You Shall Serve as My Mouth – 3 September 2023

Matthew 16:21–28

To unlock Jesus' call to “Follow me” is to walk on the path of Jesus' total lordship over all aspects of life and living, every moment of each day. What does this mean? That is a hard pill to swallow for all of us. It was hard for Peter. It is easier to accept and believe in the “Savior” parts—my sins are forgiven because Jesus took care of it on the cross and rose from the tomb.

But there is a dying-living aspect of it as well that is our responsibility, in the power of the Spirit of Christ. That is where the lordship of Christ comes in. When we say, “Jesus is my Lord and Savior” it is not that they were two different functions, he saves and then commands; no, he saves because he is Lord; he is Lord because he saves. To put it in the words of Princeton University professor Cornel West, “You can't lead without loving; You can't save without serving.”

Peter had it all wrong. And if he could get it all wrong and he was close to Jesus, we will definitely get it wrong. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, knowing that he will meet his certain death coupled with scourging and great suffering. His eyes are on Jerusalem, there he must go. . .

When you want to show love to those whom you love, you do crazy things. –– Neal Presa

Romans 12:9–21

Paul’s advice in what amounts to a list of exhortations toward goodness includes a strange bit of what feels like revenge even though it is preceded by “never avenge yourselves.” Paul says when we do what seems to most of us to be appalling and impossible––give food and drink to our enemies––it makes life really uncomfortable for them. It will be like having burning coals heaped on your head. I can imagine a little delight in that outcome. Despite the fact that I cannot recall ever wishing heaps of burning coals to land on my enemies, I can imagine finding that satisfying.

Paul also tells us that doing good to those who do evil things is the way to defeat evil. We may remember Michelle Obama’s famous dictum that “when they go low, we go high.” Those few words gave many people a sense of healthy direction and correction but perhaps also a twinge of superiority. We who go high are so much better than those others but we are also listening to a voice that comes from God who sees the final verdict. –– Melinda A. Quivik

Jeremiah 15:15–21

In Jeremiah's text, we see the depth of pain as he fulfills his calling as a prophet. God's message is like a burning fire, shut up in his bones. Jeremiah has no choice but to speak God's word. As hard as it was for Jeremiah to deliver God's difficult message, how much of a burden it is for us to proclaim God's message of love and grace. Does it burn like a fire within us? Does it remain, shut up in our bones? –– Beth Herrinton–Hodge

Neal D. Presa, pastor of the Village Presbyterian Church, Rancho Santa Fe, California, and adjunct professor of worship at Fuller Theological Seminary, was the Moderator of the 220th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA).

Melinda Quivik, an ordained ELCA pastor (who served churches in Montana, Michigan, and Minnesota) and former professor of worship and preaching, is the Editor-in-Chief of Liturgy, a writer, and a preaching mentor with Backstory Preaching at backstory-preaching.mn.co.

Beth Herrinton-Hodge, an ordained Presbyterian minister and writer, teaches comparative religions at Jefferson Community College in Kentucky.

Homily Service 41, no. 3 (2008): 178–189.