Matt’s Musings

Dear St. Paul’s Friends and Family,

“And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’” (Matt. 16:22)

I’m sympathetic to Peter’s response (see above) to Jesus’ prediction regarding his own arrest, suffering, and death at the hands of the religious leaders in Jerusalem.  I try to avoid suffering when I can and I wish the same for others, especially my close friends, family, and church members.  No matter how much the human desire for self-preservation kicks in, none of us can lead a life free of suffering.  No one will get out of this life unscathed, and perhaps that’s a good thing, otherwise, we would not have had the opportunity to live.  We don’t get to have life without death and all the things (good and bad) that come along the way.

From Peter’s point of view, Jesus’ suffering looked avoidable.  The steps that Jesus could take were simple.  Don’t go to Jerusalem.  Stay away from the religious leaders who may harm you.  Keep your head down for a bit and the controversy will blow over.  

Jesus is having none of Peter’s thinking.  “Get behind me, Satan!  You are a stumbling block to me” he tells his trusted disciple, “You have your mind set not on divine things, but on human things.”  Christians over the centuries have tried to understand Jesus’ harsh response to Peter.  Perhaps Jesus’ reaction to Peter is because Peter offers a vision of preservation and protection that is tempting, but cuts against the very nature of Jesus’ ministry.  Jesus’ saving work is among a people who have been dispossessed by the religion of their day and further victimized by the religious and civil leaders who ruled over them.  In other words, religion had become a social sedative that kept them in line with the wishes of those in power rather than a transformative presence that immersed them in the saving work of God.  Jesus wished to change that narrative by declaring God’s unconditional love and presence for all the people, and not just for those who were in the good graces of the religious leaders.

Jesus expanded on the purpose of his ministry by reminding the disciples what it would mean for them to be part of his saving work.  They would need to shift their vision from personal concerns and focus on the needs of others.  Taking up their cross and following meant making sacrifices for others, so that their neighbors could experience God’s loving presence.  The big difference between Peter’s and Jesus’ desires was that Peter focused on self-preservation while Jesus focused on the wholeness of others.  Our calling is to engage in similar work, less worrying about ourselves, but relying on God’s love to care to sustain us, while we offer our lives to care for others.  May we experience this holy unity as we live within God’s spirit as a beloved community, working for shared wholeness and abundance for all of God’s children.

Blessings on your journey,

Pastor Matt