 
The first season was short, but packed with imagery and foreshadowing included a little background of Jesus historical connection to King David, the oddly romantic, but hard to understand Joseph and Mary story, and a miraculous birth story.  Then, there is an exotic, international twist with sages coming from the far east to visit the infant whom they foretell will become great leader and shepherd of his people.  Herod plays the villain in season one, seeing this baby as a threat to his power, and the season closes with the holy family escaping to Egypt.
 
In season two, we meet Jesus as a grown man and we follow the beginning of his ministry.  We meet John the Baptist at the riverside.  We meet the disciples one by one as they are compelled to follow Jesus.  We then see Jesus laying down the foundations of proclaiming God’s power and presence even in this little, out of the way, occupied territory.  He encounters doubters and hecklers.  He runs afoul of the religious establishment, but never stops his encouragement of faith in higher and greater love that they have ever known.  He teaches not with erudite theology, but with earthly parables about seeds and soil.  He speaks of eternal treasure in simple things.  And as we near the end of the season, he finds his miraculous gift for feeding, helping, and physical healing.  In the last episode, Jesus walks on water, calms a storm, and then travels across physical, social, and religious boundaries, helping desperate young mother in healing her child.  His mission is expanding outside of his tight circle.
 
Now we come to Season 3.  There is an abrupt scene change as it opens in Caesarea Philippi.  Caesarea Philippi is a grand city, a resort kind of place, where idols to pagan gods enshrined and worshipped, alongside the Roman Emperor.  In that setting, Peter, who has become an attractive costar in the series, identifies Jesus as “Messiah.”  “Messiah” is a term his people have used for centuries of hopeful anticipation.  The Messiah is expected to come into history and reconcile the world to God, establish permanent rule over all people, and set everything to its rightful place in the divine creation.  In a moment of profound revelation, Jesus accepts that mantel, that role, that divine identity, as God made human.  He confirms what has been suspected ever since Season 1.
 
Today we come to Matthew’s Season 3, Episode 2.  We get a quick preview of last week’s big proclamation, but then the plot takes a major twist.  Jesus begins to explain that though he is the promised messiah, not all of the lore about what he will do is accurate.  He says his love will be met with resistance.  He tells them he will suffer.  He tells them that he will go to the cross and be executed.  Even when he says that will not be the end of the story, the disciples get more than very uneasy.  They signed on to follow this great leader.  They are planning to be in the inner circle of the new regime, wherein God will lay waste to their enemies and reward them greatly.  Their spokesperson, Peter, calls foul.  He tells Jesus that they will not let the authorities get their hands on him.
 
Whereas last week, Peter was the divine seer and the episode hero, this week is a different story.  Jesus rebukes his close friend.  Jesus talks of taking up the cross, and losing life as we would shape it, in order to gain new life, as God will make it.  This is a perplexing shocker.  He is reframing traditional expectations, redefining power over against the common perception that power that this world offers and embraces.  From now on, we are going to find out what God in human person will do to upend misaligned values, show radical and sacrificial love, and confound even death’s perceived finality.  There is much more to come this season.  Still, it is crucial to the story that we see the difference between God’s plan for us rather than our plans for God.  Sticking with Jesus will be more and more challenging as it gets personal.
 
This is a hard thing to hear, especially when we face difficult times.  We are divided and hurting.  We are not the first to suffer, to be challenged, or to be divided.  This has happened throughout history and is repeating itself of late. It is not that we lack resolve or that we lack passion, it is that we too often lose our way.  We buy into false narratives about goodness and greatness.  We fail to see of humanity as God sees us.  We become consumed with self-centeredness and the whole industry of self-actualization.  Like Peter, we like Jesus being there with and for us, but we resist his call to deeper love and service.  It is hard to know where to start.
 
If we look to politics to be the savior, we will be disappointed.  If we believe that a catchy slogan makes us right, or assign a label to what makes others wrong, we miss the point of being in communion with God and one another.  While we need to follow our conscience in advocating justice and equity, we do well to approach such things with humility and open hearts.
 
What we hear today is that the power that we need, the power that saves, the power that lasts is God’s.  All the rest is playing around the edges.  God’s love is our true north, our bedrock, our only salvation.  In this episode, we see that following Jesus leads us away from chaos, mess, and hatred that vexes our interconnectedness.  Our times are really challenging.  Our opportunity is to break the cycle of self- centered or self-actualized notions of power.  Our moment invites us to be together as a way of finding our way in God’s way.
 
The story is getting wild and interesting.  We need to be prepared for what is to come.  We have a part to play in God’s holy history.  As we tune in for the rest of the story, we do well to pray as St. Francis encouraged:
 
Lord, make us instruments of your peace
Where there is hatred, let us sow love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
And where there is sadness, joy
O Divine Master, grant that we may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console
To be understood, as to understand
To be loved, as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
And it's in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it's in dying that we are born to Eternal Life


This is what real power is, and it will save us all.
 
Amen