One Little Word

Are You a Loser?

Lessons:
     Jeremiah 15:15-21
     Psalm 26:1-8
     Romans 12:9-21
     Saint Matthew 16:21-28
     Semicontinuous Reading and Psalm:
          Exodus 3:1-15
          Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b

Prayer of the Day:
     O God, we thank you for your Son, who chose the path of suffering for the sake of the world. Humble us by his example, point us to the path of obedience, and give us strength to follow your commands, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

^16.21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. ^22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” ^23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

^24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ^25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. ^26 For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

^27 “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. ^28 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

---

St. Matthew 16:21-28, New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

In my High School years, I was so desperate not to be a loser. I was tall, skinny, awkward… painfully aware that others were far more handsome, far more athletic, far more gregarious, far more popular than I was. I longed to be admired by others — at the very least, I would have been happy just to fit in. And as is far too often the case, in those days I made some unfortunately poor decisions, hoping to impress others. (It never worked, of course, but that didn’t prevent me from trying…)

Things are so different these days. Oh, I still am not as athletic as I wish I was. And when I’m truly honest with myself, I am aware of still being a bit too hopeful that you’ll be impressed with me. But these days I’m at least willing to consider the possibility that God is calling me to be a loser.  Jesus says, in this week’s Gospel lesson, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (St. Mathew 16:25)  He teaches us that God wants us to be willing to lose our life, to lose our security, to lose our wealth, to lose our reputation… if that is what it takes to be faithful to the One who loves us enough to die for us. These are all blessings that we associate with those who are the “fortunate ones” in our world. But the reality is: if these are at the heart of our yearning (as was the case for so many of us back in our High School days), that’s really no life at all. The greatest fortune we’ll ever receive is not related to our financial net-worth, our popularity or our prestige – instead, it is the forgiveness and the new life that we receive from Jesus Christ.

Because once we begin to move these desires from the center of who we are — once we give up on the illusion that these human longings are the essence of the good life — then the possibility arises that the Holy Spirit can fill us, do battle with these human wants, and help us to experience (at least a glimpse of) the kind of life that God wants to give us.

I still don’t want to be a loser. But I am more and more willing to acknowledge the possibility that God has more in store for me than my human mind can imagine. I pray that God might help me to loosen my grip on my own human desires. I pray that God might inspire me with the grace and joy that comes from a Christ-centered life. I pray that God might open me up to the movement of the Spirit, in a way that transforms me into the kind of person Jesus calls me to be: a believer who is willing to lose even life itself, if that’s what it takes to live in a way that is faithful to the One who gave so much for me.

David J. Risendal

Exploring This Week’s Text:

1. Why did Peter argue with Jesus, when he began to talk about his suffering and death?
2. What are the human things that preoccupied Peter’s mind, and the what are the divine things that Jesus would prefer to have him consider?
3. What would it eventually mean for Simon Peter to lose his life, and gain the life Jesus wanted for him?

Connecting with This Week’s Text:

1. What human wants and preoccupations do I hold on to a bit too tightly?
2. What sacred message is God trying to get through to me these days?
3. How can I discipline myself to keep my human self-centeredness in check, in order to make more room at the center of my life for God?

Who Do You Say that Jesus Is?

Lessons:
     Isaiah 51:1-6
     Psalm 138
     Romans 12:1-8
     St. Matthew 16:13-20
     Semicontinuous Reading and Psalm:
          Exodus 1:8-2:10
          Psalm 124

Prayer of the Day:
     O God, with all your faithful followers of every age, we praise you, the rock of our life. Be our strong foundation and form us into the body of your Son, that we may gladly minister to all the world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. 

---

St. Matthew 16:13-20, New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

In this week’s Gospel lesson, Jesus quizzes his disciples. He first probes to see what they know. “What are people saying about me? What kind of a reputation do I have?” The disciples obviously have been talking to people about that, because they have a number of answers: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, one of the prophets… There are a number of ideas floating around about just who Jesus is, but nobody seems to have it right quite yet. That is, until Jesus asks his followers: “Who do you (plural, in the Greek) say that I am?”

No surprise to the thoughtful reader of the New Testament, Peter is the first to stand up and he declares, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter will waffle from time to time, in days to come, as to whether or not he believes that fully. But for the moment he has it right, and Jesus rewards him: Blessed are you, Simon. Now I call you “The Rock” - and on this rock, I’ll build my church.

The question that Jesus addressed to his followers can be addressed to us as well: “Who do you say that Jesus is?” What does our answer, as individuals, look like? For some people, it is an academic answer or a theological answer. They have studied the issues, mastered the concepts, conquered the language, and can speak about the nature of Christ with confidence and clarity. But finally, Jesus’ question is not an academic question, because he is not asking what we know. He is asking who we are. It is a personal question. It is a relational question. It is a question that seeks to find whether or not this faith that we’ve studied has found a place in our hearts.

This month I’m beginning to prepare, with a group of faithful and dedicated volunteers here at Saint Peter, for this year’s Catechism program.  Catechism is the name we use for a three-year ministry to Middle School aged youth. The purpose of this ministry is not so much to cram information about our faith into the heads of these young people. But it is to build on what they know in such a way that the story we celebrate captures their hearts. We don’t just want information in their heads - we also want the real presence of Jesus Christ in their hearts. We want them, like Simon Peter, to be able to say for themselves: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” and to believe it in a way that completely changes their lives. We want that kind of a foundation in their lives, and we believe that it can be a tremendous resource for them as they move into an incredibly challenging time of life.

We do this because we believe that God wants this kind of foundation in the lives of our young people, and wants it for those of us who are older as well. This is a central goal of our common ministry here at Saint Peter, and frankly, it ought to be a central goal of any Christian ministry. We are called to become disciples of Jesus Christ - followers who take his presence seriously, who strive for deep faith, and who work continuously to live lives that honor the gift of salvation God has given us.

That is what we must be about as a congregation. Any other focus falls far short of Simon Peter’s confession in this week’s Gospel lesson. And that is what each of us, as individual Christians, must be about. I encourage you to think about how your participation in Christian community can effectively build that kind of a foundation at the center of each of your lives. It is, perhaps, the most important thing we can do for ourselves, our families, our churches, and our God.

David J. Risendal

Exploring This Week’s Text:

1. What do the disciples’ answers to Jesus’ first question (“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”) tell us about the crowd that surrounded him?
2. What does Peter’s response reveal about his own faith?
3. How does the ministry of bestowing and withholding forgiveness (verse 19) relate to the role of Jesus as Savior?

Connecting with This Week’s Text:

1. How would I describe my understanding of Jesus, and my relationship with him?
2. When do I find it hardest to live in a way that makes visible my faith in Christ?
3. What might I be doing, right now, to center my life and my faith on the truth of Peter’s confession, that Jesus is my Savior?

What Is Faith?

Lessons:
     Isaiah 56:1, 6-8
     Psalm 67
     Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32
     St. Matthew 15:[10-20] 21-28
     Semicontinuous Reading and Psalm:
          Genesis 45:1-15
          Psalm 133

Prayer of the Day:
     God of all peoples, your arms reach out to embrace all those who call upon you. Teach us as disciples of your Son to love the world with compassion and constancy, that your name may be known throughout the earth, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

[^15.10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, "Listen and understand: ^11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles." ^12 Then the disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?" ^13 He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ^14 Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit." ^15 But Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us." ^16 Then he said, "Are you also still without understanding? ^17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? ^18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. ^19 For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. ^20 These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile."]

^21 Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ^22 Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” ^23 But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” ^24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ^25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ^26 He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” ^27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ^28 Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

---

St. Matthew 15:[10-20] 21-28, New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

As this week’s text begins, Jesus is locked in an epic battle with the Pharisees over what it means to be a person of faith. The Pharisees were careful students of Jewish law and custom. They had spent a lifetime studying what it means to be faithful, and had come to understand faith as obedience: staying true to the vast array of laws, commandments, rules and regulations that had become part of their life together. They believed it was important for God’s people to establish and keep firm the boundaries between what was clean (including themselves) and what was unclean (including all other people). And so, in an attempt to honor those boundaries they became extremely careful about how they washed themselves, how they maintained their cooking utensils, how they prepared their food, and most importantly: with whom they chose to socialize and eat.

Then comes this Canaanite woman, this “unclean” neighbor. She is an outsider on a variety of levels. First, she is a Canaanite: the Jewish people saw them as pagans; longtime opponents of the Jewish faith. Second, she (a woman) speaks to Jesus (a man) in public. Almost every Near Eastern culture in the first century prohibited women and men from socializing in public. Yet she ignores these customs and calls out to him. For this woman to brazenly approach Jesus in broad daylight went against every sense of decency in those days. Third, she is rude. She continues to scream at Jesus and his disciples, and even though they ignore her (hoping that she would go away?), she persists. Finally, her daughter is demon-possessed. Worse than being ritually unclean, her home is inhabited by the very force that opposes God.

It is interesting to contrast the Pharisees with this woman. The Pharisees are locked into an argument about theological minutiae. They are offended that Jesus and his followers are neglecting the customs and traditions of Israel related to washing their hands before eating. They are worried about the religious system in which they live. But the Canaanite woman is consumed with compassion and concern for one who is not well. She is desperate for healing — and determined to help her daughter experience God’s grace, even though the two of them are clearly outsiders. She is worried about her daughter.

On the one hand, we have a great concern for propriety and little concern for humanity. On the other hand, we have a deep concern for compassion and little concern for regulation. (Neither the first nor the last time these two worldviews clashed within a religious system.)

Jesus’ initial response to her request is very troubling. I’ve read dozens of attempts to excuse him for these words, but none of them seem very compelling. He seems rude and abrupt and thoughtless, and as much as says, “You’re nothing but a dog. Why should I have anything to do with you?” It is hard to understand his initial reluctance to help her. But it is inspiring to see that eventually he is moved by her tenacity. He describes it as “great faith” (that phrase is used nowhere else in the New Testament). And her faith is what ends up standing center stage in this encounter.

This Canaanite woman has a profound sense of faith. She is willing to entrust her daughter’s wellbeing to this Rabbi from Nazareth. She believes that nothing can limit the work of Jesus (even her outsider status). She has somehow seen something in Jesus that neither the disciples nor the Pharisees have noticed. And for her insight, for her courage, for her tenacity, for her faith, Jesus rewards her. Her daughter is healed.

Faith, after all, is what it is all about. Not faith in institutions. Not faith in rules and regulations. Not faith in customs and traditions. Not faith in systems. But faith in the living presence of Jesus Christ, and his ability to forgive, to heal, and to strengthen and renew believers for life and ministry. We learn from this Canaanite woman, as we see how she throws herself into the merciful arms of Jesus, and trusts that he will make her (and her daughter) well.

May the Holy Spirit fill us with that kind of faith.

David J. Risendal

Exploring This Week’s Text:

1. What was the difference between how the Pharisees approached faith and religion, and how the Canaanite woman did?
2. Why did Jesus first respond to her in a negative manner?
3. What does it mean that Jesus was willing to break tradition and heal this woman’s daughter?

Connecting with This Week’s Text:

1. What existing boundaries do I have trouble breaking through today?
2. What prejudices am I reluctant to abandon?
3. Am I more interested in customs and traditions (“The way it’s always been done”), or am I willing to be open to where God’s Spirit is moving today?

The Still Small Voice of God

Lessons:
     1st Kings 19:9-18
     Psalm 85:8-13
     Romans 10:5-15
     St. Matthew 14:22-33
     Semicontinuous Reading and Psalm
          Genesis 37:1-4,12-28
          Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b

Prayer of the Day:
     O God, our defender, storms rage around us and within us and cause us to be afraid. Rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons and daughters from fear, and preserve us in the faith of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

^19.9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ^10 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”

^11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; ^12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. ^13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ^14 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” ^15 Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. ^16 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. ^17 Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. ^18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

---

1st Kings 19:9-18, New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

The Risendal family is back from our three-week family vacation. After a week of fishing in Montana, a week-long retreat at Holden Village (a Christian community and retreat center buried deep in the Cascade Mountains near Wenatchee, Washington), and a few days on the San Juan Islands (just ask me some time about the Orca pods!), we arrived home rested, relaxed, renewed, and ready for the new day.

But now, just a couple days downstream, it is painfully evident that we are back from vacation. We are no longer able to have long, lazy relaxed mornings. We no longer sit up chatting with our boys until nearly midnight. We no longer wake up in the morning and wonder what we ought to do today. We are back to meetings, deadlines, doctor’s visits, and house cleaning… the regular, hectic routine of our suburban lives.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not complaining. I love my family, and am grateful for the time we have together. I enjoy my work, and would do it all day long if my body allowed me to. And when I get a chance to pull out my banjo and pick a bluegrass tune or two with a friend, well that is just icing on the cake. My dilemma is that there is just too much good stuff in my life. My desire to have it all causes me to run at a hectic pace. As a good friend of mine used to say, we live in a time when people are trying to squeeze three lives into one.

The casualty of that pace, far too often, is our relationship with God. When we are trying to squeeze so much in, what often gets squeezed out, is the time we spend in the presence of God.

In this week’s first lesson, the prophet Elijah is on the run. He has just prevailed over the prophets of Baal (killing some 850 of them), and Queen Jezebel is determined to have his life. He flees, by himself, into the wilderness to hide. Along the way, he doesn’t check into the local Holiday Inn (with high speed internet, cable television, a swimming pool and an exercise facility). He stays in the darkness of a lonely cave. And there, in the quiet of the night, he lays still and listens.

What he hears, is the very word of God.

God commands Elijah to go out and stand on the mountain, and wait for God to arrive. Elijah stands there, and witnesses a great wind, and a great earthquake, and a great fire. But God is not in the wind. God is not in the earthquake. God is not in the fire. After it all comes the sound of a sheer silence.

Elijah hears this “sound” and returns to the quiet of his cave. It is then that God’s word comes to him again, eventually calling him back to his ministry – back to the work God had appointed him to do.

When running for his life, when standing in the face of wind and earthquake and fire, Elijah is consumed by his despair and discouragement. But when he finds time for God to speak to him in the silence, his hope is restored, and he is able to continue.

We, like Elijah, need those times of sheer silence, if we hope to stay in touch with God’s word. It is no wonder we rarely hear God’s voice today: we rarely stop for long enough to listen. We need to take a break from the rush of daily life, and rest in the presence of our gracious God.

I hope and pray that you can seek out, each day, a moment or two of sheer silence. May God fill those moments of silence, and may God’s word fill your hearts and souls, empowering you for faithfulness.

David J. Risendal

Exploring This Week’s Text:

1. What was causing Elijah’s heart to be filled with fear and discouragement?
2. What enabled him to once again hear God’s voice?
3. Why do people (why do we…) so rarely hear the word of the Lord today?

Connecting with This Week’s Text:

1. When am I least likely to take time to listen for God’s voice?
2. What habits of discipleship can help me to stay more connected with God’s word?
3. What ministry that I might prefer to flee, is God calling me to address today?