Rev. Doug Floyd

Last Sunday of Epiphany 2026
Rev. Doug Floyd
Philippians 3:12-14, Matthew 17:1-9

Peter misunderstands. He sees Jesus in unspeakable glory with His face shining as the sun. He sees Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. He misunderstands the moment and proposes to build three tabernacles. We are not told what Peter is thinking. He could think the kingdom has come. He could think that Moses and Elijah have appeared to welcome the Messiah. We don’t know. He thinks he understands what is happening, but he doesn’t.“He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”” (Matthew 17:5, ESV)

Peter misunderstands. Before they ever ascended the mountain, Jesus asks the disciples “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13–17, ESV)

The Father in heaven has revealed to Peter that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and yet Peter still misunderstands. A moment later, he will take hold of Him and rebuke Jesus for saying that “He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Matthew 16:21, ESV)

Peter misunderstands. When Jesus is taken away and put on trial by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, Peter is afraid and denies knowing Jesus. He simply cannot grasp the kingdom of God and its unfolding.

We could suggest that Peter’s misunderstanding is because Jesus has not gone to the cross yet. After His cross, death and resurrection, Jesus imparts the Spirit to His disciples, and on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit comes like a mighty wind and Peter declares the very word of God to the crowds.

And yet, Peter still misunderstands. Though he has supported Paul’s ministry and message, he cowers before the Judaizers at Galatia and refuses to eat with the Gentiles. The Lord will continue to use Peter in a mighty way. And Peter will continue to misunderstand. Nonetheless, he will continue to grow in the way of the cross and the way of following wherever Christ leads.

We misunderstand. Just the fact that you and I are gathered here today is a sign the Spirit has drawn us, gathered us, and turned our our hearts toward Christ. Yet we still misunderstand. Why is God allowing this situation in my life? Why are my family or friends suffering in ways that break my heart? Where are you God?

We may have found the solution to our country’s social ills. That group is to blame. No that other group is to blame. We must elect this person or that person to fix the problem. Or we must march against oppression. Or like many people, we may feel the stress of various cultural problems and simply grieve. When my mom and dad were alive, they both would say, “I’m not worried about myself, it’s the grandchildren.” They were worried the grandchildren were growing in a world gone wrong. They were right. We’ve all grown up in a world gone wrong. 

There is no Mayberry to go back to. There never was. 

We misunderstand. We may feel God has abandoned us. We may be expecting the end of the world is imminent. Or we may expect a world wide revival to sweep away evil and bring in the fullness of the kingdom. And yet, we still plod along day by day, wondering, “Where is God?”

Paul misunderstood. Zeal for the Lord consumed him, and he sought to destroy all who would threaten the Temple. Then one day, the Lord spoke to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:4–6, ESV)

Yes, we all misunderstand and have misunderstood many times. Throughout history, the church has often misunderstood. What’s to be done?

First, God in His grace does not abandon us. He didn’t abandon Peter. He corrected him. He led him. Jesus instructed His disciples, and He also allowed them to face difficult circumstances. He told Peter, 

“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”(John 21:18–20, ESV)

Jesus says to each of us, “Follow me.” There are places and seasons of life where we do not want to go, but He will lead us through the valley of the shadow of death, and He will feed us, restore us, and glorify us. 

In our second lesson today, Paul writes, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12–14, ESV)

He is following. He is letting go. He is learning to trust. We often want answers , but we still misunderstand at times. God is simply calling us to follow, to trust. When I first graduated from college, I knew so much. As I grow older, it seems I know less and less. And yet, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I was having coffee with a minister friend the other day and he mentioned a book he was reading called, “The Sin of Certainty.”

I haven’t read it and cannot speak to the contents but the author is a Biblical scholar and appears to be calling Christian to learn to trust the Lord. So often we do not understand where we are, what is going on, and where is God. 

That seems to be the story of so many characters in the Bible. Consider Job, or David in the wilderness, or John the Baptist in prison, or Peter being told the way that he would die. They are thrust into situations where they do not understand. Yet, they are called to trust in the Lord.

As we enter Lent this coming week, it is a perfect time to let go of our fears, our griefs, our struggles, and even our accolades. Though we may not always understand, we pursue Christ. He is calling us upward. We do not understand the path by which He will glorify us, but we need not fear even when the wolves howl and the valley seems too dark. He will never abandon us. 

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38–39, ESV)