1030am Sunday 8-30-2020

This is the good news according to the gospel of Matthew the 16th chapter.

From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples became must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and the chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. And Peter took Jesus a side that began to rebuke him staying God forbid it Lord. This must never happen to you. But he turned and said to Peter get behind me Satan you are a stumbling block to me for you were set for your setting your mind not on Divine things, but on human things. Then Jesus told his disciples if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me for those who want to save their life will lose it. And those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life or what can they give in return for their life? For the son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his father and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you there are some standing here who will not taste death before seeing the son of man coming in his kingdom the gospel of Our Lord. I invite you to be seated if you are standing invite you to join me today and a quick word to prayer as we get into our worship together. Please pray with me.

Chains be broken lives be healed In This Moment Christ be revealed in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit. Amen.

well

So Peter goes rather rapidly.

from Rock to stumbling block Wheatley just read last week Peters declaration that you are the Messiah the Son of the Living God.

Jesus turns to Peter's Proclamation and it is Upon This Rock not Peter about the proclamation promise that he Jesus is coming to save that. The church will be built is on this solid foundation, but life will be proclaimed and preached and given to the world. But it would appear that Peter did not fully comprehend what he meant by Messiah. And it's clear in our text today immediately following his original, you know noteworthy out of boy confirmation of Jesus identity that there's something there's some work to be done to clarify. Just what Jesus is Messiah ship means for the disciples for Israel and for the world

And they go. From Rock to stumbling block in the blink of an eye.

Here's what Jesus tells his disciples.

But he must go to Jerusalem. He must undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and the chief priests and scribes and be killed and the third day be raised. Jesus is pulling from a text in Isaiah chapter 52 and 53 that describes the suffering servant. The one who will come who will be rejected who sings not and yet still suffers the crushing weight. This is if you're familiar with your scripture, this is where we get the verses and the kind of well-known cultural context of you know by his stripes. We are healed right but that he was crushed for our transgressions and killed for our iniquity. This is the text that Jesus is fully from this is the image of Messiah that Jesus has but Jesus speaks this into a world and a culture and do his own disciples who have been shaped informed and molded by that culture. But perceive the Messiah to be the one who comes with great strength from a line of David David was The Greatest Warrior the expanded Israel's borders to military conquest. He was a righteous although very broken and sinful man, but none the less. He sought after God's heart and this was the image. That the Pharisees and the Sadducees in the scribes and even Jesus his own disciples are perceiving and expecting. They don't see any other way that the Messiah could come and accomplish the blessings and fulfill the law and the prophets. I showed the kids that picture of the woman that optical illusion. And maybe when you watch that you were only able to see one of those versions I showed you and it's clear that jeep that Peter and the disciples are not able to see the other side of the picture.

Their brains their culture. That's the way they think is hardwired in such a way that it just blows their mind.

They can't get their they're stuck in their thinking. This is clearly the only way that this can Jesus this is clearly the only option we have this is the only way that our Salvation can be fulfilled. But as Jesus explains, there's more than one way to save the world. And in fact the way that Jesus presents reveals the heart of God reveals the nature and character of the god whom he serves and is

But Peter's response is blunt. and sharp and biting

Peter pulls Jesus a sign that says this and Peter took Jesus side and rebuked him.

Thank God forbid it Lord. This must never happen to you.

What are focusing on that aside language Peter pulling Jesus aside now, if you know if you've been following along in my Bible study virtual Bible study, you know that this past week we we talked about the first section of Matthew. We've begun Our Gospel series over the next couple weeks and in the gospel of Matthew Matthew is writing to a Christian and Jewish community in about 80 to 90 ad misses while after the destruction of the Jewish temple after Israel tried to accomplish their salvation against Rome in the way that they proceeded to buy firewood, which was through military conquest. And so Matthew is writing into this community and he's helping them understand that you will not win your salvation through the way of the sword and of War. Or a cool version or pression or manipulation? You will not win that way. Jesus is helping them understand and nnn for Matthew. Jesus is the new Moses the one who's come to give the new law but in a way that is more perfect than Moses. Who was the original Giver? and so

the Jesus Is trying to help Peter understand a more excellent way of salvation. A more excellent way of life Matthew is unfolding all of this for us today and he's helping us see that not only is Jesus the new Moses Jesus is the promised King the one who is coming to Vanquish the enemy, but the enemy is not the Romans. the enemy is not Egyptians were the Greeks or any other conquering Nation the Babylonians the Assyrians the Egyptians and none of these things. Jesus is helping us understand is the actual enemy. The enemy is Cindy. Enemy is Darkness. The enemy is hatred. The enemy is fear. The enemy is this nebulous opaque entity that lives and resides in the world and in US.

And so Jesus is pull the side. by Peter I'm not a side language got my attention because there's one who also went aside at a moment. In the story of Exodus chapter 3 Moses himself, Jesus is the new Moses. So Moses himself encounters a burning bush. I miss Bush speaks to Moses and I called to him and Moses. Hearns decide another way to say that would be to set a new course. Change what I was looking at to what I'm looking at. Now let go of that moment and focus on this one. He turned aside to focus on the bush and Moses and dogs with the caveat is in the vehicle of his burning bush have this conversation in Moses struggles, but he eventually gets there. And now Jesus the new Moses. He's trying to help his disciples trying to be the burning bush be the light to them telling them what they must do now. I did instead of turning aside and curiosity as Moses did for the burning bush Peter pulls Jesus aside off of his course and says this must not happen. No curiosity. No questions. No. inquiry justice statement of demand it must not be with you Jesus even go so far as to say God forbid it and what Peter doesn't realize this was the plan all along. This is the vehicle through which salvation and life and light we brought into this world.

It is challenging at times in our lives.

to perceive those course changes those aside moments. as opportunities for New Life Especially when we have our mindset.

on things that we are so sure of when our Direction and our course seems so clear. So focused so obvious. God speaks and sometimes God can even speak through evil things. The hateful things such as crucifixion and death. 2 conversion enforce

Jesus speaks to Peter because Peter doesn't fully understand and Jesus turns to Peter's rebuke and that aside moment and says Get Behind Me Satan.

You are a stumbling block to me. Will you resetting your mind not on Divine things but on human things?

The pictures we paint in our minds. About the way things should be. And the way that things are intended to be by God are not always the same thing.

And it is a challenge of discernment is a challenge of Revelation as a challenge of our wisdom. And in fact for us as human beings broken and battered by our past and our art our scars on our hearts. Fear and anxiety. It's impossible for us sometimes to see what God is inviting us to learn.

But none the less in spite of our resistance to God's work and plan in Christ Jesus. He persists on to Jerusalem in spite of our protests. He continues to walk. in spite of our fights he continues to speak. Peace. In spite of our souls he continues to love us.

This journey to the cross that Jesus begins today. From this time on Hazard text tells us they Everything Jesus Does Everything Jesus heals Everything. Jesus helps is done in the shadow of his eventual suffering and death. at his crucifixion of his rejection

and he does it in a way that is full of grace and truth and light he does it in a way that list people up even as they will be the very ones who will push him down into the grave.

He is full of grace. And we are not. And the challenge of the Christian life for you and I is to be able to see the world has Jesus sees it to be able to see ourselves as Jesus sees us to be able to see others as Jesus sees them. even when they pull us aside.

And they hurt us. And they do everything they can to cause us pain. Even then. The call of the Cross and the cruciform life for you and I for cysts. Because Jesus died on the cross, but the resurrection transformed that power and symbol of suffering and shame into a symbol of New Life.

It is easy. to Proclaim

simple Christian truths and feel great about ourselves, but the moment we recognize what that implies. And what that means for us? To go and sell our possessions to go and love our enemies to go and give forgiveness to those who don't deserve it. That is where our life in Christ is tested. That is where the true soul of each of us is found and revealed to be.

Jesus suffers and dies for us and he suffers and dies for you and he suffers and dies for all people. And the challenge for us is to be willing to trust him. And the following into that.

May we have the courage and safe to do so. Or he doesn't for us and with us. osprey gracious God Bebe. Thanks to Dave for your word. Mia correct. Our perception of what it is the kingdom should and ought to be help us God to recognize that the achieving of our goal is not achieved in compost in the Kingdom through force and power and manipulation. But through forgiveness and mercy and compassionate and understanding. Help us. God to forgive those who harm us and to seek forgiveness from Those whom we have harmed. We pray this to me ask that your kingdom be made manifest Among Us in this cruciform journey with Jesus in your name. We pray. Amen.