“Humbled into the One Body”

Isaiah 51:6 ⁶Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.

            In the gospel reading Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of the living God.  Jesus in part and excitingly compliments Peter as He discerns that Peter has recognized Him for who He actually is.  Jesus is Christ the Messiah the very Son of the living God sent to build His bride the body our Lord calls His own, which is the Church. 

Jesus compliments Simon and says that he is Peter, which means one who stands like a rock in his beliefs.  It is important to know that Jesus addresses Peter then addresses all of the twelve apostles after complimenting Peter, so when Jesus says on this rock He is not using Peter’s name, which means standing like a rock, Jesus is using the actual word for rock implying that it is the solidity of the salvation God is giving us and not their belief as apostles that He is building His church upon. 

            Peter was not always the rock of faith.  We know that later on Peter has problems with his faith in Jesus as he first rebukes the idea that Jesus the Son of God must die for believing mankind to be saved (Matt 16:21-23).  Peter of course is also well known for denying that he knows Jesus when Jesus was arrested and standing trial.  Three times Peter denies knowing Jesus before the rooster crows surely putting doubt on Peter standing in his faith like a rock. Jesus is telling the apostles that salvation will be like an unmovable rock and this is what the church will be built on, the rock of salvation as the song goes.

            Romans 12:3–5 ³For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

            Jesus prays to the Father to make us one with Him and the Father as Jesus also lets us know that He the Son of God and God the Father are one (John 17).  Jesus then takes the time to humble Peter as He prepares him to work with the other apostles by asking him to care for those whom the Father has given Him (John 21:15-19).  Jesus asks if Peter loves him and to feed His sheep. 

Though Peter was a disciple and an apostle Jesus lets him know he was no more important than any of those that will be sent to serve.  Peter might have made the connection to the time he denied Jesus three times as Jesus asks him three times if he loved Jesus and three times responding to Peter Jesus says feed my sheep.

No one person on this earth or in this church is more important than anyone else in this church or in this world.  We all need a savior.  Though some might think that some are more equal than others, we all share in the equality of sin and therefore share in the equality of grace and mercy from our Lord.

            Jesus humbled Peter to let him know that His church is not being built on Peter’s agenda, but rather on God’s doctrine of grace and mercy.  Peter was not only in the word of God he had been living with the Word of God for three years and living the action of God’s word for the rest of his life.  Peter lived through walking with Jesus; but it was not all fun, games, and social gatherings as he was walking with Jesus. Rather Peter learned from the school of hard knocks that he needed a savior and it was right to learn this from Jesus.  We too as disciples find ourselves learning from the very same school as Peter and many times we also need to be humbled and reminded we too need a savior.

            Thursday morning is when I usually write my article for you to follow along as I give the sermon on any given Sunday.  This Thursday did not lend itself to allow me to get my article done before Susan Seddon comes in to finish copying the bulletin to hand to you for this morning’s service.  Unknowingly the school across the street was having their opening ceremony to start school.  Normally they would call and let me know so that we can block of the lower parking lot if we are having Preschool and allow me to get to the church early enough to have a parking place. Well they forgot to call, and the workers who are redoing our parking lot were trying to prepare our lot to be able to put asphalt on as they watched the parking lot fill up with cars from the school parents.

            Being a good neighbor we always try to accommodate the school but this time it was going to be a little hard, but in good faith I started to let people park their vehicles on our grass to again accommodate the school, however out of fifty cars three got stuck and we tore up our front yard trying to get them out. After the parking lot crew got one very large van out, we pushed a Lincoln Continental out and then paying a tow truck to get the Chevy Suburban out of the yard it looked like a war happened on it.

            Well after speaking kindly to the school superintendent and expressing to the principle that she really needs to give us heads up on these things the school board graciously is going to pay and put our yard back into shape. 

So as the lady who owned the Suburban said she was saved from spending money at garage sales, neighbors from down the street came to help push which led to good conversation about our church, and the parking lot people coming to aid us, when the person came over to let me know they will repair our yard, I was able to say a thank you Lord for your grace and mercy and tell everyone that was there that God worked everything out for all of us.

            Jesus Christ worked with Peter to work everything out, and He works with us to work everything out too.  In fact Jesus worked everything out when He took our sins to the cross and suffered and died for them to un-separate us from His Father and truly makes us one with our God.  Our salvation is the result of us being humbled into the One Body of Christ which can only be made possible from a loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.