23/8/26
Who You Are
The usual path for the preacher today is as follows.
In this Q&A session, Peter is open to the Holy Spirit, who reveals who Jesus really is—the Messiah.
It is not flesh and blood that has revealed this to Peter.
For Peter’s insight and faithfulness, he is given not only a new name, but also the responsibility of being the rock of the Church.
The preacher usually goes on to say how fabulous this all is. That a grubby, humble fisherman could be chosen as the rock of the Church and if there is hope for this guy who smells like the mullet gone off in the sun two days ago, well heck, there is hope for each and every one of us here and those who didn’t quite make it today.
Further, here is a clear indication of the Master leaving behind a physical, tangible church for the generations to come. Such is his care for us, for he knows that we are going to need something to keep on reminding us and pointing beyond ourselves and to the divine.
All jolly good.
But peel back those layers, and I detect something else going on here.
Peter sees who Jesus truly is and gives him his rightful title and a job to do.
‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’
Now in return, Jesus gives Peter a new name and a job to do.
You are Peter, the rock of the Church.
One is a response to the other. One mirrors the other. A three-step tango.
- The recognition of who the other is.
- The imposition of a new name.
- Then a vocation to be lived.
The scary but good news is that this divine interchange is just not for St. Peter. It is for you and for me.
When we see the Master for who he is
When we can call him friend, brother, Lord, then we will have nestled into a closer relationship, stepped through into another dimension with him, and we will see what he can do. And not just nifty party tricks like water into wine, or the multiplying of the loaves and fishes, but we will also see what he can do with a cross and a grave.
But here’s the confronting bit.
In return, the Rabbi tells us who we are. He gives us a new name and gives us a vocation to live out, to thrive, to stumble and ultimately to triumph.
This is not always easy, and there will be some days when we will have much preferred to stay in bed, pulled the covers over our heads and waited for the whole cataclysm to go away. It would be simpler and less complicated.
Knowing who we truly are, God’s adored child, is not just a glorious and wonderful thing, but also calls us to do all the things that are mentioned in the first lesson. It’s quite a job description.
“Let your love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you; Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Do not claim to be wiser than you are.”
It’s quite a daunting list, not just in the quantity of things but the quality of selflessness. The bar is set dizzyingly and intimidatingly high. We will accomplish these things only if we understand who we truly are, and perhaps it might help if I tell you about another little boy who began to understand who he was. It happened like this.
The little boy is playing in front of his parents' bedroom mirror when he stops and looks at the image that has stopped and is now looking at him. He ponders who the boy in the mirror is and therefore wonders who he himself is. Who am I? The thought is terrifying, so he goes rushing to his mum who is peeling the spuds at the kitchen sink.
“Mum, mum, who am I?” Without missing a beat, she calmly continues peeling the spuds and replies, ‘You know who you are, darling. She repeats his name and address.
‘No, no,’ he tugs at her apron, insisting that his mother has not understood the question and the urgency of his feeling.
Mother now puts down the potato and the peeler and wipes her hands on her apron. Sits down at the table and hoists him onto her knee.
She looks him straight in the eye and gives him the answer that he is really looking for.
‘You are a child of God, and you are infinitely precious in his sight.
You are a child of God, and you are infinitely precious in his sight.’
And next time you look in the mirror… you might remember….