Eucharistic Gospel Reading for Sunday of Proper 19: Year B
“He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” (Mark 8:29)
This means “the Anointed One.” This means “the Christ.” But no matter which title we use, it means that of all creation, and particularly all humanity, this Person that they, and we, perceive to be from the city of Nazareth of Galilee, is the very presence of God on earth. And without consideration for time, this Jesus, is the God of all the humanity that came before him and of all of us who came after.
God created time along with everything else in creation. In this way we, and all creation, have a beginning and an end. The one exception that God interjected into our timeline is our gift of the Sabbath, or Seventh Day, each week.
Our Lord Jesus asks us the same thing. Who do you say Jesus is? As late followers of Jesus we say who we believe Jesus is by how we live out our lives and how we treat others. Do we make time in our limited amount of time in this existence to remember God and show respect to and for our Creator?
Now there are just two steps to take in saying who Jesus is. First, we put all self-glory behind us. “Get behind me Satan!” Second, we watch the people of this world and not follow in wicked ways. From the beginning in Genesis we read, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5); to the letter of James who said “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (James 1:27). Now, Who do you say that Jesus is?
We have already been told that loving God and loving others is the godly life. If we live godly lives God will bring us away from this entrapment of time, and keep us in that heavenly realm, forever! Who is Jesus? Jesus is our Savior. Amen.
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools. And, as we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
Let us pray: A Collect for Sundays (BCP p. 98)
O God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us this day such blessing through our worship of you, that the week to come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
onewhoponders 