Sermon June 29

In Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye asks his wife, Golde, in the midst of political strife, family stresses and ongoing poverty “do you love me?” Do you love me? Exasperated, Golde lists the things she has done for him over the years “For 25 years I’ve washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked the cow, and you ask me, do I love you?” Golde is just trying to get through the day, with little money, a daughter getting married and a forced exile on her mind, she doesn’t have time for questions like these.
In today’s Gospel, Simon Peter and Jesus are having a similar exchange. Jesus has just revealed himself to his disciples 3 times after the resurrection and Peter has just completed a night of hard fishing, which ended with Jesus telling the men to cast the net on the other side of the boat. Do you love me? (Set scene of Peter’s betrayal) Peter’s guilt filled, hungry heart probably doesn’t have the strength for such questions. But to be asked 3 times? Does Jesus doubt the love of Peter? Was this betrayal the beginning of the end for the friends?
“Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” “If you love me, than feed my sheep.” “You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church.” These are all words from Christ to his disciple Peter, a disciple who betrays, but whom Christ loves. Peter is the broken rock upon which Christ builds His church. A disciple who denied Christ is now being told to “feed my sheep.” Our friend Peter is broken, and needs to be fed himself…how is he to feed God’s sheep when he is so hungry? Jesus uses the strength of the broken to build his church while at the same time, God strengthens the broken using the church. Peter both betrays and loves, and God both forgives and builds. God isn’t choosing Peter as the rock of His church because he is the most qualified, most loyal of disciples, he chooses Peter, the broken rock, out of grace and love.
Peter is asking Jesus “I haven’t even been feed yet, how am I supposed to feed others?” The answer for Peter, as it is for us is this: We are can only be feed when we feed others. By being the rock in our broken world, and showing Jesus’ redeeming, saving love, our rock, our faith is strengthened.
I ask you, when have you been called by God to feed His sheep? When have you been God’s sheep being fed? Because, in our modern world, just as in the time of Peter, God will use the brokenness of this world to create community. Perhaps the following is a bit unconventional for a sermon, but as I read, I ask you to reflect on ways that you have seen God at work in your broken world. How, you, like Peter, have seen God using the strength of the broken to build his church while at the same time strengthening the broken using his church.
The care center driver, Tesfeye, directed us to a large white van in the deserted, dimly lit parking lot at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. “you’re Betty’s parents! Welcome! If there is anything you need, please ask. You’re family” Shocked to be called “family” and confused because our baby’s birthmother had given her the name, “Bethlehem” we quickly learned that “Betty” is a nickname and warm hospitality is one of Ethiopia’s defining characteristics. Though it was only 3:30 in the morning, the quiety whispers of life surrounded us as we drove the dimly lit, unpaved roads of Addis toward the care center. A mass of women passed by, carrying giant water basins on their heads. Embers glowed under pots of oatmeal, as families prepared their morning meals and redied themselves to walk unimaginable distances to find work, water and wood. Inside the van, I felt the whispers of life about to burst. After thrity hours in a plane, we knew we were in the final stages of labor. In seven ours, our daughter would be placed in our arms and the birth pangs would cease.
“Be very quiet” requested Tesfeye. “The babies sleep on the second floor.” We entered the 3 story stucco building where our baby resided the past 2 months. Dim lights flickered as a couple of months danced around. “Over there is Betty’s room.” After 6 hours of hazy sleep, the sun and the sounds of the city woke us. “Betty! Yes, here!” Several nannies began to speak quickly, smiling and giggling. Three month old Bethlehem lay on a changing table, giggling as the nanny readied her.
Though we were not in Addis when Bethlehem’s birth mother surrendered her, we watched as mothers and grandmothers brought in children of all ages. We generally tried making ourselves scarce, though one time, as I sat with my baby and another new mother, we watched two women knock on the center’s outside gate. When they entered, three children held hands and walked up the granite stairs past us. After several minutes, the women returned, alone. They looked us in the eyes, and then glanced down at our babies. Babies of their homeland. They smiled solemnly. No one spoke; the words would not have been understood. But the whispers of life spoke for us. All in the same instant, grief ensues and hope abounds. Their greatest sorrow resulted in our greatest joy. Peter’s greatest sorrow, the rejection and crucifixion of our Lord, results in his greatest joy—forgiveness and redemption. “Do you love me?” Asks Jesus. And Peter feeds his sheep.
Months after returning home, I baptized our daughter Shahra Bethlehem. Baptism the is adoption of a child into the Christian family and the waters of baptism evoke spiritually the waters of holy birth. As I thrice poured the water onto my baby’s head, I knew we were forever connected to Sharha’s birthmother through the holy words “you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked by the cross of Christ forever.”
It is through us, in our broken, yet redeemed world, that God builds His church. As Jesus asked Peter “do you love me” He to asks our world “do you love me.” Our world needs this love, and we can be assured that we, in the midst of broken rocks, Christ will build His church, build you up and show His love daily.