Romans 12:1-8, Matthew 16:13-20
Once upon a time, an ancient story goes, “a seeker went from land to land to discover the most renowned religion with the best spiritual practices. Finally, the seeker found a group of extraordinary fame. They were known for the goodness of their lives and for the singleness of their hearts and for the sincerity of their service.
“I see everything you do,” the seeker said, “and I’m impressed by it. But, before I become your disciple, I have a question to ask: Does your God work miracles?”
“Well,” the disciples said to the seeker, “it all depends on what you mean by a miracle. Some people call it a miracle when God does the will of people. But we call it a miracle when people do the will of God.”
Think about it. Ordinarily we think of a miracle as something God does on our behalf. An illness healed. A job secured. A relationship restored. A need is met. A disaster averted. A prize won. Yes, these are miracles. But the most profound miracles are those where people’s hearts are changed and molded to do the will of God. Someone forgives. Someone cares for a neighbor or stranger in need. Someone takes time out of a busy schedule to visit a lonely person. Someone sacrifices, gives up fame or fortune or even their very life to benefit others – or places their resources in the service of those in need with no thought of getting something in return. These are miracles of people doing of the will of God.
Like the character in the ancient story, each of us is a seeker. Deep down we want to live lives full of meaning and purpose. We search for the divine in our world. We wouldn’t mind a miracle or two along the way.
Today in our gospel lesson we find Jesus with his disciples in Gentile territory. They were in a region known for its grand pagan temples, including one to Caesar himself. Against this bastion of pagan power and idolatry; Jesus turns to his disciples and asks a question: “Who do people say that I am?” What are people seeking in Jesus? Quickly they respond. “John the Baptist.” “Elijah”. “One of the prophets.” Jesus presses further and makes it personal. “Who do you say that I am?” Peter takes the risk and says what all the disciples want to be true. “You are the messiah.” The disciples have been seeking the Messiah and found him in Jesus. It’s a miracle!
However, Jesus immediately begins to teach them what Messiah means and what having a Messiah will mean for them. There will be suffering, rejection, death but ultimately resurrection. So the miracle the disciples are seeking starts to unravel before their eyes. They wanted the “traditional” kind of Jewish messiah. They expected the Messiah-Warrior-King who would vanquish the Romans and reestablish the kingdom of Israel. Messiahs do not suffer. Messiahs are not killed and have no cause to rise to life. The followers of Messiahs become aristocrats and men of power. They do not carry crosses of any kind. What was this new teaching of Jesus? It was shocking. It was confusing. It was repugnant. This isn’t the miracle they were seeking. And it would take a miracle for them to believe and follow the messiah Jesus proposes.
We too are seekers. We too, seek a messiah – if we are honest with ourselves that messiah--savior we want is one who picks us out of our pain and makes life cozy and comfortable. But that’s not the messiah of the Christian scriptures. As Paul tells us today – the messiah who seeks us out longs for the transformation that comes through the renewing of our minds. The messiah of the bible wants us to embrace the cross, to be a seeker whose identity is is rooted in the love of God.
It would have been very tempting for Jesus to go along with the roles that people were ready to heist on him. “We’ll call you out as a big-name prophet, maybe John the Baptist or Elijah? Not so shabby, these are the heavy hitters of the day. Couldn’t Jesus just give them what they want and make them happy? A miracle like that wouldn’t hurt, right?
Well, Jesus knew that wasn’t who he was. Jesus knew his path was different. And Jesus knew that anyone who followed his path, his true path, would be met with rejection, resistance and ultimately death. And Jesus knew he had to stay true to his calling in spite of the resistance from his own disciples. Jesus had to be blunt with them, plain and direct: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Jesus was a seeker after God’s heart.
To be a seeker after Jesus, is to commit first and foremost, to know who you are in God’s eyes. To be seeker of Jesus is to understand our lives and in relationship with the cross. Jesus teaches us that to pave the way for the miraculous in our lives, we need to carry the cross. The cross shakes us out of the roles and ruts we have fallen into. The cross demands that we die to self and live for God and others. The cross renews and transforms our mind according to God’s loe. The cross teaches us to stop praying for God to do things our way and guides us to do things God’s way. And when we do things God’s way, the miracle happens.
The famous Seattle-based talk show host Delilah is a seeker. Have you ever listened to Delilah’s show in the evening? She’s the most listened to woman on talk radio in the US. You can here on 106.7 lite FM, Monday through Friday, 8pm to 1 am. She encourages people to seek out their purpose and the place of love in our lives. In her own testimony, Delilah shares how she found her purpose.
On day she was at her computer reviewing an email that looked like an overseas solicitation. She was about to delete it. It claimed to be a woman caring for three small children in a Buduburam refugee camp in Ghana. However, Delilah changed her mind and replied to the email. She couldn’t put it out of her head that night. Before she knew it, she had made connections with World Vision that confirmed that Winifred and her three siblings escaped the civil war in Liberia and were starving. Delilah agreed to make a grant. But World Vision staff challenged her. What about the other forty-two thousand? Not my problem, was Delilah’s initial response. But God wouldn’t let her rest. She couldn’t get it out of her head. God wanted more of her.
The next thing Delilah found herself in Africa, in the Buduburam refugee camp. She found grinding poverty, no clean water, no toilets, widespread disease and people surviving on one meal a day. When Delilah returned to Seattle, she had discovered her cross. She discovered what God was leading her to do. She knew she had to use the blessings she had been given, living in this country, to help others. At that point the miracle began.
Delilah began a ministry called Point Hope to bring water and more the people at Buduburam. Because of Point Hope, 35,000 people have fresh drinking water.
Approximately 125 teen girls in foster care receive mentoring, acceptance, relaxation and pampering.
Over 250 people have receive Skills Training in areas of sewing, farming, soap making, beading and hair design.
Every day 24 families have sustainable incomes and hope in the future
foster parents and case workers receive the practical necessities to care for chidren
Every year, over 450 caregivers received nutritional counseling and 462 mothers received counseling on exclusive breastfeeding.
For over 10 years, vulnerable adults with chronic health issues and children with special needs and disabilities have received hot meals daily, healthcare assistance as needed.
Deliliah allowed herself to be the miracle God wanted But wait. There is more.
Delilah has been back many times to Ghana. On a visit she looked into the eyes of a little girl named Willette and knew immediately that this child was to be her daughter. That same day she had a similar encounter with another girl named Mercy. Delilah adopted both girls, adding to her already large family which eventually numbered 15.
Not many of us are called to travel to Ghana, or have the connections with foundations, or can afford to adopt extra children. But the Cross still speaks to us. We are called to the transforming power of God’s love in our minds and hearts. That we can be God’s miracle in the world. We find the miraculous when we go out of our way to help our neighbor. We can be the miracle when we give up an afternoon to volunteer at a food pantry, or visit a sick or lonely acquaintance or go out of our way give someone a lift. Miracles happen when we carry the cross – because we are following God’s will, a will that seeks a world filled with true love. That is Religion – faith - at its best.
To follow Christ, to take up our cross is to discover and embrace the person that God created US to be.
So Freeport, the Gospel calls as you begin a new season, know that God calls you to be the miracle. What miracle is God calling you to seek?
· Be a people known for the goodness of their lives.
· Be a people known for the singleness of their hearts.
· Be a people known for the sincerity of their service.
· Be a people whose identity is rooted in the cross, the transforming power and renewal of our minds.
Be the miracle. And let the miracles of God be seen in all you say and do. Amen.
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