08/28/2026
Here is Pastor Esaú's message for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, August 23, 2026
Gospel of Matthew 16:13-20
Who is Jesus?
Here we are at the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost. During this season, we use the color green to indicate our growth in faith as we follow the teachings and ministry of Christ.
Before we focus on today's readings, let us refresh our memories from last Sunday. What did you hear in the Holy Gospel, or what caught your attention from any of our readings?
Last week's Gospel narrative was divided into two parts. First, Jesus challenged the Pharisees for prioritizing human traditions, such as ritual hand-washing, over honoring God. He argued that true impurity comes from the heart rather than public conduct, warning His disciples: "Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles."
The narrative then moved to the district of Tyre and Sidon, where a Canaanite woman begged for mercy because her daughter was tormented by a demon. Jesus initially did not answer her, and the disciples asked Him to send her away because she was shouting. Citing His mission to the "lost sheep of Israel," Jesus initially rejected her request, stating, "It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs."
The woman knelt and replied that even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table. Touched by her persistence and great faith, Jesus granted her request and healed her daughter.
This reading can be difficult to accept, but it serves as a powerful reminder that God's grace transcends the limits we set. Jesus calls us to work through our own prejudices and help those in need, remembering that everyone is a human being just like us.
In today's Holy Gospel, Jesus asks two questions to his disciples: "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" and "Who do you say that I am?”
Regarding the first question, Jesus's disciples answered: "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
On the second question, Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus told him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” Peter openly confessed his faith that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
This leaves us with a question to reflect on: Who is Christ for you?
The Bible presents Peter as compassionate and loyal to Jesus, but he also shows doubt, even denying Jesus three times. He can also be a stumbling block, as we will hear next Sunday in the Gospel of Matthew when Jesus turns to him and says, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Peter was very human, just as we are. We can certainly be like Peter, and that is why we need the help of our powerful spiritual food: Word and Sacrament. It is for this reason that we gather every Sunday at church to worship, and also to be reminded of who Jesus is for us.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ energizes us every Sunday when we hear His word and receive the Holy Sacrament. He asks us to live according to His teachings and to consider who He is in our lives. By embracing His ministry as a way of life rather than just a statement, we can go out into our daily lives and bear testimony to His presence.
May God, in His infinite grace and mercy, be with us as we follow the teachings and ministry of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.