Many of us remember Billy Graham, the most popular American preacher of the 20thcentury…
He once shared a story about his wife, Ruth, who was driving through construction for miles on a highway. After carefully following the detours and warning signs, she finally came to the last sign that read:
“End of construction. Thank you for your patience…”
Struck by the message, she went home chuckling, and told Billy she wanted that line engraved on her tombstone: “End of construction. Thank you for your patience.”
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In our journey through life, we all have our share of successes and failures, highs and lows, detours and bumps in the road.
From our very first breath until our very last, we are all “under construction,” a work in progress.
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In today’s Gospel, Peter and the other disciples reach a pivotal moment in their journey with Jesus. After months and miles of listening to his words and witnessing his deeds, Jesus asks them, “Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29)…
This is perhaps the most important question Jesus will ever ask his disciples, including us. “Who do you say that I am?” …
It demands a personal response, a response that ultimately shapes our lives.
If Jesus is simply a moral teacher, for example, then he becomes one of many voices we listen to. While inspiring, his teachings will not shape us… We may even leave his word behind if a more attractive idea comes along.
But if he is God, then everything Jesus says has eternal value. What he says, we must do — keeping in mind that following Jesus is a life-long project.
Thus we’re still under construction; God isn’t done with us just yet!
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Again, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”
Peter pipes up, “You are the Christ” – God in the flesh! And because of this, Peter is willing to leave everything behind and follow him (Mark 8:29).
In Matthew Gospel, immediately after Peter makes this personal profession of faith, Jesus tells him, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church!” (Matthew 16:18)
But if Peter is this rock, then why does Jesus issue his sternest rebuke, calling him Satan only a few verses later?
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Peter still doesn’t understand what it means to follow Jesus. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,” Jesus says, “take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34).
Though Peter thought he had Jesus figured out, clearly he was wrong. Peter’s faith is still under construction… we might say, a work in progress.
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How many of us feel like Saint Peter?
There are days when our faith is strong, when we embrace our crosses and follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
And then there are days when our faith is weak, when we hit a bump in the road and fall into temptation.
Just like Saint Peter, our faith is under construction; we’re a work in progress.
But Jesus is patient with us. He will not abandon us when we’re weak. He simply kneels down, washes our feet, and invites us to try again.
As he says to Peter today, “Get behind me…”
That is, “get behind me… and follow me” (Mark 8:33-34).
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Jesus is the Christ, the only one who can lead us through the construction of life – through the detours, the curves, and the bumps in the road – into his kingdom.
Where, then, is Jesus saying to me now, “Get behind me… and follow me”?