Get Behind Me (Matthew 16:21-27)
“Get Behind Me.” Matthew 16:21–27. Peter confesses the right Christ but tries to lead him away from the cross. The disciple’s place is behind Jesus. The road is cross-shaped, but the destination is glory.
MountainVicar
Husband. Father. Anglican Priest.
Before Philip Called You, I Saw You: Saint Bartholomew the Apostle (John 1:43-51)
Jesus sees us. Grace comes first. We come and see. We serve. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” (John 1:48, ESV) “Come and see.” (John 1:46, ESV)
Saint Bartholomew the Apostle: An Anglican Perspective
Bartholomew reminds us that obscurity before the world is not obscurity before Christ. If the traditional identification with Nathanael is correct, his story begins precisely with this discovery. Before Philip speaks to him, Jesus sees him.
The Confession of the Church (Matthew 16:13–20)
Matthew 16:13–20. The disciples worshiped Jesus in the boat two weeks ago. What is different at Caesarea Philippi? Peter adds the messianic title. There is no new miracle in this scene. And Jesus names the Father as the source: flesh and blood has not revealed this.
Great Is Your Faith (Matthew 15:21-28)
"Great Is Your Faith." Matthew 15:21–28. A Canaanite woman comes to Jesus in Gentile territory. He does not answer her. The disciples want to send her away. She kneels and says: Lord, help me. And he calls her faith great.
She Said Yes: Saint Mary the Virgin (Luke 1:46-55)
The feast of August 15 is therefore, at its heart, a feast about who Jesus is. Mary cannot be honored rightly without Christ remaining at the center. Scripture gives us a portrait of Mary that is both more prominent and more restrained than popular piety has sometimes recognized.