Sermon preached Sunday, September 17, 2006
Proper 19: Closest to September 14
Psalm 116 or 116:1-8; Isaiah 50:4-9; James 2:1-5,8-10,14-18; Mark 8:27-38
In today's Gospel we hear the account of Saint Peter's confession of Jesus as Christ. I can't tell you how many sermons I heard when I was in Seminary that used this gospel as a platform for bashing Saint Peter: "True Peter confessed Jesus, but he didn't really jknow what he was talking about."; "Well, if you keep reading the Gospel you find that Peter denied Jesus and fled."; etc. Its almost popular for preachers to remind us over and over that Peter and the other apostles weren't perect. In fact, I know I've done it myself.
They weren't perfect; you and I aren't perfect. Taking up our crosses and following Jesus is not an easy thing to do. Every Friday during Lent we offer a service called Stations of the Cross. As we walk with Jesus on the way of the cross we see Jesus fall three times under the weight of the cross. There are two responses to this. Some jeer at Jesus and offer snide remarks. But Simon of Cyrene offers a helping hand. He assists Jesus with the cross that is always difficult to take up.
Saint Peter and the other apostles fell and stumbled with the crosses they took up, as we all do. I'm not sure its helpful to concentrate on the stumbling and the falling - to me it comes off like we are people on the sidelines who offer nothing but snide remarks. I think its more hlepful to follow the example of Simon and the example of the apostles themselves who supported each other with the crosses that they bore as they followed Christ and spread the Gospel to the whole world.
Support each other and lend a hand to those who stumble in their faith because it isn't easy following Christ and its never easy taking up the cross. Pray for support from those around you in the times when we all stumble.
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