Jesus on location

(This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020 in response to the Gospel reading — Matthew 16:13–20)

Location, Location, Location. It’s all about the location. I’m sure you have heard this phrase before. It means that the value of something will fluctuate based on the location. We see this pretty easily when we start talking about homes and real estate. You’d expect the price of homes to be much higher in a major metropolitan city, like New York, Chicago, or LA, as opposed to more rural areas. Or a location on a beach would be far more valuable than a location far in land. The same house that might go for $150,000 in one location, might just as easily go for $1 million in another. That’s not a surprise. Location determine value.

In our Gospel, we hear Jesus ask the question — Who do people say that the Son of Man is? Good question Jesus. Some say that Jesus was a good guy. A prophet. Someone we should follow, at least loosely. A pretty mild-mannered person.

And then Jesus asks the harder question — But who do you say that I am? Now that’s a different question, isn’t it? A more difficult question? A question with answers that say more about us than about Jesus. A question that reveals what we really believe about Jesus. A question that exposes us, makes us vulnerable.

But let’s not forget, Jesus is asking these questions at a specific location. And that location determines the value. We are told that Jesus comes to the district of Caeserea Philippi. That’s not just a location. That’s a location…