Building a Neighborhood
Matthew 16:13-20, Romans 12:1-8 When Allan and I began at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, VA, Tom Graves was the president. He led the procession of faculty members in the first convocation we attended in the fall of 1996 (30 yrs ago) as he did every year with a white hand towel draped over his left arm. Dr. Graves had made the servant’s towel a symbol the seminary adopted from its very first convocation. And every student received one upon their graduation embroidered with our names. It was a symbol of calling to a world that needed servant-leaders. Dr. Graves set the example from the start. Three years ago this month, Tom Graves passed away, after years of living with MS. At the time, one of our professors, Dr. Linda McKinnish Bridges, wrote a tribute to him. It reminded me so clearly of something he said (asked, really) at every convocation: Students would hear his polished, public speaking voice, which had been shaped by years of collegiate debate, at the beginning of every fall term, when he welcomed the new and old students to campus. The cadence and timbre of his voice still rings in my ears to this day. He would pause from the traditional presidential welcome speech, stand on his heels and lean into the pulpit, and then boldly and loudly ask, “WHY are YOU here?” The inquiry was not condescending judgment but an honest invitation to engage in self-reflection, to begin an open dialogue about commitment to ministry, to the challenges of the rigors of advanced theological study and the simple but daunting command of Christ to serve others.1 Why are you heeeere? Dr. Graves asked us this clarifying question every year. It’s a very similar kind of question to the ones Jesus is asking in our gospel passage today. “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “And how about you? Who do you say that I am?” They are pointed questions. Clarifying questions. Posed to his audience of closest disciples here in Matthew 16, but also powerfully clarifying questions for us to consider today. One of our own identifying statements as a body is that we are committed to faithfully thinking. These questions challenge us to think, wonder, and then answer Jesus’ questions for ourselves: Who do people (out there) say that I am? And what about you, Weatherly, who do you say that I am? The people in and around Caesarea Philippi, Jewish and non-Jewish, have a few opinions about who Jesus might be. Some say John the Baptist. Did they believe as Jesus once said (Matthew 11:11) that no greater man had ever been born from a woman than John? So, this must be him. No, those who witnessed his baptism know Jesus is not John. Others thought Jesus was some sort of recycled prophet, reaching back to Elijah, or maybe Jeremiah. Is God still reliant upon these prophets of old, reincarnated, to lead, teach, and heal the people? Very soon, Peter, James and John will witness Jesus standing on the mountain of transfiguration next to Moses and Elijah. No, God is not recycling prophets. God is doing something altogether new in the person of Jesus. The disciples seem puzzled about answering Jesus’ next question. No one speaks. Until Peter, again, emerges as the spokesperson for the Twelve. Peter’s confession clarifies for the first time precisely who Jesus is. “You are the Christ, the son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Peter is singled out and celebrated for his answer. It isn’t his best guess, nor something he came up with on his own, or read in a book. This truth has been revealed to him, Jesus says, by heaven above. “God himself let you in on the secret of who I am, and now I am going to tell you who you really are!”2 Peter receives Jesus’ blessing threefold. 1) The church, the ekklesia, will be built upon “this rock”; 2) that the church will prevail against the gates of death; and 3) that the keys of the kingdom of heaven will be given to Peter. Because of these verse, so many jokes start with “St. Peter was standing at the Pearly Gates when…” An engineer arrives and stands before St. Peter. “Why are you here?” asks […]