“Who Do You Say I Am?”: Mark 8: 27-38

Pastor Deb Troester, STHPC, February 25, 2024

It’s normal human behavior to compare ourselves with others. It starts when we’re just kids. When she was six, our daughter tried to convince us to buy her a TV for her bedroom by saying, “All the other kids in my class have a TV in their room,” which didn’t get her very far. Another time she came home and told me, “At Laura’s house they don’t wash their hands before they eat.” I said, “Well, at our house, we do, so go wash them!” Our daughter learned when she was little that in our family there are some things we do, whether other people do them or not. One day she discovered that some of her friends did not attend church. She wondered why. I told her that some people, for whatever reasons, don’t go to church, but that in our family, we do. “And Grandma and Grandpa go to church, too,” she added. “Yes, they do,” I said. “In our family we go to church.” I am sure most of you can say, “In our family we do such and such, because it is important to us.”

So, what about being a Christian? Are there certain things we do or don’t do because we belong to the Christian family? If we say, “I’m a Christian. I belong to Santa Teresa Hills Presbyterian,” do our actions fit with the name we call ourselves?

Our scripture this morning begins with an important question, perhaps the most important question in the Bible. Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?” At this point in Jesus’ ministry, many people were wondering who Jesus was. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and taught about God with authority. When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” they answered, “John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus made it personal: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” At that time most people, thought that the promised Messiah would chase the Romans out of Palestine and set up an independent Jewish nation, as in the time of King David and King Solomon. The splendor of those ancient kingdoms would be revived, and the Jews would no longer be a subjugated people.

Of course, now we know that was not what Jesus had in mind, nor what God had planned, but to Peter that was what “Messiah” meant, so when Jesus started talking about his suffering and death to come, Peter rebuked him. Suffering and dying were not part of Peter’s plan for the Messiah. But it was God’s plan. Jesus told Peter, “You are setting your mind not on divine things, but on human things.” In other words, “Your human plans for me are not what God has in mind.” God had a much bigger plan, a plan that would include all humanity, not just one nation.

         Jesus still asks us today, “Who do you say that I am?” Most of us know the Apostles’ Creed which states, “I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord.” Perhaps at our confirmation or baptism we affirmed our faith in Jesus as our Savior. But did we repeat those words because we were expected to, or do we really believe them and claim them for our own?  

I once heard that it is impossible to say “No, Lord” to Jesus.  We can say “No,” or we can say “Lord,” but not both, because if Jesus is truly our Lord, we can only say, “Yes” to what He asks of us.

If we do not follow Jesus’ commandments, He is not our Lord, no matter how much we may repeat it. Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we do not do this, or at least try to, can we truly say that Jesus is the Lord of our lives?

This may be why Jesus follows up this dialogue with Peter with one of his most famous sayings, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” If we say that Jesus is our Lord, sooner or later we will have to deny our own desires in order to follow Him. It’s easier to live our lives just paying attention to our own wants and needs. We don’t mind helping our friends, and for most of us our families take priority. Yet can we truly say that we follow Jesus and ignore the pain and suffering we see around us – the unhoused, refugees, immigrants, neighbors who are going hungry? If we say that Jesus is the Messiah who came to show God’s love to the world, and we say that we follow him, we have to change the way we live.

Every day we are faced with choices – to follow our own selfish impulses or to do what Jesus would have us do. Each day we must chose to follow Jesus, deny ourselves, and take up our cross.

Years ago, when we lived in Old San Juan, each Good Friday we would watch the re-enactment of the passion of Christ. A procession wound its way through the narrow 16th century streets. People in Bible time costumes led the way, followed by people dressed as Roman soldiers marching in order. Finally an actor, playing the role of Christ, followed, carrying an immense cross. He was painted in realistic-looking make-up, to make it appear that blood dripped down from the crown of thorns and there were welts across his back. Roman soldiers cracked whips, making it seem as if they were flogging him. He stumbled, falling beneath the weight of the cross. I don’t know how wise we were as parents, but once we took Christa to see this, thinking it would be an educational cultural experience. She was about five or six. When she saw Jesus fall, she cried out, “Won’t somebody help him!”

She began to cry. We explained to her that it was just an actor, pretending, and that he wasn’t really  hurt, but of course, we had to leave.

As we recall from the gospel story, when the real Jesus stumbled and fell, the soldiers compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, to carry Jesus’ cross. Even Jesus did not have to carry the cross alone, so in reflecting on Jesus words about taking up our cross, I began to wonder, “What would it look like for us to help each other carry the cross?”

Let me give a simple example. We always close our choir rehearsals with a prayer – thank you, Hugh. Last Thursday after I made a prayer request, Cathy gave me a hug. That was exactly what I needed at that moment. I did not need anyone to offer advice or try to solve my problem. I just needed my request to be heard and prayed for, and I needed a hug. This is what helping each other to carry our cross can look like. There may be practical ways, too – bringing food when someone is sick, visiting them in the hospital or nursing home. Lending a hand when we see a need.

But if we don’t get to know each other or develop relationships within the church how will we know when someone is hurting? How can we get close enough so that we are comfortable offering or accepting help? That’s one reason why we have coffee, tea, and snacks after church – so people will hang around and get to know one another. Try to talk to one new person each Sunday, someone who isn’t a close friend. Try to make a visitor feel at home and heard. That’s why we have fellowship activities. That’s one reason why we offer Bible studies, and even choir. These are all opportunities for us to get to know each other better, to become more of a family. Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” It is hard to love someone you don’t know. An advantage of a relatively small church like ours is that we can actually get to know everyone, but we need to take the initiative to reach out.

Even Jesus needed his friends. On the cross, he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Jesus may have felt that God had abandoned him, but his friends had not. They were there – John, his mother Mary, and the other women, praying for him and bearing witness to his suffering. He did not have to suffer and die alone.

One thing we pastors learn in our pastoral care classes is that in some sense we represent God’s presence when we minister to people who are suffering. When someone is in pain, whether physical or emotional, they may not be able to sense God’s presence, or God’s love. They may even think God has abandoned them; they may be angry with God. But we, as Christians, when we accompany someone who is ill or suffering, we can offer the comfort of our presence, if nothing else. A real, caring person is more tangible than an invisible God, and God’s love can be shown through us.

You don’t have to be a pastor to do that. When Joe’s sister Marti was in hospice, he told me that he often held her hand, even when he wasn’t sure she was aware of it. I don’t know if Marti could sense God’s presence at those times, but I am sure that in some way, she knew she was not alone. God was present to her in the loving touch of her brother’s hand. A couple of weeks ago, Pastor Jenni talked about “embodied faith.” Being present with others, offering support and prayer are some of the ways our faith is embodied.

In Galatians 6:2 Paul wrote, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” What is the law of Christ? Jesus said, I give you a new commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you, …By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

         Being a church is more than being a social club, although we certainly can have fun sometimes. It is more than getting together to help those less fortunate, although that is an important part of our calling. Being a church is even more than worshiping God together, although worship is one of the great ends of the church. Being a church means that we belong to Christ’s family, and in Christ’s family we love and forgive each other, we pray for each other, we are there for each other. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.”

So today I leave you with this thought: Jesus still asks, “Who do you say I am?”  If we answer, “Jesus is my Lord,” does it make a difference in our lives? Take up your cross – help each other to carry the cross. And let’s walk together the path that Jesus has shown us. Amen.

©Deborah Troester 2024