Romans 12:1-8

The New Life in Christ

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8 the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Matthew 16:13-20

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist but others Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Colossians 1:24-29

Paul’s Interest in the Colossians

24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. 25 I became its minister according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil and strive with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me

Who do you say that I am?  That’s a bold question!  The “I am” question gets to the core of our identity.  Oftentimes, when we are asked that question, we probably give all sorts of descriptors…for me, I could say that I am a runner, a preacher, a pastor or clergy, a partner, a friend, dad…etc.  

And, if you asked yourself that question, what would you answer with?  Probably descriptors as well.

When someone asks the question, what or who is the church, we also give descriptors such as a fellowship, a community of faith, welcoming, inclusive, accepting.

Again, nothing wrong with descriptors, they can be helpful.  

But, they are also things that we’ve created, not necessarily what God sees in us.  

God sees the deepest parts of ourselves, the parts that are pure…our core that is love.  We all have it as we were made in God’s image.  

When Jesus asks his disciples, who do people say that I am?  He’s curious.  Do they see him, really see him, or do they see outside things.  The disciples give a lot of outward things, a lot of descriptors.  But, then Peter has an amazing moment, he sees Jesus.  He says that he is the Christ, the Son of God.  The expressing of pure humanity.  He doesn’t see him for anything that he can do for Peter, or any future transactional relationship, he sees Jesus as the Christ.  The very Presence of the Divine, of God, infused in Jesus.

Jesus goes on to say that Peter is blessed because of this recognition.

Then he tells his disciples to keep this to themselves.  Why?  Because folks probably simply would not understand.  They still had to grow in awareness.  An awareness that may not come upon them until long after Jesus has left them.  Which is interesting isn’t it?  So many times we don’t get Jesus, or ourselves, or others, until something or someone is taken away from us.  

But, Peter gets it in that moment.

Later, the author of Colossians, probably Paul, has gotten it.  After a lifetime of living in a false self, a descriptor of a lawyer stamping out these Jesus followers, Paul has become a mystic and sees Jesus, as the Christ.

Then he makes a huge statement, Christ in you, the hope of Glory.  When someone gives a description of their humanity, or what they think church is, or what makes them come alive…I think of this passage.  YOU are the body of Christ, you carry the glory of God within you.  YOU are more than what describes you.  You are of God, made in God’s image.  

Yet, we settle for lives that we’ve created, our false selves, our egos.  The church has as well.  We call it a business, a social club, a building, etc.  Those things may describe some elements of the church, but the church is a part of the body of Christ.  We are not a movement or even an endeavor, we are called to be a witness to the glory of God that resides within all of humanity.   

I want to encourage you this week to do something simple.  To stop, slow down, rest, and to ponder on this, allowing the renewing of your mind and heart, to contemplate on the glory of God, Christ in you, and in all things and people.  Allow that reality to settle a bit so that when you ask yourself, who am I, you can sense the God of all creation rising up within you.

Amen?