Peter: Person, Pericope, Prayer

God’s grace, peace and mercy to you. My theme for today’s sermon is The Three P’s of Peter. My focus is our Epistle.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

By Three P’s of Peter, I mean Person, Pericope and Prayer. First, Person. The person we know as Peter was originally named Simeon or Simon. We do not know when he was born, but Peter was the son of Jonah and the brother of Andrew, and they were natives of Bethsaida, near Lake Tiberias.

Jesus gave Simon the name Cephas, meaning Rock; hence Peter, from the Greek word Petros. Most of what we know about Peter comes from the Bible. The three Synoptic Gospels – Mark, Matthew and Luke – recount how Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law at their home in Capernaum,[1] which clearly depicts Peter as being married. Paul also implies that Peter was married.[2] The name of his wife is unknown.

The Synoptic Gospels tell us that Peter and Andrew were fishermen. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus called Simon and his brother to be ‘fishers of men.’[3] The Gospel of John also depicts Peter fishing, even after the resurrection of Jesus.

Of the Twelve Apostles called by Jesus, his name is always listed first. When Jesus walked on the water, Matthew describes Peter as walking on water for a moment before he began to sink when his faith wavered.[4] At the beginning of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed his disciples' feet, Peter initially refused, but when Jesus told him: “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me,” he yielded, but requested: “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” We know that the washing of feet is often repeated in the service of worship on Maundy Thursday.[5]

When Jesus was arrested, Peter cut off the ear of Malchus, a High Priest’s servant.[6] We know that subsequently Peter denied Jesus, and that he was the first Apostle to enter the tomb on Easter Sunday.

Twice, Peter was arraigned before the Sanhedrin and directly defied them.[7] After receiving a vision from God that allowed for the eating of previously unclean animals, he took a missionary journey to Lydda, Joppa and Caesarea, becoming instrumental in the decision to evangelize Gentiles.[8] Peter was imprisoned by Agrippa, but was rescued by an angel, and left Jerusalem. Concerning his subsequent activity, there is no further information from extant sources, although there are short notices of certain individual episodes of his later life. The date of Peter’s death is about 64 AD. He died in Rome by crucifixion but upside-down because he felt unworthy to die as Jesus did.

Two general epistles in the New Testament are ascribed to Peter, but many scholars generally reject his authorship. The Gospel of Mark was traditionally thought to show the influence of Peter's preaching and eyewitness memories. Several other books bearing his name‍ —‌ Acts of Peter, Gospel of Peter, Preaching of Peter, Apocalypse of Peter, and Judgment of Peter ‍—‌ are considered apocryphal and are not included in any version of the Bible.

And so, we segue from my first point, Person, to my second, Pericope. Pericope – not a word as familiar to people today as social-distancing, but definitely older. It means a section or an excerpt from a book, particularly a passage of Scripture appointed to be read. Pericope was first used in the English language in the 1650s. Pericope is a Greek word literally meaning a cutting all round, from peri meaning around or about and kopē meaning a cutting, as one cuts wood with a hatchet.

Our pericope today is First Peter 2:2-10. Now, first of all, you should know that the early Christians were sometimes accused of being atheists by their pagan neighbors and pagan authorities. This is because primitive Christianity did not have temples, priests or sacrifices. Nor were there any icons that openly signified their faith. In fact, early Christianity did not have any of the things that most people usually associate with religion; hence the accusation of atheism.

There is no doubt that Jewish and pagan converts to Christianity felt something was missing in their new faith. They missed their rituals. For Jews, this uneasiness was compounded by the fact that they no longer had access to the Temple for important Jewish pilgrimages. New Christians in Asia Minor or modern Turkey felt out of place. They were strangers and foreigners, spiritually and socially, because of their allegiance to Christ and his people. And, Peter attempted to alleviate their feeling of displacement and estrangement.

Although the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., Peter described Christian believers as living stones built into a spiritual house. The Old Testament Tabernacles and Temples were a concession. It was how God’s Presence abided with his people on earth, while sin was still a problem. Now that the sin problem was dealt with by Jesus, God no longer uses Tabernacles and Temples because his Presence is within us and among us. God’s chosen sanctuary is his people.

The “rock-stone” image is common in Scripture. There is the stumbling stone, the foundation stone, the parental rock, the rejected but vindicated building stone, the supernatural stone and the burdensome stone.[9]

The “rock-stone” image was also a messianic title among Jews and Christians. Jesus’ claim of being the Messiah was rejected by Jewish leaders.[10] They expressed their rejection and disapproval of Jesus and had him executed. He was cast aside as rubble that others now trip and stumble over.

While Jesus was rejected by some, he was chosen and exalted by God. He is the choice and precious capstone, the pinnacle of the spiritual house. All believers are integrated into this house as living stones. Peter says that Jesus is the cornerstone in the foundation of the Spiritual house, and in verse 7, he also says that Jesus is the capstone, the apex, the highest point and unifying center of the building under which we all take our place.

Interestingly, the name that Jesus gave to Simon, that is, Peter, means rock. In today’s passage, however, Peter uses the Greek word lithos for stone, and not petros (rock), so that he does not draw any attention to his name.

Our epistle continues by referring to Christian men and women as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and a people for his possession.

A Chosen People: Our epistle was addressed mainly to Jewish Christians who are referred to in Isaiah 43:20 as a chosen people or a chosen race, into which Gentile Christian believers are grafted to become joint beneficiaries of God’s favor, grace and mercy with their Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ.

A Royal Priesthood: Under the New Covenant, all followers of Jesus Christ, both men and women, are part of a priesthood. All of us can offer spiritual sacrifices—of praise, thankfulness, contrition, devotion and obedience—directly to God. We can be sure that our sacrifices are accepted when we offer them through Jesus. We do not need any other mediator or priest other than Jesus, our High Priest.

A Holy Nation: The nation of Israel had been set apart by God as holy.[11] The description of believers as a holy nation reinforces the concept of obedience and sanctification . . . Ancient Israel’s holiness as a nation derived from the Holy King of the universe, who had cut a covenant with them, binding themselves to him as his chosen nation and special possession.

God’s Own Possession: Being God’s own possession means that we are separate and distinct from unbelievers. Paul’s letters remind us that God has called us out of darkness and brought us into his kingdom of light, so we must abstain from the deeds of darkness. I am part of God’s own possession. I belong to him. One of our responsibilities as people belonging to God is that we make known his mighty acts or his eminent qualities.

At this time in our lives, we may feel restricted in making known God’s mighty acts or eminent qualities, but that will soon end, and so will my sermon. So, let’s move onto my third point, Prayer.

Throughout his life of ministry, Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray earnestly to the end. Luke recorded that when Jesus was in the Mount of Olives, he was in agony but prayed more earnestly. In Acts, when Peter was in prison, the church prayed earnestly to God for him.

So, what is prayer? Prayer is the necessary foundation of our work as church and individuals. It is communal and personal. We pray in our sanctuaries and rooms. To paraphrase one holy person, prayer is God looking at me, and me looking at God. It is from the heart, but it is also vocal. We speak the Lord’s Prayer as Jesus taught it to his disciples. Prayer also involves reading Scripture.

However, my friends, we all take time away from prayer. This summer, many of us may look for the opportunity to get out of our homes and go on vacation. Unfortunately, for some, vacation means time away from Word, Sacrament, public worship and private prayer. We become spiritually lazy. Oswald Chambers once wrote, “We are all capable of being spiritually lazy saints.” We are all capable of being spiritually lazy saints. That is why I am giving you this free prescription to combat spiritual laziness.

When I pray the Scriptures, I use the Five Ps of Prayer: Passage, Place, Posture, Presence and Passage. The Five Ps of Prayer is an easy method for anyone. Let me outline it for you.

First, Passage. Depending on the circumstances, choose a Scripture passage. Read it slowly several times until a word or phrase rises to the surface.

Place. Choose a place where you will not be disturbed. It may be in your home or a quiet church.

Posture. Find a sturdy comfortable chair that will allow you to sit upright. Posture is important. Do not slouch or lie down.

Presence. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Start there and gradually increase your prayer time to 25 minutes. Close your eyes so you are not distracted. Be present to God as He is present to you. Thoughts, feelings, physical discomforts and audible distractions will occur. Stand firm in the stream and let these distractions flow by as flotsam and jetsam go downstream.

Passage. When you get distracted, return to the passage and refocus. When your minutes have passed, close your meditation by reciting aloud The Lord’s Prayer.

Because you and I have the capacity to become spiritually lazy saints, but truly wish to imitate Jesus, try the Five Ps of Prayer for 25 minutes a day for the next 30-some years – the lifespan of Jesus. I guarantee you a deeper, richer, fuller, more intimate relationship with our Triune God. And this method has a money-back guarantee. I guarantee you that if you are not fully satisfied; you can return it … for your old relationship with God. …

Now, my wife Cindy, and I pray daily. In the morning, we take a few minutes for reciting aloud the psalms and other passages. At meals we always pray and we each have our own devotional readings. Every afternoon around four, we spend 30 minutes meditating on a Scripture passage. Right now, we are focused on the Resurrection appearances.

When I pray over Scripture passages and apply them to my life, I don’t fret so much about the Wuhan virus, travel restrictions, cancelled plans, portfolio losses. I tune out the bitterness and fear-mongering of the media and turn my mind and heart to what God does for me. My belief in my Resurrected Lord enables me to accept what I cannot change. I cannot change my date or place of birth, my height, gender or race, my parents or siblings. My belief in a Risen Lord also means that I accept whatever the Lord provides and not to prefer wealth over poverty, honor over dishonor, health over sickness or a long life over a short one. My relationship with the Holy Spirit enables me to see that our Triune God gives me all I need because He gives me love and grace.

God – working in Jesus through the Holy Spirit – has ultimate power over all things in our natural and supernatural world, including Satan. There are times when I want God to fix in me and others what I deem as sinful … and I want him to fix it now. Yet, despite the sin we see in our lives and in our world, we remain hopeful, knowing that we are nourished by what God gives us: Word and Sacrament. We know that evil will ultimately be vanquished and complete unity with God will be realized.[12] However, what God does will only occur through prayer, that is, complete dependence on God and never a reliance upon myself. And so, I continue to pray.

Friends, as you begin your Five P’s or Prayer and take your faith into the world, I pray that you place yourself at the feet of Jesus, and ask Him to free you from whatever prevents you from giving yourself totally to Him and the abundant life he offers. And I pray that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keeps your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Matthew 8:14–17, Mark 1:29–31, Luke 4:38.

[2] 1 Corinthians 9:5.

[3] Matthew 4:18–19, Mark 1:16–17.

[4] Matthew 14:28–31.

[5] cf John 13:1ff.

[6] Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:50; John 18:10.

[7] Acts 4:7–22, Acts 5:18–42).

[8] Acts 9:32–Acts 10:2.

[9] See Isaiah 8:14; 28:16; 51:1f.; Psalm 118:22; Daniel 2:34; Zechariah 12:3.

[10] Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22.

[11] Exod. 19:6; Lev. 20:26.

[12] James A. Schmeiser, “Demons, Demonics, Devils,” The New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality, Michael Downey ed. Collegeville MN: The Liturgical Press, 1993, 259f.