Homily August 30, 2026
In The Way, Or On The Way?
Christina (Tina) McKinlay
September 1, 2026
Get Thee Behind Me, Satan!
Homily: Pentecost 14, Year A, 30 August 2026
Matthew 16:21-28; Romans 12:9-21
In The Way, Or On The Way?
What a difference a week makes.
Last week, Jesus praised Peter for his confidence and conviction, declaring, ‘On this rock I will build my church.’ But In today’s Gospel, Jesus rebukes Peter, “Get behind me Satan.”
What happened?
As Jesus left Galilee and started the long journey to Jerusalem, he shared with his disciples that he would undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed.
Distressed by Jesus’ words, Peter took him aside and exclaimed, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you." And for these words, Peter is rebuked in the harshest terms possible.
Poor Peter only wanted to tell Jesus that God would not let him suffer. He only wanted Jesus to stop talking so morbidly — surely bad things do not happen to good people especially when they are as good as Jesus. Peter only wanted to protect Jesus — to make him feel better — to assure him — and he gets shot down.
He gets shot down because he misses the facts about Jesus — even though Peter believes Jesus is the son of God; even though he believes that Jesus is the Messiah — the promised one; even though he is willing to obey Jesus and follow him anywhere — Peter misses the fact that God's ways are different than human ways, that God thinks and works differently than us, so differently in fact that Jesus — as the son of God — had to — for us — to show us how things really work. Rather than being on the way with Jesus, Peter stood in the way of what Jesus came to accomplish.
Jesus died for us to save us from our own sinfulness. He died for us to show us that death has no dominion and that what we need to fear most of all is not death — but what happens to us both before and after death. "What will you gain,” Jesus declares, “if you own the whole world — but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul?"
What can we give? There is nothing. But there is one who has given everything — for us — that we might have our souls back — the one whom Peter took aside to chide for his attitude; the one whom Peter wanted to shut up when he spoke of what was necessary, of what would happen to him because of human sin — and because of the love that God has for us.
I am sure Peter meant well when he took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking about his death but he didn't understand the ways of God: and all too many of us don't understand God's ways either, and that is why the fire has gone out of so many churches, and that is why the fire has gone out in so many of us. It's gone out because we are IN THE WAY instead of ON THE WAY, because we've fallen into the habit of thinking like everybody else, instead of thinking like God.
Hear these words afresh: Then Jesus said to his disciples — "If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it."
As strange as it may seem, we Christians are in the dying business. It is our job — our duty — and most of all our need — to die to ourselves. God want us to stop putting this life and what we can get out of it (prestige, power, possessions, pleasure) first, and instead to place God and the well-being of our neighbours ahead of our selves.
Jesus asserts that it is only when we die to ourselves that we truly discover what living is all about.
That is what Jesus did for us on the cross. That is what Jesus wants us to do for ourselves — and for others and for him when he says, “If you want to be my followers you must forget yourselves, you must take up your cross and follow me."
The Christian way is the way of the cross—the way of service and sacrifice. Only when we are prepared to lose those things that the world thinks important and valuable, do we really begin to find the true purpose, the real meaning of life — and it has nothing to do with a new car, or flat screen tv, or dream job or vacation — distractions that cause us to stumble.
And so, today’s Gospel challenges us to ask ourselves: Are we in the way of Jesus — or on the way that he has prepared for us? Do we think like everybody else — or do we think like God? Jesus implores us to stop thinking like the world thinks and to start thinking like God thinks.
Our way is the way of Christ — our way is the way the cross — the way of emptying ourselves so that we might be filled; the way of humbling ourselves so that we might be exalted; the way of opening our arms to the power of death, so that we might be raised to newness of life.
Now this is not easy. Thankfully, Paul in his letter to the Romans lists what is required of those who would be disciples of Jesus and walk his way: live peaceably with one another; stand by what is true and just and good; comfort those who weep; forgive those who have wronged you; love and serve not only your neighbour but your enemy as well; do not seek revenge or act with pride but walk humbly with God.
Are you in the way of Christ or on the way of Christ? Are you decreasing so that he might increase in you?
These are questions that we need to ask if we work together to become what God wants to be — a vibrant and loving and caring community — a people who shine with his light and declare — with our words and our lives — all the wonderful things that God has done.
May it be so.
Get Thee Behind Me, Satan!
Tissot, James, 1836-1902
fr: Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt University Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.