Matthew 16:21-28

Pentecost 14, 2023 | 09/03/23 | Matthew 16:21-28 | First Lutheran, Houston | Evan McClanahan |

What percentage of “Christians” are actually Christians? That is, what percentage of people who are happy to describe themselves as Christians really, you know, live the life to the standard that Jesus describes?

 Well, I’m nervous just asking the question. For this is the very kind of question that has produced church-hating ex-Christians, young men and women who were abused by the Church with constant nagging and questioning of their commitment to Christ. I have heard the stories of young people whose thoughts and actions and motivations were searched by an overbearing pastor who seemed to demand perfection. All in the name of preserving authentic Christianity.

 And yet, I suspect we would all agree that the pursuit is not wholly without merit. For I suspect that we would all agree that merely calling yourself a Christian does not make it so. Your grandmother being a Christian doesn’t make you a Christian. Being baptized 30 years ago doesn’t make you a Christian. Heck, being on a church membership roll doesn’t make you a Christian.

 So, if there are, for example, 200,000,000 million people in America who call themselves “Christian,” we would prob ably all agree that the real number is probably less than that. Perhaps the real number is 199,999,999, but it isn’t the full number. Obviously many people have grown up in this Christian culture, spent some time at a church, participated in some rituals like baptism, confirmation, or a marriage, but have never really given any thought to what it means to be Christian and other than some number of hours, haven’t really sacrificed for the cause.

 But how low does that number go? We would also all agree that the number isn’t as low as some Christians would have it. Think of the cult-like Christian groups that very narrowly limit who could share the the name Christians, such as Westboro Baptist Church, famous for picketing American soldier’s funerals. They pretty much don’t think you can be a Christian if you are not as equally triggered as they are on all kinds of issues. So the number should probably be higher than, say, 100. There are probably fewer than 200,000,000 “real” Christians in America but probably more than 100.

 But what makes one a Christian? Well, again, I think we can all agree that it is some combination of right understanding and right action. For example, if someone says they believe all of the right things to believe about Christianity – say, the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the sacrificial death of Jesus, his resurrection from the dead, etc. – but he is openly leading a hedonistic lifestyle, we might rightly conclude he is not really a Christian.

 Likewise, there may be those who lead perfectly upright lives, but believe false things, even having been presented the Biblical data. A Mormon neighbor of ours may be a great benefit to us as a neighbor given their fastidious observance of the Law. But their description of God and Jesus are fundamentally at odds with traditional Christianity, so we don’t consider them “Christians.”

 So, there needs to be some combination of orthodox beliefs and moral living. Now who gets to determine where those lines are? Well, we have developed creeds to help sort this out. If you believe the words of the Nicene Creed, that’s a pretty good start. Us Lutherans have our Book of Concord, our book of confessions. Catholics have their Catholic Catechism. These are the things that must be believed, we say, to be a Christian. We all claim to have derived those boundaries from our readings of Scripture, of course.

 And when it comes to moral living, well, how moral is moral enough? Surely the standard cannot be perfection, but believe it or not, there are some Christian traditions that either say explicitly or strongly suggest that perfection is actually possible. But as we remain sinners even upon confession of Christ as Lord, moral perfection must not be the standard. And yet, even though perfection isn’t possible, we should strive for, say, excellence, right? Yes, and that is why we confess our sins, are forgiven of our sins, and we ask for the Spirit’s help in doing better.

 Okay, so what I have tried to do is lay out some basic framing for a kind of conventional Christianity. Mainstream, even. Why? Because in our text today, Jesus lays out for us some standards that definitely go beyond what we are comfortable with: “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Who or what is a Christian? Should these words factor into our formula for what makes one so?

 Well, I should think so. If “being a Christian” means following Jesus, then in addition to right belief and moral living, losing your life is definitely part of the picture. In fact, it frames everything else. In our moral life, to lose our life means we don’t always get to do what we want to do. In our doctrinal life even, we don’t get to believe what we always want to believe. We might want to believe in astrology or reincarnation, but as Christians, we cannot. We have lost our lives to some degree in every area of our life.

 We live for Jesus in our work, in our home, as parents, as children, as team members, as Houstonians, as bosses, as business owners, as students, as employees, as drivers, as passengers, as travelers, as public servants, as voters, as customers, etc. etc. And if we don’t feel the pinch or the squeeze or the sacrifice of losing something of ourselves, we are almost certainly not meeting Jesus’ standard.

 Indeed, for all of our talk of the culture wars, they could all quite easily be “won” by Christians, if winning is indeed the goal. But not enough people are willing to lose themselves in the fight. Out of fear of becoming a social pariah, we keep our mouths shut. For fear of poverty, we hold back giving. Out of apathy or laziness we don’t vote. Due to distraction, our church participation is, well, whenever convenient.

 Buts sometimes, the only way to win, is to lose. Jesus understood this. He is predicting his trial and death, after all, and berating the “rock of the Church,” Peter, calling him Satan (!), for not understanding what it takes to win. If you are willing to lose everything for Christ, then there is nothing they can threaten you with or take from you. You have already trusted your eternal soul to Jesus Christ. You have nothing to lose.

 So who is a Christian? Well, Christians come in many forms. There is a range within Christianity of beliefs on the non-essentials. There is moral striving, but not moral perfection. But you’ll know a Christian when you see one if they have lost their life. Do they live for others? Have they devoted their life to a greater cause? Are they happy to let Jesus save them? Have they stopped worrying so much what everyone thinks? Are they investing in their community?

 The good news is that in losing your life, you will find it. Give your life to Jesus, and you will gain a better life than the one you were hoping to attain. It will cost you. But not nearly as much as Jesus is prepared to give. Amen.