Pentecost XV, Cycle C

September 1, 2002

The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel

Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Lessons:  Jeremiah 15:15-21;  Romans 12:9-21;  St. Matthew 16:21-28

If there is one thing I would not want to be guilty of, in life, it would be this:  I would not want to be guilty of being a stumbling block to Jesus.  Often, after you’ve read a particular bible passage any number of times, you’ll hear it again, as if for the first time, and something will just, jump out at you.  Without a doubt, we’ve heard this gospel lesson many times, but as I heard it this week, I began to think about what it means, that Peter was a “stumbling block” to Jesus.  Remember, this is the very same Peter who made the first confession of Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.  But, now, Peter is not the rock, but, a stumbling block.  If you look at the gospel of Matthew, you’ll see that in one breath, Jesus says to Peter, “You are Petros, the Rock, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death will not prevail against it.”  Yet, in the very next breath, as Jesus tries to explain to the disciples what it means that He is the Messiah, that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders, chief priests and scribes, be killed, and on the third day, rise;  in the very next moment, Peter, takes Jesus aside and rebukes Him;  Peter rebukes Jesus, saying, “God forbid it, Lord, this must never happen to you.”  And Jesus responds, saying to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan, for now, Peter, you are working against me;  now, Peter, you are not a rock of faith, but a stumbling block, for you are setting your mind, not on divine things, but on human things.”  One minute, Peter is a rock, the next, he is a stumbling block in Jesus’ way!  And the reason for that is simple—Peter has lost sight of why Jesus came, and lost sight of who Jesus is.  Peter has gotten caught up in who he wants Jesus to be, and therein lies the problem.  Although Peter confesses Jesus to be Messiah, the Son of the living God, what that means to Peter, and what that means to Jesus, are evidently two completely different things.  Because to Jesus, that means He has been chosen, sent, anointed, to suffer and die on the cross, that He might be raised from death.  To Peter, the idea of Jesus dying was just not acceptable. Not acceptable, maybe, because Peter couldn’t imagine losing Jesus at such an early age.  Not acceptable, maybe, because Peter expected Jesus to take his rightful place on the throne of David, to be ruler of the world;  Not acceptable, maybe, because Peter couldn’t see God’s plan, that through death, Jesus would be raised to new life, that would mean eternal life for all believers.  Not acceptable, maybe, because Peter could see what was coming, and that was not at all, acceptable.  Because Jesus goes on to say, to Peter and the disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, 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 will find it.”  There are many reasons why Peter would become a stumbling block in Jesus’ path, all of which center on the fact that Jesus’ path, was headed toward the cross!  And that meant that Jesus’ followers were headed toward the cross, as well!  And that, is what can easily turn all of us, from solid rocks of faith, into stumbling blocks.  Because, who’s ready to go to the cross?  Who wants to lose their life?  Who among us is willing to make that kind of sacrifice, to take up our cross, and follow Jesus?    Sadly, few of us, so-called Christians are willing, or ready…and it seems fewer and fewer all the time, as many Christians today seem to the cross and cross-bearing is negative;  as many Christians today prefer only up-beat, positive talk from the pulpit;  as many Christians today seem today to think because grace is free, it’s also cheap—that God asks nothing of us, but that we don’t worry, be happy, and know we are loved.  Well, this kind of Christian is nothing but a stumbling block in Jesus’ way…because this kind of Christian isn’t preaching the cross of Christ, but what Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer calls, “cheap grace”. 

     Bonhoffer was a Lutheran pastor  in Germany during World War II, who was executed for participating in the resistance movement, and in the plot to kill Hitler.  As such, he knew well what it meant to take up your cross to follow Jesus, and he also knew what it meant for the church and the world, when you set your mind not on divine things, but on human things.  This he referred to as “cheap grace”.  Bonhoeffer wrote, “cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our church.  We are fighting today for costly grace.  Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjack’s wares.  The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices.  Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession…cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.  Costly grace, however, is the treasure hidden in the field, the pearl of great price, to buy which the merchant will sell as his goods.  It is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.  Costly grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ.  It is costly because it costs a person his life, and it is grace because it gives a person the only true life.”

     Peter, at this point in his life, rejected costly grace, because the cost seemed to him to be just too much.  Jesus’ path to the cross, and the possibility of following him there, was so contrary to what Peter wanted, that he was willing to stand in Jesus’ way, to try to keep Jesus from it, and surely, to try to keep himself, from it.  And that’s the challenge before each of us.  It is, the call to discipleship.  It is, the call to take up our cross, and follow Jesus, even if it means sacrifice and service.  It is the call to follow Jesus, even if it means losing our life, for Jesus’ sake.  It is the call to follow Jesus, that is costly, because it costs Jesus, and us, our lives.  But always remember, it is a grace-ful call, because it’s a call to follow—Jesus!  It is a grace-full call, because it gives a person the only true life, which is, following Jesus, serving Jesus, living and dying for Jesus.  And what does this kind of life look like?  What does it mean to take up one’s cross, and follow Jesus?  It looks very much like the life described by St. Paul in our second lesson.  To give your life to Jesus, means, “letting love be genuine—hating what is evil, holding fast to what is good;  loving one another with mutual affection;  not lagging in zeal, being ardent in spirit, serving the Lord…rejoicing in hope, being patient in suffering, persevering in prayer…living in harmony with one another…well, you get the idea.  This is the life of the follower of Jesus, laid out clearly, and in some detail by St. Paul.  But, don’t be put off by Paul’s long list—because it all boils down to this—what Jesus gave us as His new commandment—“love one another, even as I have loved you.”  That’s what it means to take up our cross, and follow him.  To love one another, as Jesus has loved us.  St. Paul describes what that means, practically, in daily life—but it comes down to, “love one another, as Jesus has loved you”.  And that, can be costly.  That can be hard.  That can certainly be a cross to bear.  But that’s what Jesus asks of His disciples.  That’s what it means for us to step out of Jesus’ way, let Him lead, and then come follow after.  So, for you and for me, what will it be? Will we stand in Jesus’ way, or come, follow after Him?  Will we look for and seek cheap grace, or will we receive the costly grace that Jesus offers;  the costly grace that calls us to take up our cross, and give ourselves to Him in sacrifice and service?  Will we seek to save our lives, and so lose them, or lose our lives, for Jesus’ sake, and so receive the only true life—life in Jesus Christ?  Will we be living stones in the Church, or stumbling blocks in the path of Jesus?