St. Paul’s Church in
Bergen, Jersey City NJ
September 3, 2017
Year A, Proper 17:
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Jeremiah 15:15-21
Psalm 26:1-8
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28
Everyday Temptations
A
lot can happen in a week, right?
Last
Sunday many of us were down at Liberty Park with our friends from Grace and
Incarnation, enjoying one of the most beautiful days of the year, as we
celebrated and sang and ate and drank and basked in the sun together.
You
may remember that in last week’s Gospel lesson, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who
do people say that I am?”
And,
in reply the disciples rattled off a list of the usual suspects: Elijah or John
the Baptist or some other prophet.
And
then, Jesus asked his closest followers a more pointed, more personal question,
“But, who do you say that I am?”
Of
all people, it’s Peter, the so-called “Rock” who so often wasn’t very solid at
all, the fisherman who often messed up and didn’t quite get it, it’s Peter who,
this time anyway, gets the answer exactly right:
He
says to Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”
A
lot can happen in a week.
For
days now we’ve been watching scenes of devastation and heartbreak as a storm
that was described as “unprecedented” overwhelmed our country’s fourth-largest
city and the surrounding areas, killing at least thirty-one people and
displacing thousands of people whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed
and who now face the dangers of disease and chemical explosions and contaminations
and even alligators.
A
lot can happen in a week.
And
then this past Thursday evening, after thirty or so years of thinking about it and
talking about it and dreaming about it, the Episcopal Church finally returned
to the Greenville neighborhood in the southern part of Jersey City.
The
Triangle Park Community Center was born at a meet and greet where we served
food and offered arts and crafts for kids and just talked with many of our new
neighbors, who gave us an earful about the neighborhood – the crime, the lack
of activities for kids, the woeful state of the little park that gave our
center its name.
Although
the neighborhood does indeed a lot of work, the people were diverse and
beautiful and friendly and our meet and greet was a truly wonderful time, I’d
say one of the top ten events we’ve done.
I’m
excited to see what takes root at Triangle Park!
Now,
in today’s Gospel lesson, we pick up right where we left off, but unlike last
week when Peter got the answer exactly right and made his big confession of
faith, there are now shadows over Jesus and his disciples.
We’re told that
Jesus began to share with his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, where he
will suffer, be killed, and raised on the third day.
That must have
been hard and confusing to hear, a lot to take in all at once, and, sure
enough, Peter, who did so well last week, now messes up big time.
He seems to have
not heard or understood the part about Jesus rising on the third day, but
instead, understandably, focuses on Jesus’ suffering and death – and he finds
that idea completely unbearable.
We’re told Peter
pulls Jesus aside and “rebukes” Jesus – a strong word – “God forbid it, Lord!
This must never happen to you.”
Now, at this
point, we might expect Jesus to quietly try to console Peter, explain things a
little bit, repeat to him about the third day, but instead Jesus really lets
Peter have it:
“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.”
You
know, usually, we only talk about the temptations of Jesus once a year when we
hear the gospel account of his forty days in the wilderness when Satan tempted
Jesus to use his power for his own glory or well-being – come on, throw
yourself off the temple and let the angels catch you – come on, you’re starving
so just go ahead and turn this stone into bread.
Jesus
successfully resisted those temptations and so I think that we assume or fool
ourselves into thinking that those were the only temptations he faced during
his earthly lifetime. But, I’m sure that’s not the case. I’m sure just like all
of us, our brother Jesus faced everyday temptations throughout his life – and,
maybe, no greater temptation than the temptation Peter unintentionally placed
before him – the temptation to turn away from the work that God had given him
to do – the temptation to live a “normal” life, to be pretty much like
everybody else.
This
“everyday temptation” was all too real for Jesus so he angrily shuts Peter
down.
And,
you know, we Christians face the same kind of everyday temptations, too.
Just
like Jesus, we’re tempted to turn away from the work God has given us to
do, tempted to live a “normal” life, to be pretty much like everybody else.
Just
like Jesus, we’re tempted to turn away from the work God has given us to do
because it’s hard, and risky, and it’s going to cost us.
Just
listen to Jesus in today’s gospel lesson:
“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 will find it.”
Or,
listen to St. Paul in today’s excerpt from the Letter to the Romans:
“Contribute
to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who
persecute you.”
This
is the work we are called to and it is so very tempting to turn away from it
and just live like everybody else.
Which
brings me to Joel Osteen.
I’m
only somewhat familiar with him and his message, since I go to church all the
time so I don’t really need or want to watch church on TV, but I know some of
our parishioners watch and enjoy him.
As
you probably heard, reporters questioned why he didn’t open his massive church
(which seats an unbelievable 16,800!), didn’t open his church to people who
were fleeing the storm and seeking shelter.
The
first response was that the church itself was flooded and inaccessible but then
some reporters went there and found it to be OK.
Then
Joel Osteen made a media blitz, appearing on lots of TV news shows standing in
front of large piles of supplies that had apparently been donated, announcing
that the church was now open for those in need and explaining that they hadn’t
opened the church in the first place, because
the government hadn’t asked them to open it.
Now,
there’s no way for us to know what was really going on there, and it’s not my
job to judge Joel Osteen or anybody else for that matter, but that sounds to me
like giving into the everyday temptation to turn away from the work that God as
given us to do, giving into the temptation to live like everybody else,
protecting our investments, protecting our beautiful property, closing our
doors to those in need, waiting to be asked to serve others rather than taking
the risk of stepping up.
Osteen’s
actions resonated with me because I could imagine myself, I could imagine us,
in a similar situation saying, yes of course we want to help, but our beautiful
floor and carpet, but we only have one bathroom, but we’re just a small church,
but nobody asked us, but, but, but…
But,
on Labor Day weekend and always, our work is to give away ourselves in loving
service to God and one another, especially those in need.
So,
my prayer is that we’ll give generously to Episcopal Relief and Development,
give not just the dollar bill that’s crumpled up at the bottom of our pocket or
purse, but give so that it requires some real sacrifice on our part.
My
prayer is that we’ll step up our regular food donations, which, as usual,
remain pretty meager, that we’ll give away food at least as good as what we
ourselves eat and serve to those we care about.
My
prayer is that at least some of us will support the new community center –
there is so much talent in this room, so let’s use it to serve our new friends,
our brothers and sisters around Triangle Park.
Oh,
like Jesus and like Christians throughout the ages, we’ll still face the
everyday temptations to turn away from this work, to be “normal,” to live
pretty much like everybody else, but, as Jesus taught us by his own example:
giving away our lives in loving service to God and our brothers and sisters is
the way of life.
Amen.
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