January 13th, 2008 The Baptism of Our Lord

Isaiah 42:1 – 9, Psalm 29, Acts 10:34 – 43, Matthew 3:13 – 17

This morning, our readings lead towards a transformation – a personal transformation that leads to new discoveries of how to apply God’s word to our lives.

For the fledgling Christian community, they immediately turned towards Peter for leadership – they needed his strength and confidence. After all, hadn’t our Lord declared that Peter was the rock on which he would build his church? During Jesus’ earthly ministry, Peter seemed front and center in all of our Lord’s teachings. He was atop the mount of the transfiguration; he had walked on water to greet Jesus, only to be pulled from the waves when he had sunk. He was the witness to our Lord’s miracles and he had been in the garden when Jesus prayed for deliverance. In fact, Peter had been the strength of the disciples while Jesus was alive, and they were living and traveling together.

Peter’s position seemed to be very secure within the band of disciples, at least that is until Maundy Thursday. On that night, the night of Jesus’ betrayal at the hands of Judas, in a supper with our Lord, Jesus tells his disciples that, he, the shepherd is about to be struck down, but that after he has been raised up, he will see them in Galilee.

Peter hears this as Jesus telling them that he is about to be killed. His words of response continue to echo down through the ages, “Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.” Yet Jesus assures Peter that he has prayed for him and then tells him this, Truly, Jesus tells Peter, before the cock crows twice this night, you will disown me three times.”

And of course, to his shame, Peter does disown Jesus three times. So broken is he, that scripture recounts how he went and wept bitterly that very night. It also does not record his presence at the foot of the cross – it seems that this is the only time Peter is found missing from any of the significant moments of Jesus’ life – why? because he is a broken and wounded man.

Yet, it is to Peter, on Easter morning, that Mary and Mary Magdalene run to, to tell them of the tomb being empty. It is Peter who will go immediately to see the empty tomb – and he will see and believe – believing that Jesus is alive. It is to Peter that two disciples return to, after Jesus appeared to them on the road to Emmaus, after they finally recognized him in the breaking of bread. Yes, Peter does remain the strength of the Disciples, yet he does continue to feel broken. Despite these appearances to Peter by the risen Christ, he does not seem to return to his leadership role until he has been forgiven and restored to a full ministry of leadership – or should I say, of servant hood - a restoration that takes place on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

It would be here, on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, after having returned to his trade as a fisherman, having fished unsuccessfully for a whole night, that Jesus would speak to Peter and 6 other disciples of where to catch fish. Upon the catch, with the exclamation of his friend John, Peter realizes that it was Jesus who directed them in their efforts to catch fish, and it was Jesus who was now waiting on shore for them – with a breakfast prepared for them to share. His exuberance will lead to him going ashore immediately. It would be after this breakfast, in an intimate conversation between Jesus and Peter, in which Jesus asks Peter if he loves him – to which he responds Yes!, then feed my sheep, is Jesus reply. By the third time of asking, Peter is both troubled by the repetition yet also restored as the leader – a shepherd in his own right – that is to look after the lambs of God.

It is to this redeemed Shepherd to whom the Christian Community turns, as their leader. On the day of Pentecost, it is Peter who is the first to speak. Arrested soon afterwards and in front of the same Sanhedrin that had condemned Jesus to death, it is Peter who speaks, both confronting the authorities by what they had done and testifying to the greatness of our Lord and the wonderful things God had done through him. It is Peter who is seen as the leader. He has become the rock upon which the Church of Christ was built.

It is after a time of persecution has begun, that Peter goes up to visit in the town of Joppa. At the same time, Cornelius, a gentile believe in God, hears directions from God to seek Peter, who is staying with a tanner named Simon. Men are dispatched to bring Peter back to them, for these gentiles believe that have experienced a rebirth through the spirit of God – and that God wishes them to speak to Peter.

It is at this same time that Peter is resting at midday atop the house in which he is staying. As he daydreams, he envisions a huge sheet descending from heaven, and on it are all sorts of animals and other foods, delicious looking though they may have been, each one was ritually unclean – and Peter knew it. Yet he heard a voice telling him, “Get up Peter, kill and eat.” And then these words, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.”

This happens three times in a row, leaving Peter greatly puzzled, when Cornelius’ men, the gentile from Caesarea, appear, seeking an audience with Peter. After they explain their master’s request for him to come, Peter knows what God has been trying to say to him – mainly that what and whom God has made, they are holy in the eyes of God.

It is with this new knowledge that Peter immediately heads towards Caesarea, to meet with the gentiles – to learn how God has been speaking with them – and to affirm the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. For Peter the rock, it is a moment of transformation, when he emerges from his strict Jewish heritage, to become aware of the vastness of God’s kingdom – and he becomes aware that God is attempting to speak to each person of this earth.

It is a humbled and exuberant Peter who speaks and acts from this time forward. One, who despite his humanity offers a broader vision of Christ’s church than simply being a Jewish follower of Christ.

This occurred some 2000 years ago, so how do Peter’s words and actions resonate to each of us in our journey of faith? What do we learn from Peter’s encounters with the divine and the transformation that obviously took place in his life?

Firstly, moments of transformation do take place in our lives, all the time. Moments in which the way we once looked at a problem or a situation or a set of circumstances, was suddenly transformed by a new revelation. A transformation may have taken place soon after the death of both parents, in which you suddenly realized the burden of responsibility or the maturity of age. Transformation may have taken place when you realize that the career you are in or the course of studies you had started, may not be what you wish or believe you should continue. Transformation may have taken place when you are aware of God’s profound love of you, personally. It may happen as you are listening to a sermon or a reading in church, or perhaps when you are reading a devotional booklet. But suddenly that will know that God is speaking directly in your ear. Yes, transformations do take place in us, in our relationships – and they lead us to become aware to the vastness of God’s great kingdom.

I am taking a course at Queen’s College at present – and the other day in one of our discussion I suddenly remembered a time of transformation that I had long forgotten. It took place in my first parish, about 5 years into my incumbency.

Back in the 1960’s a boatload of friends were heading to church, when their boat suddenly capsized in front of horrified family members and friends. Despite frantic efforts from those looking from the shore, all four drowned – and in fact, their bodies were never found. Grief seized the community – and this shared remembrance was like a burden that troubled and haunted everyone.

Because the bodies were never found, they had not had a funeral service – just a few prayers on shore. This lack of closure was remembered by at least a few people, and after I had been with the community a while, I was told of this chapter, this painful chapter in their lives. I remember suggesting that that Sunday afternoon, we should gather on the ice at the place where the men had drowned, some 30 years before – and have a time of prayer. In fact I told my lay readers that I, and one of the men from the shore that day, would go to the site on that Sunday afternoon.

I remember heading out that day, myself and Iquqrialou – thinking it would be just the two of us doing prayers – yet when I started onto the ice, suddenly a great, no, it was a huge procession of people began to follow. In fact, almost the whole community, young and old, male and female, gathered on the site – everyone knew exactly where it was. There on the ice, we traced in the snow, four caskets. We named the four men who had died, and we prayed a funeral service for the dearly departed.

My transformation did not happen through the funeral service, rather through the reaction to this simple act of remembrance and trust, that these men are part of the Kingdom of Heaven. My transformation came, through the door that was now opened into the lives of men and women of a community that had grieved this loss. Our transformation took place, because all of us, in the unspoken acknowledgement of presence, saw that we had each felt the family’s pain, and had responded, in faith, to their need. The church would never be the same again – because the closeness they had always known would not be compared to the closeness and the warmth it offered to each other that cold winter Sunday, there, out on the frozen ocean.

All of us are expected to grow – to be stretched – to experience the pain that this growth offers – for this is part of transformation. At times, we may want to run away, to seek simpler times, to return to what once was – but that is never an option. Rather, we are asked to experience the transformations that God offers to us through our encounters with his people, in relation to what He shares with us through his words.

Peter was transformed away from his comfortable view that he had all the answers, the answers of his ancestors – to view that it is God who gives the answers – not just our tradition.

God speaking to him about the issues of his day transformed Peter, and he learned how he should apply God’s word to God’s creation, indeed, he learned how he should apply God’s word to God’s people.

As God spoke to Peter, though this wonderful vision of animals descending from heaven, so he speaks to you and I. As God spoke to a community and I about dealing with grief, so too, does God speak to His church. We are a people in transformation – we always have been, and we should always be. And this transformation leads us to apply God’s word to our issues and our problems – because God has already spoken on these – he is just waiting for us to listen, to learn and to apply his word to this part of our life.

When we hear or see parts of His church in seemingly great conflict, do remember, that this is the human part of the church in transformation. It is struggling to discern what God is saying – but all aspects are struggling to apply His word to these issues. Our task is to pray that Christ’s Church be able to learn from each other, to listen to each other, with respect, and to seek wisdom from each other’s Christians struggles to remain faithful to God’s word and to the unity that He seeks from His church.

lives and great decisions of how to live within His kingdom.

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