Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Apostles

June 29, 2003

The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel

Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Lessons:  Ezekial 34:11-16;  I Corinthians 3:16-23;  St. Mark 8:27-35

     You may have seen in the Lutheran recently, an article exploring the attitudes and religious practices of thirty-somethings--adults in their thirties--I suppose in an attempt to help parishes shape their pastoral ministry to attract and keep this particular group of Christians and their households.  As I read the article, I was struck, overall, by the faith and commitment of several of those who talked about their experience, and yet I was shocked by the lack of understanding of Christianity evidenced by one particular interviewee.  This one, (I'm not really sure why she was included in this article) said that she'd been involved in Lutheran churches in the past, but now, she's going in a different direction--now she's exploring her spirituality and involvement with religion in other ways...as she said, "I'm doing the hippie-dippie thing and experimenting with Buddhism and meditation and other ways to reach my spiritual core."  She said her goal in life, now, her "mantra" is, "No pressure!"  She's doing only those things in life that don't add to her stress--suggesting, of course, that being involved in a Christian church, brings pressure, creates stress.  So, she's exploring Buddhism, and eastern meditation--which, by implication, don't bring pressure or create stress.

     I've thought a lot about those comments by that "thirty-something" in the article, especially as I've been considering our commemoration, today, of the Day of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Apostles.  I've been wondering, what would have happened, if Peter and Paul, overwhelmed by persecution, struggle, the rigors of leadership and discipleship, had thrown up their hands at some point and said, "You know what--I have too much stress in my life!  From this point on, my motto in life will be, 'no pressure'…I'm going to seek a spiritual path that doesn't demand or require so much of me.  Perhaps I'll sit in my room by myself, or on a mountain-top--seeking personal enlightenment, turning inward trying to reach my own spiritual core!"  What would've happened, indeed?  What would've happened to Peter and Paul--but even more, what would've happened to us--and to all believers who have come after them?  In the lives of these two great saints, we have the foundations for the preaching of the Gospel to the Jews and the Gentiles--in other words, the entirety of the whole human population!  Peter, as a Jewish Christian, focused his ministry primarily on those who had converted to Christianity from Jesus' own religious background, being active as a missionary in Samaria, and in the towns of Lydda, Joppa and Caesarea in Palestine, and according to tradition, in Antioch, Corinth, and finally, Rome, where he became the first bishop of that city--and in time, the first among all the bishops.  Paul, born as Saul, in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia, was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, yet a Roman citizen;  both a Pharisee well-schooled in Jewish teaching, but also "Hellenized"--cosmopolitan in outlook and comfortable in and around the Greco-Roman culture of the empire.  Although Paul had persecuted Christians at first, even supporting those who stoned Stephen the first Christian martyr, after his radical conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul became a missionary primarily to the Gentiles

--to all those who were not of Jewish background--beginning his work in Syria, continuing in Asia Minor, Cyprus, Greece and Macedonia.  These two great pillars of the Christian Church, inspired by the Holy Spirit, are largely responsible for the growth and spread of the good news of Jesus Christ--and had they chosen as their life's motto, "no pressure--no stress"--if they had turned inward, rather than outward, who knows whether we would be believers today!  We can suppose God would've found other faithful apostles to preach the Gospel--but He chose Peter and Paul, and thankfully, they accepted their apostleship, yielded to God's will, and lived, not for themselves, but for Christ and His Gospel.

     Jesus talks about such faith and obedience, in our gospel lesson, where he's teaching his disciples about what it means to be his followers.  He's on his way to Caesarea Philippi, discussing with the disciples who he is, and who they believe him to be.  We hear in this account, Peter's great confession, "You are the Christ--the Messiah!"  Apparently in response to Peter's confession of faith, Jesus then begins to teach his disciples about his messiahship--telling them, "Yes, I am the Christ--the Messiah, the Son of Man--but this is the kind of Messiah I will be-I must undergo great suffering, be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes, be killed, and after three days, rise again."  St. Mark tells us Jesus said all this quite openly--quite plainly, so that the disciples would clearly understand.  But no sooner had the words come out of Jesus' mouth, than Peter, who had just confessed Jesus to be the Messiah--took Jesus aside and rebuked him--telling Jesus, in effect, that this was not the kind of Messiah they wanted!  As we've said before, the Jews, Jesus' disciples included, were looking for a Messiah--an anointed one who would overthrow the Roman occupiers, assume the throne in Jerusalem, and establish a new Davidic kingdom in Israel and Judah.  When Peter confessed Jesus to be Messiah, this is what he meant by the title--NOT, a Messiah who would suffer, be rejected, be killed, and await resurrection!  Which is why Peter rebuked Jesus--rejecting God's divine plan for the Messiah.  Which is why Jesus then, rebuked Peter--calling Peter, Satan, incarnate--for choosing, not God's will, but human desires.  So, in his very next breath, Jesus instructs his disciples in what it means to choose God's will, and not one's own.  Jesus teaches his disciples, then and now, what it means for us to be his followers.  And what he says, may sound, radical and yes, stressful, and burdensome!  I can just hear some of those thirty-somethings saying, "Goodness--if that's what Jesus wants from me--it's too much!  My mantra in life is no pressure--no stress.  Following Jesus doesn't fit in with my desire for my life."  And indeed, if you're life is all about you--and what you want out of life, and having nothing asked of you--then yes, following Jesus may not fit into your life plan.  Because, what Jesus says to his disciples--then, and now, is "if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and 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, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it."

     Wow!  What Jesus is asking of his followers, is certainly at odds with anyone who's goal in life is--no pressure, no stress--which I hear as--no commitment, no sacrifice, no cost.  Yes, no pressure and no stress in life can be valuable goals, so long as they serve to free us to be even more faithful followers of Jesus.  But rejecting Christianity, because it's too demanding;  rejecting Christ's Church because there, something is required of me--dabbling in Buddhism because it’s more focused on me, and my own enlightenment, and my own peace and calm in life…well, that is the direct opposite, of what Jesus asks of us.  That's the direct opposite of what Jesus asked of Peter and Paul.  And thank God, they didn't see it as--too much to ask.  Thank God, they didn't see it as a burden--as too much pressure and commitment.  Because, indeed, it shouldn't be seen as a burden!  It IS a commitment.  Taking up one's cross, DOES require something of us.  It is a sacrifice of one's life, to God.  But, is that a burden?  Is that stressful?  Jesus himself says, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.  For I am gentle and humble-hearted.  My yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

     One of the great church fathers, Ceasarius, archbishop of Arles, wrote in the sixth century, "When the Lord tells us in the gospel that anyone who wants to be his follower must renounce himself, the injunction seems harsh;  we think he is imposing a burden on us.  But an order is no burden when it is given by one, who helps in carrying it out.  There is no cause for despair--by ourselves we can do nothing, but we have Christ's promise."

          And there is the heart of the matter.  There is no cause for despair--there is no need to feel burdened or pressured or stressed by Jesus' call to take up our cross and follow Him.  Because we have Christ's own promise that he will be with us always, even to the close of the age.  We have Christ's own promise that he will teach us how to carry His yoke, so that it is easy, and light.  In our first reading, we hear God's promise that he will send a shepherd, who will seek us out, and rescue us, and lead us, and yes, feed us.  This Good Shepherd will bring back the strayed, and bind up the injured, and strengthen the weak--and feed us.  Because, we belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.  Because we will not carry our cross, alone.  Because, by giving ourselves, by losing ourselves for Jesus' sake, and the sake of the Gospel, we will have true life.  Life that is not focused on me, and my wants and needs and desires--but life that is centered on Christ, and Christ alone.  And so it is that we, on this festival day of St. Peter and St. Paul, pray, that their example inspire us, to see discipleship and cross-bearing, not as a burden, not as a heavy yoke, but as a gift;  as a gift from God that frees us, to live life, to the fullest--to live life, as God has created us to live it--in love, and sacrifice, in obedience and faith. And may God grant it to be so, for us, as for Peter and Paul.

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.