WHO ARE YOU?

Dr. Richard J. Henderson September 13, 2009

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Psalm 19
Mark 8: 27-38

Introduction

Several years ago woman came to Faith Community Church for first time. It was during Advent as we were preparing for Christmas. I called her to welcome her later that week. She said, "I'm embarrassed to say this, but there was a clear reason why I started coming back to church."

"Really?" I said.

"Last week my son came home from school and asked me, 'Who is this guy Jesus?' I just thought he would know, but I realized I hadn't been to church in long time, and where else would he find out who Jesus is?"

Who is this guy Jesus? A lot of us keep asking who he is.

In the passage we read today Jesus is the one asking the question, "Who do people say that I am?" The disciples seem to respond casually: "Some say you're John the Baptist, others say you're Elijah reborn, others think you are one of the prophets." Then Jesus asks, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter is usually the first one to answer. As I hear it, Peter answers with a loud, firm voice, "You are the Messiah!"

Then does Jesus say, "Yes, good, you have been paying attention. You get it. Now go and tell everyone you know?"

No, just the opposite happened. He sternly orders them not to tell anyone who he is.

Now isn't that weird? If Jesus was the Messiah, wouldn't he want everybody to know about it? This is great news; shouldn't everybody be aware of it? Why does Jesus tell his disciples to clam up about who he is?

I

What happens next is very important. Right after this discussion Jesus begins to tell his disciples that he will suffer and be rejected by all the religious leaders - the elders, chief priests, and scribes - that he'll be killed, and that he will be raised up in three days. Jesus is very clear and specific about what is coming for him.

The words are barely out of Jesus' mouth when Peter calls him aside. There Peter begins to rebuke Jesus for saying these things about suffering and death.

Rebuke is an interesting word. To rebuke is to chastise, to censure someone. Back when Jesus sternly told the disciples not to tell anyone who he was, the word he used was rebuke. He chastised them not to tell anyone about him.

Now, believe it or not, here is Peter rebuking Jesus or, at least, beginning to. But Jesus cuts Peter short and rebukes him for saying the things that he does. In fact Jesus' rebuke is powerful: "Get behind me Satan!"

II

Peter must have been really upset by what Jesus was saying about suffering and dying. Peter had just boldly declared Jesus the Messiah, and the Messiah doesn't suffer. He is the great religious leader who will take charge and put down the enemies of God. The Messiah will lead with strength, he'll conquer the unfaithful, and he'll put God's people in political power and rule over them. That's what Peter knows the Messiah to be.

Suffering and death are just the opposite of what would happen to the Messiah. Jesus is confusing people. Somebody has to speak to him and tell him to stop talking like that. So Peter stepped forward.

The irony is huge. Peter firmly declares that Jesus is Messiah and then within moments makes it very clear that he doesn't have a clue about what the Messiah is really like.

So maybe Jesus told the disciples to keep their mouths shut about his being the Messiah because they didn't understand what being the Messiah meant. Jesus didn't want disciples out there telling everyone he was Messiah when they didn't understand what Jesus meant by the term. They would mislead people and set up false expectations.

III

We are not unlike Peter and the disciples ourselves. Just as they were confused about who Jesus was, so are we. We think we know who Jesus is, or who we'd like him to be, but Jesus, the Son of God, will always be more that we think he is, greater that we estimate him to be, more mysterious that we give him credit for.

For example, many people see Jesus as the one who wants to make them wealthy. For some reason there has been in every generation in America at least one very successful preacher of the "Prosperity gospel," sometimes known as the "Gospel of wealth." They preach that Jesus wants you to be wealthy, that he wants you to get that promotion and that raise. Jesus wants you to have a wealthy, comfortable life.

This image of Jesus combines people's desire to have more with inspiration to make our pursuit of money seem to be a noble, religious achievement.

I don't suppose the people who follow this idea of Jesus ever mention his words, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." They don't talk about Jesus confrontation with the wealthy man who asks what he must do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus' response, "Go and give all that you have to the poor and come follow me." Surely they overlook Jesus saying, "You cannot serve God and money."

And yet this idea of Jesus lives on, and not only that, but is hugely popular in each generation. Tens of thousands of people will flock to a church that preaches this image of Jesus. It's just that this isn't the Jesus of the New Testament.

There are lots of other false images of Jesus that are popular. There is the Jesus who approves of whatever we're doing. That's the Jesus that the high school football team prays to for victory before the game. That's the Jesus that the leader of the hate rally prays to in order to try to bring God into their cause. That's the Jesus that nations pray to for victory in war. But can this be the Jesus of love, the Jesus who said, "Blessed are peacemakers," the Jesus who taught us to love our enemies?

I read again Mark Twain's War Prayer this past week. Even though Twain wasn't much of a believer, he certainly knew about people worshipping false images of Christ. It is a profoundly religious document, and one I would suggest everyone read once a year.

There are other distortions of who Jesus is, like the Jesus who will give us whatever we want as long as we ask for it sincerely.

We even distort who Jesus is physically. You and I are especially prone to see Jesus as suburban, white, Anglo-Saxon American, forgetting that Jesus was born and raised in the Middle East in a Jewish family. Jesus was not fair, white, and blond; he was more likely dark, and swarthy with black hair. Think of it this way: Jesus would likely be one of the people who airport security would double check before they let him on a plane.

We have lots of distorted views of who Jesus is. Often they are based on who we would like Jesus to be, or the Jesus who would make us comfortable, or the Jesus who would support our prejudices, or give us what we want.

Conclusion

The real Jesus is found in the words and actions of Jesus of Nazareth, as found in the New Testament. To follow this Jesus we will have to give up some precious preconceptions. We will have to be willing to be uncomfortable in his presence, because he often says things we don't want to hear, and does things that bother us. I have a book at home with a wonderful title, "Why Jesus Makes Me Nervous." When we're looking at the real Jesus, he's always going to make us a little nervous.

If we are too comfortable with Jesus then we probably don't have the whole picture of who he is. In our scripture today Jesus said, "If you want to be my followers, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me." Jesus is both demanding and comforting. This same Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

The Jesus of the New Testament will never quite be who we want him to be. He will always be more than we imagine. His life is filled with truth and wonder.

Amen

© Richard J. Henderson 2009