Through the Cross
We continue this morning right where we left off last week. Jesus and his disciples are still at Caesarea Philippi, a Greco-Roman city built at one of the three main headwaters of the Jordan River, which is also a center for worshipping the pagan god Pan. They are still just outside the large cave known as the Gates of Hades, a presumed entry point to the underworld. In that decidedly non-Jewish spot, Jesus.
Jesus has just asked them the weighty question upon which all of our faith depends, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus gives Peter an A+ for his answer and says he and/or his confession is the rock upon which Jesus will build his church. And here we are!
Now Jesus began to teach them what that word Christ, Greek for Messiah, means. In order to rescue God’s people and restore their relationship with the Father, Jesus must go to Jerusalem and suffer at the hands of their religious leaders, be killed, and on the third day be raised.
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We are Godparents
I grew up in the age of comic books and Super Heros. I remember Superman, Batman & Robin, The Lone Ranger, The Phantom, and some others. I loved watching them either in cartoons or on television, reading comic books. Now more recently, various movie remakes are about them. It always amazed me how they suddenly appeared when there was trouble and people needed help. These super-heroes would perform some superhuman feats of strength and save the day at the last possible second. These had all the ingredients to capture the mind of a young boy growing up. The thing that always impressed me was the way they conducted their lives in complete anonymity. Everywhere they went they left people wondering – “Who was that man?”, “Where did he come from?” Although they left people in a state of awe and wonder, they also left people wondering. They were very selective. Their secrecy impressed me, and it also frustrated me. I couldn’t understand why the people didn’t recognize them. It seemed so very obvious to me. In real life they looked exactly like the super-hero! Really, just a costume or a mask!
In our Gospel lesson today, Jesus asked his disciples what I believe is the most important question of their lives, “Who do you say that I am?” He asked the other question; however, I don’t believe the most important question at the time: Who do they say that I am!” To be fair, the most important question in all our lives is who do we believe Jesus is. Once we have that figured out then we are ready to respond to the “they” people in our lives!
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Canaanites called to Christ
Words have roots which are buried in our language and culture. Often, we may not know them, we forget, until we remember, but they are there just below the surface. If we dig just a little, we find them.
In today’s Gospel Jesus and his disciples encounter a Canaanite woman. That doesn’t mean much to us. Have you ever met a Canaanite? But that’s a loaded term for them. What does Canaanite mean??
After the flood, in Genesis chapter 9, Noah plants a vineyard. The vineyard produces grapes. Grape juice quickly becomes wine. (There was no such thing as grape juice until Thomas Welch invented a pasteurization process in 1869.) Noah has too much wine and passes out drunk, his robes are all akimbo and he is – ahem – uncovered. Awkward!
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