Sermon for September 15, 2024: Who Do People Say That I Am? based upon Mark 8:27-38

Mark 8:27-38 Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’
He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘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, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’

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Who is John the Baptist?

• A miracle child born to a couple who had given up hope that they would conceive.
• Jesus’ cousin who baptized him.
• A wild-man prophet accuser of kings.
• One who was killed in an act of political violence.
• Not Jesus

Who is Elijah?

• An Israelite prophet
• Enemy of Jezebel and accuser of kings
• Champion over the priests of Baal
• One who ascended into heaven
• Not Jesus

     Who are some other prophets from the Hebrew Bible? Isaiah, Elisha, Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Joshua, Deborah, Jeremiah. And, many more. Importantly, Jesus is not any of them (though the Gospel writers reference several of them when telling the stories of Jesus’ life).

     You maybe remember last week, as I was offering the blessing of the backpacks, I mentioned that Jesus asked a lot of questions that have been recorded in the Gospels. “Who do people say that I am” is one of them. “Who do you say that I am?” is another.  These questions about identity come after two interesting miracle stories with a story about an argument between them. The first miracle story is one of the stories about thousands of people coming to hear Jesus and him realizing they don’t have food, then taking a little bit of food his disciples round up and then making more than enough for the crowd (Mark 8:1-10). After this story, is a description of an argument between Jesus and some Pharisees (Mark 8:11-21).

     The Pharisees, who, like Jesus, were very concerned with following God’s law, ask for some kind of sign that Jesus is actually from heaven. He could just be tricking everyone, after all. Jesus gave them no sign and left with his disciples. Perhaps because everyone had bread on their mind after the big miracle, he tells his disciples to watch out for “the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” They had no idea what he was talking about, and think he’s complaining about not having enough lunch. I think he’s telling them to be careful about listening to people who are suspicious of him and who are threatened by his work.

     Then, there’s this odd little miracle in Bethsaida that doesn’t seem to work the first time (Mark 8:22-26). Loved ones of a man who was blind brought him to Jesus to be healed. Jesus led him out of the village and put spit on his eyes. Laying his hands on him, he asked if he could see anything. Turns out that the spit did not work. The man appeared to be able to see a little more, but not fully. People looked like trees walking. Jesus touched his eyes again. This time, the man could see. Jesus sent him home but told him not to go back to the village. This is part of that whole secrecy thing that Jesus does in Mark. He often heals people and then instructs them not to talk about it.

     Jesus’ questions to his disciples follow this odd little miracle. Maybe you notice this pattern. A thing happens that shows us who Jesus is: A miracle.... A bit of teaching... An argument. Then, Jesus sits down with his disciples to see if they understand what they just witnessed. There’s a solid chance they don’t understand. What he wants to know is how they understand his identity. Why he needs to know is because their understanding of his identity will shape how they follow him. And, he needs to make sure that they follow him in ways that reflect who he really is.

     If you believe that hating transgender people is a core part of Jesus’ identity, you’re going to behave hatefully to transgender people. If you believe that Jesus hates non-Christians, you’re going to behave hatefully to non-Christians. If you believe that Jesus set this country aside for white Christians with ancestors from Europe to run, then you are going to craft a government that excludes people who aren’t white Christians with ancestors from Europe. Those are all things that some Christians believe and that affects how they act, both historically and in this very moment. It is wise to consider who you think Jesus is. I hope you will pay attention to the Bible when you make that determination.

     Peter answered Jesus’ question with “You are the Messiah.” Jesus then told him and the rest of the disciples not to tell anyone about him. In this moment, Peter seems to actually understand who Jesus is and it’s curious that Jesus wants to prevent him from sharing that insight more broadly. In her commentary on this text, Dr. Courtney V. Buggs notes that Jesus is described as silencing the disciples with the same language he rebukes demons and dangerous weather. Dr. Buggs points to the work of Emerson Powery to help explain why Jesus might be hesitant to allow his disciples to talk about him as a Messiah:
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“For Peter and most Jews, ‘Messiah’ (Christos) refers to a militaristic, political figure who would overthrow Rome’s power and establish a new Davidic kingdom, which itself would inaugurate the kingdom of God. Such a divinely authorized figure could not be the one who … would ‘suffer many things … and be killed.’”

     Buggs notes that when explaining his understanding of his identity to his disciples, Jesus uses the phrase “Son of Man.” This phrase means “Human Being” or “Human One.” Jesus will often call himself this rather than Messiah. The Human One will not be one who rides in triumphantly. The Human one will be persecuted and killed. And, he means real persecution. Not fake US political culture war persecution. The Human One’s loyalty to his mission will come at great sacrifice on his part.

     Peter is appalled by this and says so to Jesus, taking him aside and rebuking him. Now, I’d like to have a word with Jesus about why he zapped that fig tree that one time. I don’t think I’d go so far as to rebuke him if he was sharing his own understanding of his life and mission. Peter made a different choice than I would. And, he got called Satan for it.

     As Dr. Buggs makes clear in her commentary, the question of suffering and sacrifice in the context of following Jesus has been a contentious one since the time of Jesus himself. Peter did not want to imagine Jesus suffering and being harmed. Which, I understand. I would fear for a friend or teacher or even a messiah who I knew expected to anger people so much that they would kill him for it. I regularly do fear for friends and colleagues who make sacrifices of their physical safety in service to others. This scripture makes clear, though, that if our ideas about how who Jesus is are limited by concerns about safety in the face of oppression, we will find ourselves unwilling to make sacrifices necessary for following him.

     The Cross was a tool of political violence, often enacted on populations of people Rome sought to control. Notice that Jesus does not tell people that following him will allow them to put other people on the cross... will provide them with the power of life and death over someone else. Jesus does not invite people to follow him so that they can get revenge on the people who threaten them will violence every day. Jesus identifies with those who are harmed by the powerful. If you understand him as one who enacts violence, you are understanding him incorrectly. He is clear that he will be one who risks being a victim of violence to stand with the ones who are beloved by God. If you understand this part of his identity, you must follow him in doing the same.

     We must be careful not to take these words and turn around and demand suffering that we call redemptive from people who are already burdened. Remember those hungry people and that blind man from earlier in chapter 8? Jesus alleviated their suffering. What Jesus is talking about here is how to use power. He would not use his power to treat his adversaries the way that Rome treated theirs. Those of us who follow him will not use the power granted to us through the Holy Spirit to harm others. We will, instead, not consider our own comfort to be more important than the mission to which he calls us. That mission is healing and feeding, as we saw him do earlier in this chapter.

     This week, when you are presented with the opportunity to choose between what J. B. Blue calls “a life complicit with the old age ... and a life that witnesses to [God’s] realm,” you’ll point yourself to God’s realm rather than the status quo. It may be disruptive to plans you had already made or expectations you that were sure, but Jesus shows us that after the suffering comes the resurrection. Suffering is a part of this life, but not the purpose of it. New Life is. Who do you say Jesus is? May what we say always shape what we do.

Resources consulted while writing this sermon:

Cheryl Lindsay: https://www.ucc.org/sermon-seeds/identity/

Alexander Rofé's article on Elijah in the Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, Paul Achetemeier, ed. (New York: HarperCollins, 1996)

Courtney V. Buggs: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-24-2/commentary-on-mark-827-38-6

Richard Horsley's notes on Mark in The New Oxford Annotated Bible: The New Revised Standard Version with Apocrypha, ed. Michael Coogan (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001)

J.B. Blue, "Proper 19 [24]," Preaching God's Transforming Justice: A Lectionary Commentary, Year B Featuring 22 New Holy Days for Justice, Ronald J. Allen, Dale P. Andrews, and Dawn Ottoni- Wilhelm, eds. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011)