There is a popular tv show called “Who Do You Think You Are?” It is a geneology show. It has taken celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon, Ashley Judd, Spike Lee, Tim McGraw. They start rooting around to find out who their ancestors are. Frequently there are discoveries made that are very interesting.
TAGLINE: “To know who you are, you have to know where you came from.”
In my own family tree I know which town in Germany some of my ancestors came from. I know some of them were musicians and weavers. Basic information. Normal lives. But it is interesting to imagine. I have photos of family members from around the civil war era.
How many of you have done family trees? Researched your own heritage? Did you find out anything of interest?
Well, truth is...if it’s about us in some way...it’s interesting. Every little thing we know about ourselves forms our identity, shapes our understanding of who we are.
Tim McGraw, as an 11-year old boy, saw his birth certificate and in the place where the father’s name is written, he discovered that his father’s surname, as typed in by the hospital, was McGraw. Someone had put a line through that name and handwritten “Smith” above it. Tim McGraw went on to learn that his father was Tug McGraw, a professional baseball player, a major league pitcher.
Knowing that his father was a successful ball player opened up a degree of possibility for Tim’s own life. Knowing that his father was someone, helped him imagine bigger dreams for himself.
How about you? Does what you know about your family tree shape you? Where have you come from? Where are you going? Who will you be? What is your identity?
WHO ARE YOU?
In our Scripture passage for today the questions swirling around are Identity questions.
Jesus asks his disciples this question: Who do people say that I am?
He is looking for his identity within his community. Apparently this was and is typical of middle-eastern communities...Identity comes from who your people say you are. Identity isn’t something you discover or forge, it is found in relationship to the people around you. Reputation matters. What people say and think about you is important.
Well, we are a highly individualistic society, but, really, that mediterranean perspective is not so very different from our take on things. As children in school, we name people: jocks, geeks, preps, stoners, mean kids...we place an identity on them, we find our identity with them.
I was proudly a band nerd in high school. I got my identity from hanging out in the band room, hanging out with the band kids, doing band things. I knew who I was. I was also the good girl...strongly christian, strongly active in my church. That was part of my identity. I was also part of my family...the Atkinsons. My dad was an engineer, my mom was a beautician. My dad made signs for people, my mom led the youth group. My identity was wrapped up to some degree with my family’s identity.
As we get older, the questions about who we are are a little different, but we are still desperately interested in knowing what people think about us, how we are perceived.
“what did he say about me?” what did they say about me? What does she think of me?
TUESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY: If you asked your friends to describe you, what three words might they use?
I didn’t have an answer for that. I don’t know what three words people would use to describe me, but I was very interested in knowing.
I have probably lost some of you for the rest of the sermon...as you ponder what your friends think about you...who you are.
So Jesus, in human fashion, asks the disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
The disciples blurt out their answers: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or another prophet.
Jesus doesn’t get sidetracked by this information that reveals people have not caught on to his true and eternal identity. He dismisses that answer and presses on:
Who do you say that I am?
It would be so great to have heard some of the other disciples answer this question, but Peter impulsively replies: you are the Messiah, son of the Living God.
That’s a big answer. Matthew...writing to the Jewish community. Trying to persuade them that Jesus is the Messiah, the one mentioned by prophets, longed for by the faithful...Jesus is the Messiah. First time this description is used in the book of Matthew. Actually only used three times in the whole book.
You are the Messiah: the one who will bring peace. the one who will sit on the throne of David. The one who restore the Kingdom and the land given to our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jospeh. You are the MESSIAH>
JESUS doesn’t linger here. Or explain or strut. He turns this proclamation around on Peter.
But then the most interesting thing occurs: Jesus turns that answer around and tells Peter who he is.
You are the ROCK. Peter? Really?
Jesus tells Peter who he is.
Have you ever experienced that? Someone telling you who you are? A teacher who saw something in you that you didn’t know was there?
THE HELP: Aibilene, Mae Mobley, “You are Smart, You are Pretty. You are Important.”
Isn’t that kind of what Jesus does for Peter?
You are a Rock. You are a Leader. You are Able.
Isn’t our best identity, our best self-awareness going to come from God? Isn’t God, the one who created us in God’s image, breathed into us the breath of life, set creation in motion with a word, isn’t God the best one to tell us who we are?
How long have you listened to lesser voices than God telling you who you are, how you’re supposed to live, what you’re supposed to do?
What if we, like Peter, listened for God to tell us who our best self is? What if we saw our clearest reflection of self in the reflection of Jesus?
Lowney, Chris. Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450-Year-Old Company that Changed the World.
It is a book about the management style of the Jesuits, an organization within the Roman Catholic church. The author, trained as a Jesuit before leaving for a career as an investment banker, makes the case that the thing which has allowed the Jesuits to be a successful 450 year old company, is their focus first of all not on what they do, but on who they are.
Their core strength as an organization originates not in their mission, but in developing self-awareness. Every Jesuit goes through a long period of formation including spiritual exercises which help them understand their strengths, weaknesses, values and worldview.
The Jesuits use a daily prayer of self-examination, which asks things like:
· [God,] When did I sense your presence the most in my day?
· When did your presence seem farthest away from me in my day?
· How were you loving me in my day?
· How were you loving me even when your presence seemed far away?
· How did I respond to your love in my day?
Our identity is a reflection of Jesus: Who was Jesus?
Peacemaker
Kingdom builder
Healer
Sufferer (following scripture reveals how unclear Peter is …
On the side of the poor, outcast, sinner
Pray-er
Who did Jesus say we were? Light, Salt, Friend, Sheep
CHRISTIAN TAGLINE:
“To know who you are, you have to know who God is calling you to become.”
Our identity is in our future selves, more than in our past selves. And if you aren’t quite there yet...no worries. God is able.
You are faithful. You are compassionate. Your are generous. You Peacemakers. You are Kingdom builders. You are Pray-ers. You are Sons and Daughters of the Living God. You are important.
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