From the Rectors Desk

"Never, Lord!" Texts: Matthew 16:21-28 + Romans 12:9-21

Have you ever responded to a very difficult situation that you'd thought you couldn't handle? Like every human, this was Peter's response to Jesus saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you" (Matthew 16:22). Sometimes we are very ignorant like Peter thinking we're capable of being too smart! Trying to help ourselves doing the Lord's work with zeal without facing the realities and costs that come with it. All this amounts to nothing! Jesus has not promised us a life that is full of bed of roses! No matter what our lives have to be with some challenges, however, entrusting our burdens to Jesus would help us with whatever that might come our way. 

 So this Sunday in our reflection texts from Matthew 16:21-28 and Romans 12:9-21, there are two sides of the same call. Matthew tells us what it costs to follow Jesus. In Paul's letter to the Romans he tells us what this looks like when we do. Together they confront the 21st Century Church at its weakest points. Matthew 16:21-28 takes us to the cost we might want to avoid, but Jesus wants us to face this reality of the cost of His discipleship. Jesus must go to Jerusalem and suffer... "Get behind me, Satan!"... "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:23-24). To recall from last Sunday's passage Peter has just confessed Jesus as Messiah (Matthew 16:16). Perhaps from his own point of view he expects a political or economic Messiah. However, Jesus immediately redefines Messiahship as suffering, death, and resurrection. But Peter's response — "Never, Lord!" — is the voice of every age that wants a Messiah without a cross. Now the 21st Century parallel is that we have built a version of Christianity that tries to keep the resurrection while removing the suffering. We want influence without sacrifice.  We want a platform without the cross; we want a therapeutic Jesus who affirms our desires, not a Lord who asks us to deny ourselves. Peter's mistake was having in mind merely human concerns, not the concerns of God (v.23). That is the algorithmic church — measuring success by likes, attendance, and comfort rather than obedience. Jesus gives us the paradox we still can't escape: If you try to save your life, you lose it. If you lose your life for me, you find it (v.25). In a culture of self-preservation, self-branding, and self-care as ultimate values, losing your life sounds like failure. But Jesus calls it the only way to find it.

From this second passage in Romans 12:9-21 Paul wrote this to a church in Rome — the center of power, polarization, status, and performance. Just like us. He starts with the key phrase: Love must be sincere — literally, let love be without hypocrisy. The Greek word is anypokritos — not wearing a mask. Then he shows what unmasked discipleship looks like: a) Internal authenticity vs. performative faith (v.9-13). In an age of curated spirituality on the social media, Paul says: hate evil, cling to good, honor others above yourself, be zealous for good, be patient in affliction. This is private character over public image. The 21st century church is tempted to perform love online but to be very cynical and evil in mind, impatient and cold in real life. b) Radical enemy-love vs. culture war (v.14-21). This is the hardest part for today: Bless those who persecute you... Do not repay anyone evil for evil... If your enemy is hungry, feed him... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  That being said, the 21st century defaults are: Cancel the enemies, don't bless them. Repay evil on social media. Overcome evil by outrage. Paul clearly integrates Jesus' agreement: the true test of whether we have denied ourselves is how we treat those who oppose us. Matthew 16 says take up your cross. Romans 12 says use that cross to love your enemies, not to crucify them! 

So here is one take-home question for us to take this week: What do these texts Demand of us now?

Matthew 16 answers the question: Who is in charge? You/Me/Us or Jesus? The answer is self-denial. We must stop trying to make Jesus fit into our political, personal, or cultural spaces or agenda. We need to follow Him to Jerusalem of the Cross, even if it costs us a lot! That's our call. Romans 12 answers the question: How will people know? By unhypocritical love. Not by winning arguments, not by accolades or self-aggrandizement, but by genuine community compassion, hospitality, empathy — rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn (v.15) — and by refusing to let evil set our agenda to repay evil for evil.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

With every blessing,