Facing The Future: The Question That Matters

Dr. James Mayfield
Tarrytown United Methodist Church

May 21, 2006

Confirmation Sunday
Celebration of High School Seniors

Text: Matthew 16:13-17

Today in the 9:30 service youth are being confirmed in the faith and fellowship of all true disciples of Jesus Christ; and in the 11:00 service we are celebrating the high school graduation of some of our youth. What more appropriate passage is there for these key moments than the one we read?

Jesus asked the disciples “Who do people say that I am?” It is an interesting question. Who do people say Jesus is?

I am convinced the answer people give says at least as much as about them as it does about Jesus. What we are able to see in Jesus, what we are able to believe about Jesus, what we are able to commit to Jesus is very much related to what is going on inside our heads and hearts. We have a tendency to see what we want to see and not see what we do not want to see, to believe what we want to believe and not believe what we do not want to believe. Our current hopes and fears, influence the way we understand what is going on in our lives. Our past pain and joy with others influences the way we perceive who others are as well as what and why they have done what they have done.

Some of you participated in the course I taught a few years ago dealing with the book Jesus Through The Centuries written by one of the great historians of the Christian faith, Jaroslav Pelikan. In this book, Pelikan described 18 eras in the past 2000 years, and how the concerns, hopes, fears and ideals that were most prominent in each era influenced that era's perception of who Jesus was and is. What we see in Jesus says a lot about ourselves.

One of the classic books about Jesus is one written about 100 years ago by Albert Schweitzer: The Quest For The Historical Jesus. In that book he examined the work of several authors who attempted to write a life of Jesus. What Schweitzer was able to show was the books about Jesus revealed at least as much about the various authors who wrote them as about Jesus. Some of the authors were hostile to Jesus and to Christianity and that was reflected in their books about Jesus. Others were pro-Jesus and tried to make Jesus palatable for themselves and the people of their generation. What they wrote said as much about themselves as about Jesus.

“Who do people say that I am?” Jesus asked. Is Jesus the Jesus presented in the distortions of history, the fiction and fantasy of The DaVinci Code? There are people who want to believe that. Was Jesus an ancient wise man like Socrates? Some people want to believe that. Or was Jesus like Homer's hero of the Odyssey about whom scholars debate whether he was a real man or the fictitious hero? Was Jesus some sort of zealot whose militant concern for the outcast and advocacy for an egalitarian society put him at odds with ultra conservative religious folks of his day as well as the Roman authorities? Was the real Jesus merely a sweet, caring man who was misunderstood in his efforts to teach all of us to be sweet, caring people? Was Jesus not really human, but rather God in disguise doing what only God can do but not really suffering the way we do? Was Jesus a mind boggling mystery, a very real and completely human being while at the same time really and truly being God? Is Jesus the one who stands in judgment of all that is wrong in the world and all that is wrong in us? Is Jesus the one who forgives all that is wrong and is the incarnation of unlimited mercy? The list of descriptions of Jesus can go on and on and on.

“Who do people say that I am?” Jesus asked. “And who do you say that I am?” This is the question that really matters: “Who do you say that I am?”

When Peter answered: “You are the Messiah, the son of the living God,” he was declaring Jesus was his Savior and Lord. Explaining what this brief affirmation means and implies took as great a theologian as Karl Barth a lifetime and 12 thick volumes and then he still had not said it all. But this brief declaration is the heart of the matter. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord. Jesus really is the Messiah.

How did Peter get to the point where he could make this declaration with integrity?

For one thing, Peter had been following Jesus around for quite some time. He had listened to what Jesus had been saying -- even though it is obvious Peter did not fully understand what Jesus was saying. He had been following Jesus for some time and had seen what Jesus had accomplished in the lives of person after person after person. He had seen the impact of Jesus on great crowds. From personal experience Peter had learned he was able to walk on the stormy waters of life as long as he kept his eyes of Jesus but that he sank when he stopped focusing on Jesus and focused instead on the angry waves. Peter's experiences with Jesus were a significant factor in his being able to realize Jesus was the Christ.

But there was something more. Jesus said it this way: “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” Peter's following Jesus around and learning what he was able to learn from Jesus was important. Peter's observing the impact of Jesus on the lives of others was important. His following Jesus and paying attention removed barriers to Peter's heart so that God's grace could move in and live there. This is what finally made the difference in Peter's life -- the activity of God's grace invading and capturing his heart. “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” Recognizing and embracing Jesus as the Messiah as the Lord and Savior of our lives is finally and ultimately a gift from God.

How can we reach the point where with integrity we can declare Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, our Savior and Lord? It will take more than knowing all people have said and are saying about Jesus. It will take hanging around with Jesus of the scriptures, following this Jesus of the scriptures, paying attention to his teachings, and observing his impact on the lives of others. If we do this, all the stuff in our lives that blocks access to the heart of our heart may be pushed aside just enough so that the amazing grace of God can invade in our hearts and make a home there. Then, when the love of God is at home in our hearts, we too will be able to declare “Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.”

By the way, we need to remember, that when Peter recognized Jesus as the Messiah, Peter still had a great deal more to learn. It was only the beginning for Peter, but it was the most important beginning in his life.

God, lead us to that point where deep within we are open to your grace enabling us to wholeheartedly and joyfully affirm that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Pastoral prayer:

God, we give you thanks for each of the young people we celebrate this day – both those in the Confirmation Class and the members of this congregation who are graduating from high school. Motivate each of them to grow in grace, to mature in their faith and to deepen and expand their devotion to Christ. And what we pray for them we pray for ourselves. Rescue each of us from the temptation of thinking we know all we need to know about the Gospel. Do not allow any of us to bog down in our faith journey. Empower each of us with the vitality of deepening intentional commitment to you so that as we move on with our lives, every word we say and every deed we do will be a clear reflection of your grace at work in our lives. Motivate and enable each of us to live as Jesus was teaching us to live when he taught us to pray: “Our Father ....”