Hurricanes and God's Vision for God's World

The Rev. Kathi Johnson

Lectionary 22, Year A – 3 September 2017

Text: Matthew 16:21-28

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas

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I begin with a brief re-telling of part of our Gospel story:

After Peter made his great profession of faith – that Jesus was the Messiah – Jesus started to show his disciples what was going to happen to him: that he was going to have to suffer, and die, but that he would also be raised to life on the third day. Peter took Jesus aside then, and said to him sternly, “Jesus – this isn’t the plan. This can’t happen to you – it just can’t!”

Jesus was equally stern with Peter: “Be quiet, you tempter! You’re trying to trip me up. You’re only seeing your view of things – what about God’s vision for God’s world?”

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This story shows us just how confused the disciples still are about just why Jesus is there, with them. By this point of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus and his disciples have been very busy. They’ve traveled all around Galilee, and Jesus has healed many people, he’s fed thousands, and, throughout the activity of his ministry, he’s been teaching.

One of the first examples that Matthew records of Jesus teaching is called the Beatitudes – or the Blessings. Jesus says that the poor in spirit are blessed, and those who are mourning, and the meek, and hungry and thirsty, and the merciful, and the pure in heart, and the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted or reviled for his sake. These are the ones who are blessed, Jesus says, and he has spent his ministry showing that to the disciples – well, really, to anyone who is paying attention. Jesus reaches out to the very ones whom society has ignored or cast aside.

So in this encounter between Jesus and Peter, it can seem a little like Peter hasn’t been paying much attention to Jesus' ministry or teachings. Does he really think that Jesus will set aside his ministry to the most vulnerable ones of society in order to become a powerful ruler? Does he really think that Jesus is just going to fall in line with his plan?  In this moment of Jesus talking about suffering and death, Peter just can’t see how suffering and death fit into his idea of what the future for Jesus looks like.

Jesus – this isn’t the plan.

We can understand Peter’s confusion. And at the outset, Jesus’ response to him seems a little harsh – calling Peter “Satan” or “the tempter” - except maybe that stark response is what Peter needs. Peter’s known as the impulsive disciple. He charges into situations and says words before he thinks about them. Jesus knows this about Peter, and speaks directly to him just so Peter can hear what he’s saying: “Be quiet, you tempter! You’re trying to trip me up. You’re only seeing your view of things – what about God’s vision for God’s world?”

So, what about God’s vision for God’s world?

As I have looked at scenes from the Gulf Coast over the past ten days, I have seen glimpses of God’s vision for God’s world. Of course, I in no way believe that Harvey or any other disaster is God’s judgment visited upon us. The devastation wrought by wind and water has been horrific to see, the loss of life and property is overwhelming, and the upheaval of daily life for so many people is difficult to fathom.

I came across a news story about the school where I taught in southeast Houston. This is a K-12 Lutheran school with about 800 kids enrolled, and all five buildings on the campus had a foot or more of water in them. In the story, a reporter was walking around with my former colleague, Sheila, who is now the Head of Schools. They walked the hallways, and all around them were people working. They went into the gym - newly renovated this past summer - and the wood floor is completely ruined. Scores of people were ripping out the hardwoods.

The reporter asked Sheila what her emotions were upon arriving at the school that morning to find so much devastation. And I think she was expecting Sheila to fall apart – to talk about the great losses that the school has suffered. But Sheila instead started with how truly grateful she was for so many volunteers showing up to rip out drywall and flooring, and scrub down furnishings, and clean. 

And I have seen many pictures and heard many stories of this kind of work going on, all up and down the coast. People carrying others through floodwaters, picking up animals in boats, feeding crowds of first responders and flood victims, and, now that the waters have begun to recede, neighbors are helping others clean out their homes, their houses of worship, their schools, and their businesses. God’s vision for God’s world.

And here, as evacuees have begun to arrive in the Metroplex, communities all over are collecting items to help. We did a quick collection here, for two days this past week, and collected the following: seventeen bags of new clothing; five bags of toiletries; seven containers of baby formula; three boxes and one bag of baby wipes; two bags of bottles/sippy cups; five boxes plus one bag of diapers. Plus, for pets, we collected a huge bag of towels, one fuzzy blanket, and four bags of toys and treats. God’s vision for God’s world.

It is as though many communities are living out the words of Paul in today’s lesson from Romans 12: “Let love be genuine;…hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers…Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

It can be very confusing to figure out just where suffering fits in. We are like Peter, at times, telling Jesus that this isn’t the plan. Yet, even in times of suffering, we catch glimpses of God’s vision for God’s world, as we see the love of God shown in action.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

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Collection for Harvey evacuees.