PASTOR’S CORNER, Rev. Jason Toombs, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Liberal
The church celebrates the Confession of St. Peter on the 18th of January. Peter made his bold confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” after Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter, ever the student desiring to please his master, was the first one to speak, but I’m sure that all of the disciples were thinking along the same lines.
The disciples were those who confessed Jesus to others as they talked about Him wherever they went. They served others by telling them about Jesus. We serve God when we serve those whom He has given to us in our lives. We all have family and friends. We are not an island unto ourselves. We have others who look up to us, and others to whom we have looked up to as well.
Many of us have looked up to people of all sorts of positions of authority. Some look to politics, others to sports, still others to teachers and professors, and maybe some look to pastors to give them guidance and support in their lives. But no matter who we look up to in this life, we should all look to the great saints of the faith, and the greater one, Jesus Christ.
The great saints of the faith are not just those who we celebrate on certain days of the calendar. Yes, we could look to Peter and his great confession. We could look to those who laid down their life for the proclamation of the gospel as they would not deny their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. And we can look to our grandparents, parents, siblings, and anyone who lives their lives by serving others. We have many in our community who show their faith through their actions.
There will always be help that is needed. Stepping Stone Shelter could always use monies to help feed those who have often gone without warm food on cold days. Grace Place could always use more baby clothes, diapers, and wipes to help supply a need that is sometimes unmet through other funds set aside to help those in need. The various food banks can always use additional food to help support those who rely on the generosity of others. Still, others meet to lift up different parts of the community in prayer.
While our faith is seen in our actions, it is also heard in our proclamations. We don’t all have to be bold like Saint Peter to make the good confession, confess Christ as Lord to your family. Read the Bible, open a favorite devotional, even Chicken Soup for the Soul, and read aloud the proclamation that is written. Go to God in prayer as you lift up yourself, your family, your friends, your community.
As you make the bold confession that Jesus is the Christ, you are saying that He is your Savior. He comes to save by being the Babe of Bethlehem. He comes to save by fulfilling the law and the prophets. He comes to save by going to the cross as He is the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sin of the world.
Jesus is the Son of the living God as He comes to give His life for your life. He takes your place in death and breathes out His life upon you. As you have been washed and made clean by Jesus, you take up the life that He gives you to live just as He rose from the dead. He rose to show that death cannot keep Him in bonds and that He will awaken those who sleep the sleep of death.
Jesus is the living One as He lives because of the Father. Just as He lives, He will cause all those who live to Him to rise from the dead on the last day as He awakens those who slumber now. While we rest each night or at least most of us do as we thank those who tirelessly perform their vocation as they protect and serve each night, stock the shelves when the stores are closed, and move cargo and transport things at night, we all get the rest that our bodies need. We have to be recharged before we wake up after our sleep and do those things that we need to do.
Through it all, God is watching over those who make the great confession and those who don’t. But that should cause us, who believe, to confess all the more the greatness of our God to save sinners. Jesus saves sinners such as Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and all those who need a mighty Savior. This is what we confess as we proclaim the greatness of Jesus.
Confess with your lips, believe with your heart, that is, hold onto Jesus and never let Him go, and you will be saved just as Peter was saved time and again by Jesus. Be bold like Peter and confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
