13th Sunday after Pentecost 2026

Texts: Matthew 16:13-20; Romans 12:1-8; Isaiah 51:1-6

Grace, Peace, and Mercy from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Today’s Gospel reminds us that we all come from somewhere. That our sense of self and meaning have a foundation, and that as we move along life’s many changes and challenges, it is good for us to remind ourselves of what our foundation truly is, what is our root, or as in the words of our texts today: from which rock have we been hewn or been built upon? The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, gives us a fair warning on the danger of losing or forgetting one’s foundation: “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God–what is good and acceptable and perfect.” As I read these texts in tandem, I thought about a parallel political question, which is the reason, for example, that States and governments have constitutions that become the bedrock of the nation’s operation and way of being, and of course, it’s identity. When a nation begins to

undermine it’s own constitution, then the whole structure of governance begins to collapse in on itself. Not because a constitution cannot change or be amended for the sake of overall benefit, but because without respect and reference to the foundation and its guiding principles, there is no way to orient oneself and unify on basic shared ideals. So I hear Paul’s words of warning, to not conform oneself, to not mold oneself so easily to the age in which one lives, but to renew one’s being in God in every time and place, to have in a sense, a historical view of life, where we are aware of our beginning and our moving forward through the age’s many challenges. In a sense, God’s Will, expressed fully in the person of Jesus Christ, helps us to discern our histories, to look back at our founding rock, our constitution, and seek out what is good, acceptable, and perfect. Without this strong foundation, we cannot exist in ourselves. Like the many examples of human history, peoples who do not know themselves, lose themselves. When the Church loses sight of the rock from which it was hewn, has it not attached itself to

many things that goes against it’s own sense of self and being? We begin to build on weak foundations that that cannot sustain the building that is being built. How can love be built upon a foundation of hatred? How can a beloved community be built, if the foundation is other than the Beloved that gives us our sense of self?

So what, or better yet, who is the Church’s foundation? From what rock has it been hewn? From our text today we can perceive that the Church’s foundation stems from an affirmation of faith that centers on the person of Jesus, and how we perceive Him. Jesus asks the question to his disciples: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” This question is so vital, for I would venture to say, in the 21st century we continue to wrestle with this question about Jesus. How we answer that question has ramifications for our lives, for the answer has a dynamic power to orient our lives in amazing ways. Often, like many people, we can wonder about Jesus and say what’s most

immediate to our eyes and ears: he is a prophet, a teacher, a healer, a good person, a rabble rouser, a revolutionary. All these things might as well be true. Jesus is indeed these things. From those that perhaps only saw Jesus a few times, for those that know Jesus from word of mouth or the Wikipedia article about Him, this is satisfactory and safe. But then Jesus asks again that same question but directed at the disciples themselves, to those who walk closely with Him and follow him: “But who do you say that I am?” The flipping of that question is what makes the difference. Aside from the opinions of the crowds, you that walk closely with me, you that have seen what you have seen, who do you say that I am? And here we move from opinion to faith, for the disciples did not know Jesus as simply someone walking through. They ventured with Jesus into the Kingdom work. And then Peter answers: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” An answer that brought great joy to Jesus, and it remains the powerful affirmation by which we continue to receive Jesus’ blessings upon our lives: “You, Lord Jesus, are more than meets

the eye. You are the Son of the Living God, the promised savior of humanity”. This is the affirmation of faith that is the foundation of the Church, from this statement, a life is built that glorifies God. That affirmation is the rock in which God has built His church. Christ is the rock of our faith, its foundation. The foundation of the church throughout history has been affirming the fullness of Christ for us. Without this rock, where does the Church find it’s strength? For Christ is the strength of the Church, His life is what makes the difference and sets us apart. And it is by exalting Him “that the gates of Hades will not prevail against us.”

Christ is not the Church’s opinion. Christ is the life that makes our life possible. His words sustain us, His story and promise. There is no church without Jesus at the center. Often, as churches, we get anxious about many things about our common life. But throughout the ages, there has been only one Church that we are a part of. It is the Church that confesses Christ as

Lord and follows after Him. It is the reason that no matter what, church could be defined as the event where believers gather in the name of Jesus to hear His Word and share in the Sacrament. When we define church as something other than this foundation, then we lose access to its true meaning. Under Peter’s confession is the key to the Kingdom of Heaven. The proclamation of the gospel, of the good news of Jesus Christ, is the key to open the Kingdom of God. When we think about all the ways we might do harm to the church body because we lose out of sight that being the church, our constitution is grounded in the gospel message.

Thus, the church is never without a point of reference. It is not meant to be lost in the fogs of this world. By touching upon its foundation it knows where it stands and where it has tread. As it is written in Isaiah: “you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD. Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug.” For all that seek God

and His goodness, they can always point back to God’s presence in the midst of history, to see God in Jesus Christ active in the world. There is a biblical term I always heard while growing up: Ebenezer, which in Hebrew means “stone of help”. In the olden days, as testified in the Hebrew Bible, places where God and people interacted were memorialized by placing a stone marker. And thus, those that passed through or those who looked back after reflecting on their current situation, they could point to the marker and say: up until this point God has led us. For any community that is an important spiritual exercise. For up until this day of our Lord in the year 2026, God has led us in faithfulness across challenging times. Let us look back to the witness of salvation that has accompanied us since our foundation. Let us look to the Christ who saved Peter from the stormy waters, who sent Paul to paths unknown to share the gospel far and wide, the One who has healed us from our separateness to each other, the one who has made love the bedrock of His church. In the Greek text, the word for build is

rather striking, for it carries within it the word house. God is building his house upon the witness of Peter and the disciples, He is building His household upon your witness today, Beloved. Each and every one of you is another Ebenezer, touchstones of God’s grace for others to witness to God’s love for the world. We can be beacons that can point back to Christ as the rock of our faith, who has been challenging us and inspiring us to share God’s love and goodness within our communities.

So who is your rock, Beloved? Who do you say today who Jesus is for you, Beloved? How do we integrate a rich understanding of who Christ is for us, and live according to that perspective? This deep affirmation of Peter is our treasure, it is the key that allows us to enter into the new world of God, and thus makes us builders of the world to come, with God’s help. When you take in Christ in His fullness, you are led to ways that lead to surprising and life-giving journeys. Do not limit your view, but live within the expansiveness of Christ’s life and how He multiplies the

opportunities by which we are able to love truly according to God’s desire.

Let us pray: