September 16, 2012
I am Who I Am
- Mark 8:27-38
- Dr. Teri Thomas
Most Mondays at 7:00 AM you will find me in the fitness center at the Jordan Y.
There is an area back in the corner where the trainers take clients to work with free weights.
It tends to be basically the same folks every week so you begin to recognize one another.
One morning I was going through my routine and I was more tired than usual.
Traci was chanting her typical orders-
elbows in
shoulders back
slower
pelvis tucked
butt back
breathe
I was momentarily distracted and I moved the wrong foot in the wrong direction
got all tangled up fell off the bosu I was balancing on and plopped down on the floor.
The few folks who weren’t already laughing got into it when Traci yelled - “What new dance was that?”
I barked back, “You are being mean to me this morning.”
At that point the trainer working next to us chimed in.
“She is mean. If you want a nice trainer just let me know.”
Traci turned to him and announced- “I am not mean. Besides, I have to be nice to her, she is a pastor.”
The guy did a double take, and said, “Well, if she is a pastor she won’t like my kind.”
I just a matter of seconds, sitting on the floor of the YMCA,
I encountered two very different assumptions about who I am,
both based on nothing more than a title- pastor.
To Traci- the title pastor means she should treat me with respect and deference and I should be caring and kind. To the other guy pastor means judgmental, critical and disapproving. I am someone he should stay away from.
Titles can be loaded. People hear a title and they make assumptions.
She is a doctor
He is a lawyer
she is a teacher
he is a republican
she is a Senator.
One day Jesus was walking with his disciples
and he really wanted to know what kind of assumptions folks were making about him.
So he asked- Who do people say that I am?
What is public opinion?
What do the folks on the street say?
Well, the disciples shared what they had been hearing
some think you are John the Baptist
Some think you might be Elijah
Others think you are a prophet.
So there is no common consensus, but there seems to be agreement that you are special.
You are unique and out of the ordinary.
They recognize prophetic characteristics in you.
You speak for God and you understand godly things.
Jesus seemed satisfied with that answer and then asked, so who do YOU say that I am?
You have been with me for some time now up close and personal
you know me much better than the average person on the street.
They hear rumors, you are with me.
So, who do YOU say that I am?
Well, good ol’ Peter, always the first to jump into any debate or discussion,
responds- You are the Messiah.
The title said a lot.
messiah- in their world the meaning was clear.
Redeemer, liberator.
A political leader who would free the Jews from oppression.
The Messiah conquers tyranny.
The Messiah is powerful and strong and will be triumphant.
You are the Messiah- claims Peter.
Jesus response…don’t say that to anyone.
Peter had the title right, but he had the job description wrong.
The way he and his buddies understood Messiah
was not what Jesus wanted folks to expect.
So he ordered them not to tell anyone.
Yes, ok, I am the Messiah- but not the kind of Messiah you expect.
So don’t use the title, it will confuse folks.
They will expect me to overthrow the government,
but I come in peace.
They will expect me to rule with power and might,
but I come in humility to serve.
They will want me to judge and make rules.
I want to love and forgive.
Jesus tried to explain these differences to the disciples.
He told them he would suffer and be rejected and be killed.
This was not the Messiah Peter expected or desired.
Peter was appalled- shocked- dismayed
and he rebuked Jesus.
No, no, no Jesus. This cannot be.
That is not the way a Messiah behaves.
Let me tell you who you really are.
We laugh at Peter’s audacity.
But don’t we all play that game?
Let me make Jesus into what I want or I need in my life.
I am lonely and Jesus is a friend.
I feel guilty and Jesus is forgiver
Jesus gives legitimacy to my political agenda
or my social agenda
or my personal agenda
I don’t like you so Jesus becomes a judge on my side
I feel trapped or oppressed and Jesus becomes the liberator
I am lost and seeking direction and Jesus is the King.
We want Jesus to be the one who meets our needs and satisfies our desires.
When Peter tried to convince Jesus to be the Messiah he wanted
Jesus rebuked him saying, “Get behind me Satan.”
Jesus was telling Peter
If that is who believe I am
then I am not who you think I am.
If that is who you believe I am
then you are not who you think you are either.
Because you think you are my disciple.
You think you are loyal to me.
You believe you are following me, but you are not.
If that is what you believe, you are Satan.
You are evil. You are working against me.
We all like the feel good Gospel, the parts about love and grace and forgiveness.
We can go with Jesus as Lord, Prophet, Teacher, Healer, Savior, Bread of Life, Shepherd
But what about Jesus as suffering servant, crucified one, cross bearer.
Jesus’ understanding of Messiah questions our deepest allegiances and demands absolute discipleship. It is not just understanding who he is, but following.
This Messiah invites us to follow; to join him on a journey
Journeys require us to move.
He calls us to move from selfishness to generosity,
from fear to love,
from hate to compassion,
from self-righteousness to mercy.
This is a journey.
It is not once and done.
It is a long process and like any journey it will take some twists and turns.
It will require from us a willingness to learn and grow.
There will be setbacks.
There will be times of boredom, times of exhaustion,
times of joy and times of elation.
Jesus wants us to know him and to follow him.
But he wants us to know who he really is,
not just who we want him to be.
It could be said in the words of the great 20th century philosopher and theologian
Popeye:
I yam what I yam
and I yam what I yam that I yam
And I got a lotta muscle and I only gots one eye
And I’ll never hurt nobodys and I’ll never tell a lie
Top to me bottom and me bottom to me top
That’s the way it is ’til the day that I drop,
what am I?
I yam what I yam.
Amen.