St. Matthew 16:13-20 What does it mean to confess the Lord as we journey living in the baptismal waters? There can be many different ideas as to what is an adequate confession. Is confessing Christ as Lord and Savior simply an intellectual, cerebral exercise where we cognitively acknowledge Jesus? Is it a personal statement of trust? Is it a statement that defends the existence of the historical Jesus that lived in time and suffered at the hands of Pontius Pilate?
According to St. John, “whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in Him, and He in God”(1 John 4:15). St. Paul speaks in a similar way: “I make known to you that no one in the Spirit of God speaks, saying ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one is able to say ‘Jesus is Lord’ but by the Holy Spirit”(1 Cor. 12:3). It is by the power of God that confession of faith in Jesus is made. Jesus lets us know this with Peter’s great confession: “Blessed are you Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven”(St. Matthew 16:17). What Peter said is the confession of the church: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This is the confession on which the church stands and falls. These verses show us that this is not just a cerebral exercise. Nor is it merely an intellectual and historical statement of fact. Of what does a confession of faith in Jesus the Son of God consist? We are troubled when we hear Jesus say things like, “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of my Father in heaven”(St. Matthew 7:21). From this we can see that there is more depth and meaning to the whole notion of confessing Jesus. There is more to it than just moving the lips and the mouth. Equally troubling are the words of St. James. “You believe that God is One. You do well. The demons also believe and tremble”(James 2:19). Two verses like these should be enough to lead us to some fruitful reflection. Am I of the sort that cries out “Lord, Lord” but shall not enter the kingdom of heaven? What is in a confession? If the demons, for whom hell awaits, believe and James warns us who believe, then what is James trying to tell us? There is a danger that creeps upon the heels of people that confess Jesus. One of the dangers is complacency. We turn the mercy of Jesus into a dispenser. When we need Jesus we go to the dispenser and get some Jesus. If we don’t think we need Jesus, then the dispenser just sits and waits for us until we are ready. This is modern Christian piety at its’ worst. This is the way most people mistakenly practice faith. Jesus is worshipped when it is convenient. This smacks of Jesus statement to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3 that it is the lukewarm church that will be vomited out of the mouth of Christ (expelled from the body of Christ, the invisible church). The result of complacency is we go numb and we go through the ritual of church and worship. We slide into the pew and back out again with very little thought as to our sins, as well as, very little thought about what the crucifixion means for us. It is needful for us to ponder the crucifixion and our sins. It is worthwhile to note what St. James says after the verse about the demons believing and trembling. He continues: “Do you desire to know, o empty man, that faith apart from works is useless?” Then James cites as an example, Abraham’s willingness to offer up his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice in response to God’s promise. The point is that faith trusts God. Faith, like we see in Abraham, is looking at God’s face and relying on Him to provide the sacrifice and way out for us sinners. Jesus’ statement that not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” has a followup point. “All who hear these words of mine and does them, shall be likened to a wise man who builds his house on the rock”(St. Matthew 7:24). This coincides with Jesus’ statement to Peter: “You are Peter (Petros) and upon this rock (petra) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”(St. Matthew 16:18). The rock, the bold confession, is the firm trust in “Son of the living God,” ie. the incarnation, life, suffering and death of Jesus that takes away our sins. This is no lukewarm, half-hearted trust, but one that calls in desperation and seeks nothing else but the Lord’s hand to save. The confession of faith that saves is the one that begs the Lord to take away our sins so we can stand, again. This confession is not an idle acknowledgment that Jesus existed, but the unwavering begging of the Canaanite woman in chapter 15 who will not stop begging Jesus to give her the gospel crumbs. This confession that saves is the Centurion in St. Luke 7 who desires Jesus to speak the word and his servant will be healed. Likewise, the man with the demon-possessed child in St. Mark 9 makes the confession of faith that knows the difference between human beings and God. “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief”(St. Mark 9:24). This confession is perhaps the one that is striking. In the man’s confession of faith is the acknowledgment of who he is and the correct order of things. He believes that Jesus is Lord, and in his confession is the need for faith. We are beggars. Our confession acknowledges this. We do not trust in ourselves like the unbelievers and the demons. Confessing Jesus is, like Abraham, to look to God’s hand to provide the sacrifice that we all need. In the blood of Jesus the begging is answered. We never leave the foot of the crucifixion scene in this life. We forever bear the image of Jesus hanging, blood-stained and limp, because we are constantly in need to have Jesus help our unbelief. What is the rock on which the house is built but Jesus Christ crucified. On this rock Jesus will build His church. To be the Son of God is to be the incarnate One who dies. It is for your sins and for your difficulty in believing that Jesus has died. The keys of the kingdom of heaven have likewise been given to the church in the gospel of holy absolution. The Lord has provided the sacrifice. Your sins have been loosed, Christ has been glorified on the cross, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Amen. -- Rev. Chad Kendall Trinity Lutheran Church Lowell, Indiana www.trinitylowell.org http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=243282012833
