Listen to it again….
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good; love one another … outdo one another in showing honor. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer..keep a conversation with God going. Contribute to the needs of the saints…help your friends and neighbors…but also pursue…actively seek to be hospitable, welcoming, to strangers.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be arrogant, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but do what is noble in the sight of all….take the high road. “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink,” Do not be overcome by evil….don’t let the evil that others do draw you into doing evill, but overcome evil with good.
So…at Bible study on Wednesday…after reading this, Wendy said basically …well, that’s the whole deal isn’t it? And….I think she’s right. This is basically what it’s all about…this faith thing…this Jesus thing. Pretty much sums it up.
I mean…why are we here? Why do we come to church? Why do we follow Jesus? Why do we trust in God?
It’s because somewhere inside of us…this…this list of what Paul writes about how we are to be with one another…it resonates somewhere deep inside us as utterly true.. We hear this and know that THIS is what is right and good and beautiful in the world. This is who we want to be…what we want to be like. How we want the whole world to be. And we believe this is exactly who Jesus is. And so every time we look at Jesus …read about Jesus…we get this glimmer of hope that the world can be different than it is. And when we see ordinary people who live like this….ordinary people who care for each other…who refuse to be cruel or belittle others….ordinary people who are humble and kind…who feel other’s pain and celebrate others joys…that hope just bubbles up…and we’re like — that’s it. That’s the good stuff.
Of course, it’s also true that when we see the opposite…when we see people who don’t care…who are arrogant and vindictive and greedy …we feel that same deep feeling…but it’s a feeling of absolutely “No”….that is not what we want in this world. We automatically recognize those who act contrary to this as the villains in our human story, don’t we?. I am a big fan of Korean dramas….and the bad guys are pretty easy to pick out — they are always the school bullies who are cruel to other kids and the criminals who prey on the weak, they are the Corporate elites who value profit over people. and the corrupt politicians and lawyers and law enforcement officers who ignore injustice for their own gain. Every single time. And the same is true in every superhero movie…every pixar movie….isn’t it? Most of them feature the same basic truth about what is good in this world and what is not.
So, like Wendy said….this is the whole deal. This is the good stuff…all of it. This is what it’s all about.
This is what Jesus is all about.
But the problem is…even though it is good…and we know it to be absolutely true deep in our bones….it often looks and feels like weakness and failure in this world. It is not the path to prosperity and it’s certainly not the way to be a “winner”. Not by a long shot. Instead, Jesus says….this way of living…t’s the path to the cross. To getting hurt…to even losing your life.
So for a little context…right before the conversation between Peter and Jesus we read this morning, Peter had just made his famous confession. ‘Who do people say that I am?’, Jesus asked. And Peter says…’you are the Messiah…the son of the living God.’ Peter has staked his claim with Jesus. He believes that Jesus is the one they’ve all been waiting for. Jesus reveals God’s heart, God’s way, God’s presence here on earth….the whole deal. And that’s why Peter’s sticking with him. But then Jesus is clear…this way I live…thiis path I walk…isn’t going to lead you to a throne on this earth. We won’t be replacing Herod or Pilate … much less Caesar….in their palaces or halls of power. Rather, those folks are going to capture me, abuse me, and kill me.
And Peter says…”God forbid!” Just…“No!” You are everything that is good and right and beautiful in this world, Jesus. That can’t be what happens. I won’t let it.
But sadly.. In this world…the good and the beautiful and the right…they do get run over by the bullies and bigots and the big shots again and again and again. And Peter’s deepest hope that maybe this time that won’t be the case….our deepest hope…that somehow the world would be different….that Jesus would MAKE it different….that just doesn’t happen. Instead…following Jesus means choosing the good and the beautiful and the right….even when it means we end up losers. Even when it means we will be hurt. Even when it is unpopular and expensive and impractical. Even if we die.
Choosing to follow Jesus…means that I have to let go of the world’s goals — and choose Jesus’ goals instead.
So what are the world’s goals? Pretty much — to have more money and be more important and to get even with anybody who has wronged me. I think that sums it up, does it not? Money…importance…getting even. Think about it..They drive economies and nations and empires of all kinds on global scales. But those same goals also drive our smaller family and personal dramas, don’t they? Even in our own families, our own communities, we argue over money…and wonder who is more important, who works harder or whose opinion matters more…and we often still hang on to old resentments over wrongs that we can’t let go of and still want to make them pay somehow. This is the stuff that, even though we know deep down, it’s not the good stuff….we still get hooked into it.
It is hard to do the beautiful and good and right things sometimes. So hard. So hard to be kind and gracious to people who are jerks. So hard to go high when they go low. So hard to let go of my need to be “right”…and learn from others. So hard to welcome strangers…to truly make room in my space…in my community… for outsiders…people not like. So hard to be happy for others in their success, when I feel like a failure. So hard to weep with others in their loss when I’m feeling on top of the world. So hard to be generous in a way that costs me. So hard to treat people with respect and honor when I’d rather ignore them. So hard to not want to get even.
Yes, the way of Jesus is hard….and Jesus doesn’ t pretend it isn’t. He won’t let us pretend it isn’t. But it is the only holy way in this world. Holiness isn’t found in moral purity…following religious rules…. or having the correct theology…even though people have been trying to say that it is forever. Holiness….the presence and experience of God in our midst …The kingdom…the reign of God…is choosing love. Choosing generosity. Choosing welcome. Choosing kindness. Choosing empathy. Choosing forgiveness. It is the way of the cross. But here’s the thing — the way of the cross is also the way of resurrection. It is the way of life….the way that gives us a joy and peace that cannot be taken from us…no matter what else we may lose. And it is the abundant life…the good and beautiful life that Jesus came to give us.
And there will be moments…when we will get that. Moments that we truly get a taste of that joy and peace that comes in the goodness that overcomes evil. There will be moments we embrace the way of Jesus completely. But of course, there will be even more moments when we don’t. When we want an easier road…when we’re tired and frustrated and angry and it all seems too hard. And you know what? That’s okay. We get to be human too. Sometimes we’re going to be like Peter…and get it all wrong. But then…then we get to say we’re sorry and we get to know that there’s grace for us…there’s grace for us when we lose sight of God’s goodness…God way in this world. Jesus doesn’t give up on Peter…he loves him. And Jesus doesn’t give up on us either. Ever. He just keeps showing up along side us, loving us and saying “Psst….this way. Over here. This is the good stuff.” This is where God is. Follow me.”
Basically saying pretty much what Wendy said…this is the whole deal, friends. Don’t forget. Don’t forget. Amen.
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