“You Don’t Say!”

Okay, maybe this is why Jesus commanded His disciples to tell no one that He is the Christ, at the end of our Gospel from last week: because they just don’t get it.

Peter proves this for us. Thank you, Peter. From the time of Peter’s great confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem in order to suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes; be killed, and be raised the third day. In other words, Jesus showed them being Christ means being the Crucified One and that following Him means suffering the cross ourselves.

And what does Peter say to this? “No way! No how! No cross for You or for me Jesus!” Because Peter’s Christ is a victorious guy. A winner, not a loser. A fighter, not a sufferer. A king, not a servant. Peter’s Christ is the one who draws the line in the sand and says “If you want a piece of me, why don’t you come on over here and git you some?” And no one dares cross that line. No one is man enough to challenge Peter’s Christ.

Uh, except Peter himself apparently. Peter gets in Jesus’ face, rebukes Him, tells Him how it is, how it should be, orders Him around. Peter seemed not to notice that his own image of the Christ (the mighty military master who kicks butt and takes names) doesn’t really correspond to Guy standing in front of Him. If Jesus really was the take no prisoners, suffer no back talk General that Peter claims, then how is it Peter can mouth off to Him so freely without fear himself? Good question isn’t it?

Jesus does give Peter a little lip right back. Gets right up in his face and says: “Get behind Me Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” If Peter wants tough talk, Jesus can give it. Only it’s not exactly the kind of toughness Peter has in mind. It’s not an aggressive imposing of His way on others whether they like it or not. It is instead the toughness of a gentle heart and spirit that will suffer whatever the Father sends, even if that is humiliation, shame, and death on a cross, rather than assert His own will or way in place of the Father’s. It is the strength of the Son who cares nothing for what others think of Him, but only for what His Father thinks of Him. It is the toughness of mind that calls a thing what it is and calls BS even on His best pal’s enthusiastic chatter.

Peter says a big “No!” to suffering and the cross. But Jesus says “Yes”. And Peter cannot explain this. He cannot understand it. It has no place in his systematic theology.

Peter has nothing to say to this. For this wisdom of the cross is still foolishness to him and the rest of the disciples. He can make nothing of it, do nothing with it. So he stares blankly at the suddenly quite fierce Prince of Peace.

But I think Peter must have gotten one thing straight that day: that he didn’t get what it is for Jesus to be Christ, Son of the living God. So best not to go around blabbing it to the world. Because Peter himself really at this juncture has no idea what he’d be saying. And he’d look a perfect idiot if anyone questioned him on this Christ thing (as we do get to see later in the Gospel in the high priest’s courtyard when a simple servant girl asks him a couple simple questions about Jesus, and Peter has no answers—only denials).

Does this drain away the glory from Peter’s lovely confession last week? When he goes “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” and Jesus responds, “Yep, and that means I must suffer many things, be betrayed, killed and raised the third day.” Does Peter’s “You don’t say! No, Lord! This can never happen to you,” Peter’s denial of the Crucified Christ, does it ruin his lovely confession from last week?

I don’t think so.

In fact, I think that it only adds to the wonder and glory of the Gospel of Christ Jesus. If Christianity is only for know-it-alls who have all the right answers, who get 100% on every doctrine quiz, then it’s a pretty stuffy and pretentious affair isn’t it? Oh, we Lutherans have been good with our Synodical Catechism with Explanation and its 306 precise questions and answers in the back, we’ve been good at making Christianity a way for the goody-goodies to show off their superior knowledge and power to others. How many have we driven off this way? Lots, I’d guess.

But here, Jesus shows us with Peter that it isn’t this way at all. Christianity is not about quizzes and superior knowledge and erudition and scholarship and insight and eloquence. It’s not about being smarter or better or more spiritual or better informed than everyone else. It’s not about having a perfect understanding of the doctrine of justification and the eloquence to share that superior knowledge with the world. Because if it was all about that sort of stuff, then Peter is no Christian, no saint, no apostle, no rock of the Church at all. And yet Jesus says in the Gospel that Peter is all those things. And I think most would agree Jesus knows best on this, yes? That what He says of Peter must be so, yes?

So you don’t dare say St. Peter is no saint or Christian. You and I wouldn’t at least. So if Peter is in the club, then the club must be for the less than brilliant, the ones without perfect papers and always right answers, the ones who say dumb things and blurt out some pretty stupid stuff sometimes, and get in Jesus’ way all the time (most especially when we are just trying to help). Christianity must not be about being able to explain Christ and Him Crucified. Else, St. Peter can hardly be in…

Maybe Christianity is not for winners, but for losers. Not for the head of the class, but for the slow one with a bit of divine ADHD? Maybe it’s not what you know but what you forget. Not what you gain but what you lose. It must be, because that’s the only way Peter gets in. I take a lot of comfort from this: knowing Peter did get in. Because then, that means there’s room for me.

“The Son of Man must suffer many things, be killed, and raised the third day.”

“You don’t say!” Oh yes, this is just what Jesus says. Peter couldn’t say it that day. But Jesus pulled Peter along after Him on His way anyway. Without understanding. Without explaining. Without anymore than a 50% quiz average in Christian Doctrine (an “F” in most books) I see Peter still gets a seat at the Head Table in Jesus’ Kingdom.

Peter shows Christianity isn’t about understanding the cross of Christ. It’s simply suffering it yourself. But, how would you do that? Well, when your ideas about Jesus are spectacularly wrong (like Peter’s that day) it’s a little easier to let them go, and simply follow without understanding. In this way, St. Peter got all that was promised: by the Gospel Word and Sacraments he did not, could not, understand, Peter lost everything: his sin, pride, and death in exchange for Jesus’ forgiveness, life, salvation. Jesus’ works alone will work. And when they are yours, by the Gospel of His cross, through suffering like Peter, as Jesus gives it, the same exchange happens for you. Then you don’t say; you know the Peace that surpasses all understanding which guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Amen. 

 Rev. Kevin Martin