There’s a line that Alexander Hamilton sings at various points in the hit Broadway musical that bears his name that stood out to me: “I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory.” He sings it early in the musical, in the signature song “My Shot,” where he sings,
I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory
When’s it gonna’ get me?
In my sleep, seven feet ahead of me?
If I see it comin’ do I run or do I let it be?
He sings it again in the song “Yorktown” after he receives his first military command from General George Washington and he wonders if he’ll survive the battle and make it back home to his expecting wife. And he sings it again in his final monologue at the end, in the scene of his duel with Aaron Burr, when the action slows down after Burr fires his fateful fatal shot. “I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory.”
Perhaps this line struck me so because the first time I saw the musical was the first weekend of July when it was released on Disney+. By that time, three and a half months into this pandemic, I had done more imagining of death – my own and the death of others – than I probably have my entire life. News reports of people dying in hospital ICU rooms, isolated, completely alone, without the comfort and support of family and friends and even clergy were gut-wrenching to me. Stories of people much younger than I am, more active than I am, dying within days of contracting this novel virus have been harrowing to hear.
And then, a few weeks ago, when I developed a fever that didn’t subside for several days, that got so high I would shake uncontrollably, and I had to wait a week for my COVID test results to come back because they misspelled my name – I mean, how many ways are there to spell “David”? It turns out it was an allergic reaction to some antibiotics I was on for something else, but it was still very scary. I was quarantined, isolated, and I began to contemplate my own mortality, to imagine death. I actually started getting all my electronic passwords and essential paperwork together in case Tracy needed it and to think about what I’d want her and the boys to hear from me if it started getting bad.
Now maybe this all sounds a bit too overdramatic. But maybe this has something to do with why this particular line from “Hamilton” has lodged itself in my mind: “I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory.”
But I also remember one night, in the midst of one of my feverish episodes, recalling a line from the scriptures. It’s from Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter six, verse three: “Do you not know,” Paul asks, “that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”
Don’t you know Graybeal – or Graybill, or Greybel, or Grable, or however you spell it – that if you’ve been baptized, you’ve already died in Christ?
Baptism, I’ve learned over the years from preaching about it and from teaching about it in confirmation class, is a symbol for a lot of things: new life, new birth, a new beginning, a washing away of sin, a fresh start, a clean slate, becoming part of a new family, the church, the body of Christ. All of this is good and right and true, of course. But it’s also a symbol of dying and rising with Christ. And maybe that’s an aspect of baptism we don’t preach about or teach about enough.
And I get it. When that blushing couple standing there at the font at the front of the church hands off their cherubic child to you to be baptized, you don’t really want to go into a dissertation on Paul’s sixth chapter in his letter to the Romans where he describes our baptism as our burial with Christ into his death so that we might also be raised with him to walk in newness of life. It wouldn’t really fit the jubilant mood of the day to talk about how in our baptisms we are united with Christ in his death so that we might be united with him in his resurrection. The parents might wear a frowny face for the photographers during that bit. And we certainly don’t want to practice full immersion for that little tiny infant, though I have heard of things like that happening.
But I do think the Apostle Paul is on to something here that’s worth our pondering, whether we’re in the midst of a pandemic or not. In this passage, Paul’s trying to tell us that sin no longer has dominion over us if we are baptized into Christ. As Will Shelton used to say when he was serving here at Keith, we don’t live there anymore; now we live in the land of grace. As Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Romans 6:1-10 in The Message puts it,
when we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace – a new life in a new land! That’s what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus…If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word.
So what Paul is saying here is if we have been baptized in Christ, we have already died to the ultimate power of sin over our lives, which is death. So in our baptism, we have already died to death. We have already gotten death out of the way and behind us. Can you imagine a more powerful or profound claim than that?
Frank Honeycutt is a Lutheran pastor who has given this some thought. He suggests that in addition to our celebrating our birthdays every year, we should celebrate our baptismal anniversaries as our deathdays, as a reminder that we’ve already died, that our deaths are already behind us. He describes being born on May 15, 1957 down in Chattanooga, but he writes, “I died on a hot summer Sunday, July 28 of that same year, when Pastor Jim Cadwallader poured water on my bald baby head and informed all listening at Ascension Lutheran that I was a Christian. I died that day and have been swimming around in the grace of God ever since (sometimes dog-paddling, I’ll admit.)” (“Buried with Christ,” Christian Century, July 29, 2019)
So when was your deathday? Mine was June 2, 1974 at First United Methodist Church in Marion, Virginia. Rev. Wilmer Robbins was my pastor. I don’t really remember it. After all, I was only 8 months old. But I do try to mark that day every time it rolls around in the calendar.
I don’t know if I’ll ever go so far as to call it my deathday. But maybe that day can be a reminder to me that I don’t have to imagine death so much because in my baptism it is already a memory. And so if at our baptisms we have already died to death, then maybe the question now becomes how shall we live?
The life of the Apostle Peter was one of pride and prejudice. During his time with Jesus, we see Peter wrestling with his pride. After Jesus’s resurrection and the birth and growth of the early church, we see that Peter also had to work on his prejudice.
When we last looked at Peter, he was on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Three times, Jesus had asked Peter if he loved him. And three times, Peter said yes. And three times, Jesus replied with either “Feed my lambs” or “Feed my sheep.”
But then Jesus gives Peter another warning. He says, “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Apparently, Jesus pauses to let that sink in and then once again says, “Follow me.”
Peter, still wanting to have the last word in, looks over at the Beloved Disciple and asks, “What about him, Lord?” Jesus swiftly replies, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” Once again, Peter is hearing Jesus say, “Follow me.”
A few weeks later, the Peter of Pentecost is boldly preaching to his fellow Jews from many lands. He boldly proclaims Jesus to be the risen Messiah and Lord. He reminds his audience of God’s promise to the prophet Joel that he would pour out his Spirit on all people, men and women alike. Did Peter fully understand that promise at Pentecost Sunday? Probably not. When Peter said that God would pour his Spirit on all people, he unconsciously thought all Jewish people. That was a radical idea. In the past, the Spirit of the Lord had only fallen on a select few individuals. But Peter did not realize just how radical it really was. It was like the Founding Fathers of the United States agreeing that “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The idea that a farmer was equal to a king was radical in 1776. But it took Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, and many, many more to push the nation to more fully embrace that idea.
In short, Peter was prejudiced. He prejudged people. If a person was not Jewish, that person was not holy. So the Holy Spirit had to work on Peter. In Act 8, we see Peter and John laying hands and praying over the Samaritans that they might receive the Holy Spirit. The Jewish people saw the Samaritans as being half-breeds. But the Samaritans had very similar beliefs to the Jewish people. To an outsider, Samaritans and Jews were both off the same branch of human family tree. So it was a big step, but not a giant leap for Peter.
The giant leap for Peter comes in Acts 10. Peter is asked to come to the house of Cornelius, a Roman centurion of the Italian Regiment. Peter had several good reasons not to visit Cornelius. Politically, Cornelius is part of the occupying Roman army in Israel. Genetically, Cornelius is a Gentile. It was not lawful for Peter to even enter his house. Peter explained to Cornelius that “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean.” When Cornelius gives his testimony, Peter is moved and says, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” Once again that the Holy Spirit enters the scene, falling upon Cornelius and his family. Peter asks his friends, “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” In Acts 11, Peter is criticized by some of the Jewish Christians for his actions, but he stands firm.
In Acts 12, Peter is imprisoned and placed on death row by King Herod Agrippa I. He miraculously escapes in the middle of the night and leaves. He eventually travels to Antioch, Turkey where he continues to fellowship with both Jews and Gentiles. While in Antioch, some Jewish Christian representatives show up – almost like an inspection. In a moment of weakness, Peter stops eating with his Gentile brothers and sisters. He segregates himself from them. His backslidden behavior even has Barnabas following his example. This angers the Apostle Paul, and he calls Peter out on it. This leads to the great church council of Acts 15.
At the church council, Peter regains his courage and speaks boldly. He says, “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”
As Yogi Berra would say, it was deja vu again. In a moment of weakness, Peter had denied Jesus, but a few weeks later he boldly proclaimed the risen Christ. In a moment of weakness, Peter had segregated himself from Gentile believers, but a short time later he proclaims them as fellow Christians.
The book of Acts is silent about Peter from this point on. Reading 1st Peter, we learn that Peter returned to modern day Turkey and ministered to the Jewish people there in five different provinces. Then he travels to Rome to encourage the believers there. Rome was the headquarters of a pagan empire. Peter gives Rome the nickname of Babylon – another notorious pagan empire. But he is not alone in Rome. Silas, who famously spent a rocky evening in prison with the Apostle Paul, is with him. And so is Mark, whom Peter looks upon as a son. Perhaps Peter is less critical of Mark’s past shortcomings because he is all to aware of his own.
Peter is now an old man old. He is reflecting on his long life. When we read 1st Peter, his letter written in Rome to the Jewish believers in Turkey, delivered by Silas, we hear echoes of the words of Jesus and how they related to Peter’s life.
Peter reflects on that precious moment when Jesus said, “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” He reflects how he naively thought that he was the rock that the church would be built on. Now he writes, “You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.”
Peter reflects on his pride and his condescending attitude that he used to have to his fellow disciples and how Jesus wanted him to encourage and strengthen his brothers. So he writes, “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.”
Peter then reflects on how Jesus had commanded him to feed both his lambs and sheep. So he writes to the church leaders, “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.”
Peter then reflects about how Jesus had warned him that Thursday night that Satan was after him and to pray and keep watch. So he writes, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
Peter’s words to the Jewish Christians in Turkey are timeless. But his timing for being in Rome could have not been worse. A terrible fire broke out in Rome, devasting large swaths of the city. The Roman citizens turned their anger against Emperor Nero. The rumor was that he had purposely started the fire to clear land to build a palace. One rumor was that Nero played the harp while the flames consumed Rome. Thus, we have the saying in our language about “fiddling, while Rome burns.” Nero needed a way to deflect attention. He needed a scapegoat. What group was small enough to be rounded up, but large enough to be known? A group despised by the average Roman? The answer: Christians. They were disliked by Jews and Pagans alike. Nero began rounding up Christians, killing them for spectators, and burning them alive in the evening to light up his gardens.
This was the tense atmosphere that faced Peter when he preached to the Roman Christians. What was Peter thinking when he looked out into that crowd of Roman believers? Did he remember how he had hesitated to even enter the house of Cornelius the Italian centurion? Now he was a pilgrim in the land of Italy accepting their hospitality. And what faith these Romans had! Peter knew Jesus personally and yet had denied even knowing him. These Roman Christians had never even met Jesus, and yet they loved him and were willing to die for him. And what could he say at a time when believers where being prosecuted, persecuted, and executed by the pagans? Perhaps the imagery of Rome being on fire was in Peter’s mind. Perhaps the thoughts of fellow Christians being burned alive for Nero’s pleasure was burned into Peter’s soul. No false promises of the health and wealth gospel. Perhaps Peter preached a solemn sermon of sincerity and hope like this:
“It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.”
And then he continued with, “So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.” And then he concluded with one last reference to fire, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.…For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News?…So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.”
Peter no longer saw second-class citizens of the kingdom of heaven. When he looked at the Roman Christians, he saw what he called “a chosen people…a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s very own possession…called out of the darkness into God’s wonderful light.” He loved them, and they loved him. Out of their great love for Peter, perhaps the Christians of Rome urged Peter to flee.
According to a beloved tradition, Peter is leaving Rome when he meets Jesus who is going to Rome. “Where are you going, Lord?” Peter asks Jesus. Jesus replies, “I am going to Rome to be crucified again.” Peter understands the meaning and returns to Rome where he is arrested by the Roman authorities. Doubtless, Emperor Nero was thrilled to have captured the Big Fisherman in his net. But Nero would have been surprised to know that Peter had written to the Jewish Christians that they “for the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed.” Regardless, Peter is sentenced to death by crucifixion as part of the persecution following the great fire. According to another tradition, Peter asks to be crucified upside down, as he is not worthy the die the same way as Jesus.
Are these traditions true? If not, they deserve to be so. In director John Ford’s classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, the newspaper editortells the Jimmy Stewart character, “This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” But should we print the legend?
Perhaps Peter did meet Jesus. Perhaps he had a vision of Jesus. Or perhaps, as he was reflecting on his long life, he remembered what Jesus had repeatedly said throughout their time together, and those two words kept coming back to him.
“Follow me, and I’ll make you fishers of men.”
“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”
“I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go. Follow me.”
“If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”
Follow me.
At last Peter had a chance to fulfill his old promise to Jesus. He would go to prison and die for him. In doing so, he was an example of faith to the Roman Christians. As he hung on the cross, perhaps upside down, Peter realized that his life had come full circle. He started off proud, but now he was humble, “even unto death upon the cross.” Full of prejudice, he had once hesitated to risk his reputation by entering the house of a Roman. But now he had risked his life to minister to his fellow Roman believers. He had fed the lambs and sheep of the Christian faith – both Jew and Roman. The proud and prejudiced Peter had died long before. The humble and accepting Peter was about to live his life even more abundantly. He had denied himself. He had taken up his cross. He was following Jesus.
In Acts, we see Peter struggling with the idea of opening the doors of the church to Gentile believers. What groups of people do modern Christians struggle with accepting? What leads Peter to change his mind and heart concerning Gentile believers? How can we apply that lesson today?
What are we to make of Peter when he backslides and segregates himself away from Gentile believers, refusing to eat with them? Are there people in your life that you would not be comfortable sitting and dining with in public, whether at a restaurant or the company’s break area? Were your parents or grandparents forbidden to dine with other groups of people when they were growing up? Why is eating together so important?
When we read 1st Peter, we see that Peter has reflected on his long life. Why is it important that we reflect on our lives?
In 1st Peter we read warnings about fiery trials, but also words like glad, joy, and rejoice. How does Peter’s attitude toward difficult times for the believer compare to what we are often told what a believer should expect?
Imagine being Cornelius the centurion and learning that Peter had arrived in Rome, only to be executed a short time later. What thoughts would run through your mind? Can you think of any other missionaries who have died on the mission field?
We find ourselves these days in the thick of a particularly thorny election year. We are swimming – some might say drowning – in a sea of politics. One of our major national political party’s conventions is being held this week, and the other’s is next week. Politics is all around us. We can’t escape it. We can’t watch tv or check our social media without being bombarded by yet another political advertisement (probably the same one we saw no more than 10 minutes ago!)
I grew up being told that there are two things you don’t talk about in polite conversation – religion and politics. I’ve already woefully failed avoiding the first through my life’s vocation, but then there’s always politics, right?
Politics is obviously one of the subjects of the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” which we’ve been exploring in our sermons this month for its gospel themes and messages. It’s the story of one of our country’s Founding Fathers whose face can be found on our ten-dollar bills. The story traces some of the political differences that arose in our nation’s infancy. Alexander Hamilton represents the Federalists who valued a large central government, a national bank (which Hamilton created and oversaw as Secretary of the Treasury), and a robust international market. My fellow native Virginians Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, on the other hand, represent the Democratic-Republicans who valued more localized control of a more agrarian society.
These political differences are vigorously portrayed in the two “Cabinet Battle” songs and the song “Washington On Your Side,” which Andrew reflected on last week. George Washington, in fact, foresaw some of the bitter partisan fighting and tried his best to warn against it. But the 1804 duel between Hamilton and his longtime “frenemy” Aaron Burr shows the deadly depths to which partisan political polarization can go.
This duel is probably the main thing most of us most remember about Alexander Hamilton from our high school US history classes. And certainly, when it comes to Aaron Burr, this duel is what we most remem-Burr. Their duel is portrayed in “The World Was Wide Enough,” the next-to-last song of the three-and-a-half-hour musical. Burr realizes too late after firing his own gun that Hamilton has fired his gun upward – Hamilton who has sung he’s “not throwing away my shot” actually does so in the end – and Burr cries “wait!” He watches as they carry Hamilton’s mortally wounded body away. At the end of the song, a remorseful Burr reflects,
I survived, but I paid for it
Now I’m the villain in your history
I was too young and blind to see
I should’ve known
I should’ve known the world was wide enough for both Hamilton and me
The world was wide enough for both Hamilton and me.
Perhaps this is a message that the musical’s author Lin-Manuel Miranda means for us to realize, to take to heart, from across the span of over 200 years, in our own days of deeply divisive political polarization, before it’s too late. Just like the world was wide enough for both Hamilton and Burr, for both Federalists and Democratic-Republicans back then, so too might the world still be wide enough for those who go by the name Democrat, those who go by the name Republican, those who go by the name Independent and those who just can’t wait for it all to just go on by!
In one of the books that has been a resource for us in this sermon series on “Hamilton,” the author Jeff Hamling quotes the Rev. Tim Keller, who is a popular author and founding pastor of the Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. Keller wrote in a 2018 op-ed in the New York Times, entitled “How Do Christians Fit into the Two-Party System?”
“As Christians we should never identify the Christian faith with one political party. No single party captures all the social ethics of God’s kingdom. The democrats emphasize some better. The republicans emphasize others better. To reduce the ethics of the kingdom of God to a single party is to reduce the kingdom of God. The church needs both.” (qtd. Jeff Hamling, The Gospel According to Hamilton: Seeing God in the Broadway Musical, p. 46.)
I like the way he puts that. I like the way he reminds us that neither political party completely captures what the kingdom of God is all about. Each of them may glimpse different aspects, but neither of them fully represents the portrait of the kingdom of God that Jesus paints for us in the Gospels. That’s why we need different perspectives, different viewpoints, different angles onto the same inexhaustible reality. The church is wide enough for that!
And here’s the thing. Like Burr, we should’ve known that already. How? From Jesus. According to the Gospels, the kingdom of God was the main subject of every one of Jesus’ sermons, and it is far bigger, broader and wider than any one political party or perspective. The kingdom of God transcends, goes above and beyond, our political parties and their platforms and perspectives.
Now, to be sure, the kingdom of God is a political construct. That is to say, it is represents a certain way of forming and shaping the human community, the “polis,” which is the ancient Greek word for a city-state which is where we get the word “political.” Athens, you will remember, was one of the original Greek city-states. So the kingdom of God is what the polis, what the human community, would look like if the virtues and values of God were to be realized among us. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,” we pray as Jesus taught us, “on earth, as it is in heaven.” So whenever we pray that prayer, we are praying for the transcendent kingdom of God to come and completely transform the kingdoms of this world.
But if you were to look at how Jesus describes the kingdom of God, you would be hard-pressed to line up a whole lot of it with either of the major political party platforms. One of the areas in the scriptures where Jesus talks about the kingdom of God most explicitly is the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). But how does “give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42) translate exactly into economic policy and entitlement programs? How does “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44) translate into a foreign policy platform identifiable with either party? And we’re not even out of Matthew chapter 5 yet!
Jesus’ description of life in the kingdom of God in the Gospels simply doesn’t correspond very closely with what we’ll be hearing in the political conventions this week or next week. That’s not to say that some of the folks we’ll be hearing from aren’t sincere believers, and it’s most definitely not to say that Jesus wasn’t concerned – and wouldn’t want us to be concerned as well – with some of the same topics we’ll be hearing about – the sick, the poor, the hungry, the unemployed, the undocumented. But just like Jesus’ talk about the kingdom of God didn’t exactly square with what the leading religious and political parties of his day were promoting – the rigorous Pharisees, the elitist Sadducees, the escapist Essenes, the activist Zealots – neither does his kingdom-talk entirely jive with everything in either of the Democratic or Republican party platforms.
But I do find it intriguing how people from widely divergent political perspectives nonetheless admire and enjoy this musical. For example, former Democratic President Barack Obama once joked that admiring “Hamilton” was the only thing he and former Republican Vice-President Dick Cheney actually agreed on! And you can see how people from different political perspectives can find different things in the musical to appreciate. Some might point to Hamilton’s story of pulling himself up by the bootstraps. Others might point to the musical’s multiracial cast and its attentiveness to the contributions of immigrants, of whom Hamilton was one. Different people from different political perspectives like different things about the same musical! Might not the same thing be said about different people from different perspectives being drawn to the same Messiah?
One of the things I have long enjoyed and appreciated about Keith Church – ever since I was first appointed here as the associate pastor back in 2001 – is that it is big enough and wide enough to embrace and encompass members from a variety of political, theological, and even collegiate athletic perspectives (there’s been a few Georgia and Alabama and otherwise fans in the mix over the years! You know who you are!) who nevertheless are all still drawn to Jesus, who are still compelled by Jesus, who love Jesus, and who want to love him more.
Keith Church has always had folks who’ve voted in all sorts of ways and who see things all across the spectrum, and yet there they are singing in the choir together, or sitting in Sunday school class together, or serving on that ministry team together, or bagging up food for Nourish One Child together. Somehow folks here seem to be able – not to set aside these different perspectives as if they don’t really matter – but to bring those different perspectives into the conversation so that everyone is invited to listen a little bit closer, to think a little bit deeper, to try to understand a little bit better and broader, and to speak a little gentler and humbler.
This is the same thing I’ve long appreciated about the United Methodist Church, that it’s a denomination big enough and wide enough to include and incorporate different political and theological perspectives from all around the world. I remember learning years ago that the United Methodist Church claims both former President George W. Bush and former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton as both active and devoted members. I’m proud of that fact. I’m honored to be a part of a denomination like that.
So, as Burr sang, it’s vital for us to remember that the world is indeed wide enough. The church is indeed wide enough. It’s vital for us to remember that, because sometimes we, like Burr, might be tempted in the heat of the moment, in the furor of all the fuss and the fighting, to forget it, when all along we should’ve known. We should’ve known from Jesus. We should’ve known from Paul, who reminded us that our deepest and most fundamental unity is in Christ: “There is no longer Jew or Greek (racial distinctions); there is no longer slave or free (socioeconomic distinctions); there is no longer male or female (gender distinctions), for all of you are on in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28; thanks Jeff Hamling, p. 47). The Lord indeed is wide enough!
But we also could have come to know it from one of the ancient monks who lived out in the desert way back in the 6th century. His name was Dorotheos. He lived in the area of Gaza, which is nowadays a Palestinian territory between the Sinai peninsula and Israel. It’s a hotly contested, politically polarized place today. But in one of his writings Dorotheos envisioned a circle, with God in Christ occupying the center, and all of humanity scattered around the edge of the circle.
Picture a bicycle wheel where God in Christ is the axle around which it turns, and we are each a nob on the big tire. If we could all somehow make our rubbery way down one of the spokes toward the axle in the center, then whether we realize it or not, another thing is also happening at the exact same time – we’re also moving toward one another.
Even if we started out at exactly opposite sides of the circle, coming from completely different perspectives, if we are growing in our faith, if we are making our way down the spoke and moving toward Christ at the center, we’ll come to discover we’re also moving toward one another. And perhaps we’ll also realize that the wheel was big enough and wide enough for all of us, all along.
Have you ever wrestled with pride? Or with prejudice? One of the most lovable, irritating characters in the New Testament wrestled with both. His name was Simon Peter.
Simon and his brother Andrew were the sons of Jonah, a fisherman of the Sea of Galilee. Their two friends, partners, and competitors were two brothers James and John, known for their anger issues. When Jesus of Nazareth comes along, he calls both sets of brothers to be disciples – to be “fishers of men.” “Follow me” will be a theme throughout the life of Simon Peter. For some reason, he chooses three of them, Peter, James, and John, to be part of his inner circle. Sorry, Andrew. Jesus sees something in Simon and gives him a nickname – Peter, the rock.
We must not judge Peter for wrestling with pride. He was a man of such conviction and loyalty that the only way Satan could go after him was through pride. After all, Jesus did give him a personal nickname. He did walk on water, albeit briefly. And such was his confidence with Jesus, they he felt freely, perhaps too freely, to speak up and ask questions. When Jesus said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, Peter is the one who speaks up and asks, “Lord, who then can be saved?”. When Jesus tells the crowds that they must eat of his flesh and drink of his blood, many of them forsake Jesus. When Jesus asks the twelve if they, too, will abandon him, Peter speaks up and says “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.” Even at the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter is the first to speak giving advice.
The highlight of Peter’s time with Jesus came when the disciples were in the Gentile city of Caesarea Philippi. Jesus asks his disciples about public opinion. “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Survey says: John the Baptist (raised from the dead), Elijah, Jeremiah, or another prophet. Very well then. Jesus then takes it a step further, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter responds, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus’s reply is worth quoting at length. “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”
What a compliment! And what a dangerous situation to be in. Jesus is complimenting Peter and making a pun with his name to show a difference. It would be like saying, “Reverend Andrew Lay would make a great lay speaker.” Most people would immediately see the paradox in such a statement. “A Reverend Lay” would be a clergy person, not a “lay speaker.” In the English translation, we do not quite catch the nuance of the wording, but using our trusty Strong’s Concordance, we can substitute the Greek words and better see the similarities and differences. “Now I say to you that you are Petros, and upon this petra I will build my church.” The word petra is the feminine form of the word Petros. So Peter is NOT the rock upon which Jesus would build his church. Peter’s confession is what would be the foundation of Jesus’s church. When a group of people comes together and believe that Jesus is both the Messiah promised to the Jewish people and the Son of the Living God, you have the foundations of a church. They may disagree on church structure, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, etc, etc. But that confession of faith is essential.
But I suspect that Peter may have misunderstood what his role would be. Just a few verses later, we read that “From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.”
Once again, Peter has something to say. “But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. ‘Heaven forbid, Lord,’ he said. ‘This will never happen to you!’ Jesus turned to Peter and said, ‘Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.’ Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.’” Don’t let that last sentence slip by you, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”
Peter follows Jesus into the capital city of Jerusalem on the triumphant Palm Sunday. That Thursday night, Jesus is sharing a meal with his disciples. As the evening wears on, he begins making some startling statements. “Tonight, all of you will desert me.” Once again, Peter speaks up, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” We see in this sentence both the worst and best of Peter. We see his bragging spirit and his condescending attitude to his fellow disciples, but we also see his great love for Jesus. Jesus responds with compassion and seriousness. He does not call him Peter, but Simon. It is Jesus’s subtle way of telling Peter to take this warning seriously, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” Just as the Lord and Satan discussed the righteous Job, Jesus and Satan have discussed Simon Peter. Jesus is playing a spiritual chess match. He will allow Satan to go after Peter as a way of breaking his pride. But afterwards, Peter will not be condescending to his fellow disciples. He will strengthen his fellow disciples. But Peter, being Peter, argues with Jesus. “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.” Peter is still not grasping the seriousness of the situation. Jesus warns him, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
The next 24 hours were the worst in Peter’s life. Jesus specifically tells his inner three disciples that his soul was sorrowful even unto death. They should pray, lest they yield into temptation. Peter, however, falls asleep. His spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak. When Peter is rudely awaken, he finds himself in a nightmare. The treasurer and Jesus’s friend, Judas Iscariot, has outed them to the temple authorities. Peter takes matters into his own hands. He pulls out his sword. They will fight their way out. But then he is rebuked….by Jesus. “Put away your sword, Peter. Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.” In a strange turn of events, Jesus, the wanted criminal, takes charge of the scene of arrest. He heals the servant who was cut by Peter’s sword. He orders the temple police department to not arrest his disciples but let them go. Thus, Jesus is bound and led away. Peter follows Jesus….but from a distance. And as he follows, the seriousness of the situation begins to dawn on him. It was easy to speak about going to prison and dying for Jesus back in the Upper Room celebrating Passover. But now as Jesus is being brought to the temple, Peter is having second thoughts.
When they get to the temple, the Beloved Disciple enters in. He has security clearance. He sees Peter standing outside, and uses his security clearance to get Peter inside. As Peter enters, the gatekeeper questions him. “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?” she asks. Denial one. Strike one. Peter decides to stay outside by the fire, where he can be near the action, but not too close to the action. One of them men at the fire asks, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?” Strike two. And it almost worked. But another man there was a servant of the high priest. He was also a relative of the man whom Peter had attacked in the garden. “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?” he demands. Realizing the danger that he was in, Peter denies that even knows Jesus. Strike three. The rooster crows.
In words that break the heart, Dr. Luke writes, “At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: ‘Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.’ And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.”
Peter was ashamed of himself. How stupid he was! He could have run and left Jerusalem. Lazarus lived in nearby Bethany. Or he could have stayed by Jesus’s side during his trial as his loyal friend. Instead, he chose a middle course that dishonored his friend and Lord. Most likely, he did attend the crucifixion from a far distance and was witness to Jesus’s suffering. It was a painful Friday and a long sad Saturday. No Easter Egg hunting that Saturday.
But everything changed Sunday morning. Some of the women followers of Jesus went to his tomb to ensure him a proper burial. It wasn’t much, but it was the least they could do for their Master. When they arrive, they found the stone rolled away, the tomb empty, and two messengers from God. The messengers tell them, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
The messengers specifically mention Peter. He was still a disciple, even after his disastrous performance on Thursday night. When the women find the disciples who were hiding, they tell them the good news. The disciples did not believe them. Women’s fantasies they thought. “However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.” If you doubt the Resurrection, you are in good company. Even Peter did not quite know what to make of the empty tomb.
What happened next was a game changer for Peter. Interestingly, we do not have an account of it, but it is mentioned twice in passing. In his letter to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul mentions that the risen Jesus appeared to Peter. In his gospel, Dr. Luke writes about how two weary travelers on the road to Emmaus unexpectedly have a conversation and meal with the risen Jesus. When they realize what had just happened, they hurry back to Jerusalem to tell the tell the disciples. The disciples and other believers reply, “The Lord has really risen! He has appeared to Peter.” We do not what Jesus said to Peter, but in 1980 Christian artist Don Francisco won two Dove awards for songwriter and song of the year for his masterpiece, “He’s Alive.” The song is written from the perspective of Peter who is dealing with guilt and shame, having denied that he even knew Jesus three times. Sitting alone, he is confused by the empty tomb. Then Jesus appears and embraces him. That is when Peter realizes that Jesus is alive, and he is forgiven.
We follow this theme of forgiveness and reconciliation to the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Once again, Jesus has provided a miraculous catch for his fisherman friends. Peter, wasting no time, jumps into the water and swims ashore, where he finds Jesus cooking breakfast. There in front of the other disciples, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Jesus was symbolically acknowledging Peter’s three public denials and replacing them with three public affirmations of Peter’s love. Each time, Peter responds in the positive. And each time, Jesus tells Peter to either feed his lambs or to feed his sheep.
Like fishing boats drifting away from shore, Peter’s pride was drifting away. But Jesus was not done with Peter, just yet. The next chapter in Peter’s life would deal with his prejudice, and the beautiful way that it would be conquered….by following Jesus.
When we read an overview of Peter’s life, we see that he had some very dramatic ups and downs. What have been the ups in your life? The downs? Do you think that the Christian life can be compared to a roller coaster ride? How so?
Throughout the Gospels, Peter is usually the first to speak up and say something. Is this a good habit or bad habit to have? Or does it require wisdom? Have there been times that you have spoken too quickly? Or too slowly?
A favorite saying is that pride comes before the fall. Can you remember a time when you suffered a fall because of your pride?
Have you felt that God was disappointed in you? In the Passion narratives, Jesus is not disappointed that Peter had denied him. He had warned him that it was gong to happened. But Jesus was saddened to see his friend behave in such a manner. What was an occasion where you felt that you had disappointed God? Does knowing that you cannot disappoint an all-knowing God give you comfort?
At the end of the Gospels, Jesus reaches out to Peter and gives him a second chance. Is there someone in your life who could use a second chance?
In the musical Hamilton there is “a cabinet battle,” which kind of mimics a rap battle, that takes place between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson is trying to convince President George Washington to provide aid and troops to France who is on the verge of war with England. Hamilton, on the other hand, is trying to convince Washington to refrain from jumping into another war. Washington ends up siding with Hamilton on the matter. This debate leads Jefferson to tell his nemesis Hamilton: “You’re nothing without Washington behind you.”[1]
This leads us to the next song in the musical which is entitled “Washington On Your Side.” In this song, Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison begin plotting against Alexander Hamilton. They are jealous of Hamilton’s close relationship with Washington. They begin searching for opportunities to destroy Hamilton. And as they plot, they sing: “It must be nice, it must be nice to have Washington on your side.”[2]
This phrase reminds me of a passage of Scripture from Paul’s letter to the Romans. Hear these words from Romans 8:31-39:
“If God is for us, who is against us?He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,
‘For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”[3]
This verse starts out, “If God is for us, who is against us?” Perhaps another way to say it is: “It must be nice, it must be nice to have God on your side.” The Apostle Paul is writing this letter to the Romans, reminding them that whatever they face in life, God is always by their side. Through persecution and opposition, God is always on your side. Through grief and pain, God is always on your side. No matter what circumstances you may be facing in life, God is always on your side. Even in your mistakes, doubts, and fears, God is still always on your side.
In the days in which we are living, it is more important, now than ever before, to have someone on your side. Friendship, in this age of physical distancing, is a much-needed commodity. It is important to feel like you have someone in your corner; someone you can count on; someone who has your back.
Alexander Hamilton and George Washington had a very meaningful friendship. In his book Alexander Hamilton, Ron Chernow writes, “The relationship between Washington and Hamilton was so consequential in early American history… that it is difficult to conceive of their careers apart. The two men had complementary talents, values, and opinions that survived many strains over their twenty-two years together… As a team, they were unbeatable and far more than the sum of their parts.”[4]
Hamilton served in Washington’s military “family” as his “right-hand man” during the American Revolutionary War. He served as the Secretary of the Treasury in Washington’s cabinet. Even after Washington retired from government work, Hamilton continued to work for Washington from time to time. During the height of the scandal in 1797, where Hamilton’s affair with Maria Reynolds became public, Washington sent Hamilton a wine cooler and a letter saying, “Not for any intrinsic value the things possesses, but as a token of my sincere regard and friendship to you and as a remembrance of me, I pray you to accept a wine cooler for four bottles… I pray you to present my best wishes, in which Mrs. Washington joins me, to Mrs. Hamilton and the family, and that you would be persuaded that with every sentiment of the highest regard, I remain your sincere friend and affectionate honorable servant.”[5]
Throughout his entire life, Hamilton could always count on having Washington by his side. In fact, in response to hearing about Washington’s death, Hamilton wrote, “Perhaps no friend of his has more cause to lament on personal account than myself… My imagination is gloomy, my heart sad.”[6]In another letter, Hamilton wrote, “I have been much indebted to the kindness of the general… He was an aegis very essential to me… If virtue can secure happiness in another world, he is happy.”[7]
Perhaps in the friendship of Hamilton and Washington, we can think of people in our own lives who have offered friendship like this to us. Who are the people in your life who have always been by your side, offering encouragement, support, and friendship? And how can you be a friend to someone else? How can you offer encouragement, support, and friendship to someone else today?
In the end, we know that God offers us grace and love that we do not always deserve; But throughout our life, we can see that God is always on our side. As the Apostle Paul says,“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”[8]
Thanks be to God. Amen.
[1] Miranda, Lin-Manuel, and Jeremy McCarter. Hamilton: The Revolution. Grand Central Publishing, 2016.
[2] Miranda, Lin-Manuel, and Jeremy McCarter. Hamilton: The Revolution. Grand Central Publishing, 2016.
The Keith Church Blog 