September 3, 2023 @ Trinity Bixby
Rev. Lucus Levy Keppel
After spending the last week with
COVID, I hope you’ll forgive me for recording this sermon, rather than delivering
it in person. Early in the week, my voice did that thing where, due to the
build up of fluids in my head and throat, it dropped about two and a half
octaves for a while. I rarely sound like myself when that happens – instead,
becoming Basso Profundo for a day or two. It’s kind of fun, but I’ve had loved
ones not recognize my voice – and that can be disturbing. Still, I was reminded
that the last time it happened, it was just before I went to seminary – I was
working for a country music radio station in Detroit at a grand event – the
Downtown Hoedown. As part of my job, I was expected to escort country musicians
through Campus Martius to reach their staging area. The crowds were thick, and
though my voice was deeper as a result of spending several days outside in
heat, haze, and smoke, it didn’t carry as far. I found myself standing up
differently – straighter, making my presence known physically instead of
verbally. I’m not normally an intimidating guy, but somehow, the deep but quiet
voice meant that people did, in fact get out of my way, and the way was clear
for the musicians behind to follow.
It was effective, I suppose – so much
so that my boss pulled me aside, and reassigned me. Apparently, I was intimidating
guests to the event. No matter how effective and efficient it was to clear a
path that way, in the end, it was making the experience worse for guests, and
thus I had inadvertently become a stumbling block to the whole thing.
It should be no surprise, then, that I
identify with Peter in Gospel of Matthew – he leaps in, full of enthusiasm, and
is praised for it. Jesus gives him the nickname “Rocky” – “Cephas” in Aramaic,
“Petros” in Greek – for being the first to leap to the conclusion that Jesus is
the Messiah. Jesus says, “I tell you that you are Rocky. And I’ll build my church
on this rock. The gates of the underworld won’t be able to stand against it.”[1]
Very high praise indeed! I imagine Simon “the Rock” BarJonah felt like he was
on top of the world, looking down on creation[2]!
That’s when Jesus starts to talk about the traumatic and difficult future he’s
facing as the Messiah, and Peter jumps right in again – “God forbid it, Lord! This
won’t happen to you!”
Jesus tells Ol’ Stoneface, “Get behind
me, Adversary. You are a rock that could make me stumble, for you are not
thinking God’s thoughts, but human thoughts.”[3]
From being named by Jesus as the rock
on which the church will be built – to being called the Adversary. All in the
course of 5 verses. Now, Peter’s crashed down hard, leaving a metaphorical hole
in the sand. He’s got a few options: he could dig the hole deeper, he could try
to climb out on his own, or he could stay in the hole for a moment and wait to
see what Jesus says next.
Fortunately, Peter chooses that moment
to actually stay quiet and listen to what Jesus has to say: “All who want to
come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me.
All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives
because of me will find them.”[4]
In this specific context – after Jesus
acknowledges Simon Peter’s messianic statement, and then rebukes Peter for
asking God to forbid Jesus’ death and resurrection – Jesus is making the point
that Jesus is not taking the easy path, and if you’re following him, you, too,
will not be taking the easy path. It would be easy to puff yourself up as a
follower of Jesus – “Look at how righteous I am! Look at how holy!” but it is
much harder to follow in the way that he leads us. A way of humility. Of
careful care for others. Of giving your life to make the lives of many others
better. Not of bold swagger, of self-aggrandizement, of prosperity and ease.
Jesus’ way is the way of love. Paul
attempts to dive into the specifics of what this love looks like at many points
in his letters – most strikingly in I Corinthians 13, but also in his letter to
the Romans. “Love should be shown without pretending,” Paul writes, “Love each
other like the members of your family. Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic – be
on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord!... Consider everyone as equal, and
don’t think that you’re better than anyone else.”[5]
You see, in the days of the early
church, the world had fallen victim to an illness of spirit – an illness of
pride. It’s an illness that continues to affect us today, wherein one person
may look at another, and say, “you are beneath my notice,” or, “I am better
than you are.” Conversely, some people might look at another and say, “You are
much better than I am, so I can do anything to you and yours to get even.” This
illness goes against what God planned for us – to be loved in unique ways, but
all loved nevertheless. The treatment for such an illness is not a greater
separation, hatred, even war – the treatment is instead what all of us need
when we are sick. Rest. Nourishment. Care.
Yes, there are times when physical
isolation is necessary. But the goal isn’t to be isolated permanently – but
instead to be connected spiritually even when physically separated, until the
illness is past, and we can be reunited again! When Paul writes, “Don’t pay
back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions of your own… but defeat
evil with good,”[6] this is
exactly what he’s getting at. Heaping evil upon evil just increases evil – the
only way to overcome it truly is to bring goodness where there is animosity.
Just as we nurture our bodies back to
health, we respond to evil with practical steps. First, we can forgive each
other, offering grace without payment, just as God has offered us forgiving
grace. In this way, we overcome the evil of resentment – helping to see each
other as truly beloved fellow children of God. Next, we can seek reconciliation
– promoting healing and peace in the community of people we know directly. This
is like bringing Gatorade or noodle soup to loved ones – healing in both body
and spirit. Lastly, we can continue to advocate for justice through peaceful
means, just as Christ has taught us. This is a way of both improving the health
of the wider community, and helps to inoculate against the illness of pride
returning again. Using your voice to advocate for those whom society is
determined not to listen to – that’s a powerful medicine of healing goodness.
Through it all, we pray for one
another – not telling God what to do, who to save, and so on, but asking God to
hold us together. In prayer, we listen for God’s call, seek the healing and
forgiveness that we need, and practice offering that same healing and
forgiveness to others in our lives. Sometimes, we need to step back, and
realize that we’re looking at others as being better or worse than ourselves –
and we need to hear God calling us back to take up the cross and follow Jesus. We
may need a time of rest and recovery – or we may need to offer that time to
others with grace and love. Sometimes, that insight may come from others, too –
be sure to listen when others tell you that you may be taking things too far. And
don’t be afraid to reach out to others in this way, too.
My friends, may you be filled with the
grace of God, the love of Christ, and the healing of the Holy Spirit, overcoming
evil with good in your life and in the world. Amen.
