A sermon by Senior Minister John B. McCall, July 4, 2010
Matthew 16:13-28
His name was Simon Bar-jonah – Simon, son of John. He was born in the long-lost village of Bethsaida, on the west side of the Jordan River in the region of Galilee. He was a fisherman when Jesus called him and his brother Andrew to discipleship. They may have been pals since childhood, but even if they had just met Jesus knew what made Simon tick. “You are petros,” said Jesus, speaking the Greek word for rock, “and on this Rock I will build my Church.” From that time he was known as Simon Peter, or Cephas (the Aramaic) or just Peter – the Rock.
Now what are the qualities of a rock? Not beauty, brains or personality. But rock is solid… hard to get it rolling and once it’s rolling hard to stop it! That was Peter all right.
Scripture tells us he was an early church leader – a bishop in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and Antioch. He then went to Rome where he led the Christian community for nearly 25 years. Bishops then were not like bishops now, more like a local priest, though slightly elevated above his peers.
Peter died much as Jesus did – crucified by the Romans. Emperor Nero had led the persecution of Christians throughout the Empire and ordered Peter’s execution in 67 AD. Again, tradition tells us Peter begged to be crucified upside down because he didn’t feel worthy to die in the same manner Jesus had. He was buried in the heart of Rome – the spot marked to this day by St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest Christian sanctuary in the world, holding 60,000 worshipers. Ben was there on Easter afternoon just this past April.
These are the facts of the life of this “First Follower” among many, this disciple who carried the Gospel to the West beyond the confines of the ancient Holy Land, all the way to the very seat of the Roman Empire where he gave his life as a witness to God’s loving purposes shown in Jesus.
Among his many characteristics scripture tells us Peter was impetuous:
• He was the first disciple to declare aloud that Jesus was the Christ,
• He was also the first disciple to deny Jesus, not once but three times.
• Some Gospels say he was the first of the disciples to see that the tomb was empty on Easter morning (though “the women” got there first!)
• Then he was the first disciple from the fishing boat to recognize the risen Christ in the story at the very end of the Gospel of John.
• And in its beautiful narrative form Jesus asked Peter three times “do you love me,” and three times Peter said “Lord… you know I love you.” “Then feed my sheep, tend my lambs.”
Peter embodied the words of today’s opening hymn: “child of earth yet full of yearning, mixture strange of good and ill; from your ways so often turning yet your loves does seek us still.”
Another characteristic of Peter’s was his bluntness. It appears he never had a thought come into his head but it then came out of his mouth. I suspect others were just too polite to say what they all were thinking – most famously in today’s account where Jesus became so exasperated he finally said “get behind me, Satan!”
Peter was always trying to game the system – to find a short-cut, a way to spare Jesus and the community the suffering that Jesus said was unavoidable. But once he got rolling – like a Rock – it was hard to stop him. When he finally found his direction he was immovable.
Maybe that’s why he was first among equals.
Ten years ago several of us saw the small stone chapel on the shore of the Sea of Galilee near the village of Tabgha, where’s today’s lesson took place. It was built by Franciscan monks on a foundation dating to the 4th century. It’s called the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter. It reminds us that Peter gained a unique place in the history of the Christian Community.
Later, as bishop of Rome he became the most powerful leader in the church. His successors as bishops of Rome continued that central role. A little later, in the fourth century, Emperor Constantine declared the entire Roman Empire to be Christian, ending the persecutions and securing the power of the bishop at Rome, soon called the Holy Father, “Il Papa” or simply the Pope.
To this day the insignia of the Pope is a pair of crossed keys – one gold and one silver with a red cord – drawing from Matthew 16:19 when Jesus said to Peter “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
To this day, every Roman Catholic priest claims apostolic succession – each generation ordained by the ones who were ordained by the ones who were ordained by the ones who were ordained by the Apostles, and by Peter himself.
What might we learn about our own discipleship from the story of this First Follower?
Maybe the most obvious is that as it was for Peter, so it is for you and me: promises made; promises broken; new promises made as life unfolds. We who want to be disciples are called to self-awareness through prayer and meditation and scripture; we’ve also called to community – to belong.
There’s an easy misperception by some who think today’s Followers are self-righteous prigs, or hypocritical pretenders who act righteous on Sundays but who then go out to rob, cheat and steal the other days of the week. Certainly that’s true of some. But that’s not my experience. As I’ve lived my life within the Christian community, I’ve found real, honest, loving people who’ve sinned and fallen short, but have continued to gather in worship, knowing this is the place we bring our joys and our sorrows.
• I’ve known so many who don’t want to judge others, and who want to be freed of the feeling that they are judged.
• I’ve known many who are often righteous but rarely self-righteous.
• Some have experienced deep wounds and some have caused wounds in others.
• I’ve seen many slip quickly into the back pew after the service has already started, and haven’t been able to make eye contact with their neighbor in the pew or with me because they feel they’re beyond God’s healing touch.
• And then, over time I’ve watched the miracle that God can bring into their lives by faith that leads to abundant life.
This recognition of our humanity and our brokenness, right beside the miracle of grace and our ability to do great things for God… this is the reason the words at the beginning of worship ring so true: “no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.”
Simon Peter would have taken those words to heart.
I hope we do, too, especially on this day as we share the bread and cup and remember that we are offered forgiveness no matter what.