Mark 8:31-38
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” 34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Conversation:
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
- What do you think of Peter’s rebuke?
- I want to read to you from a reading of the Stations of the Cross from the point of view of Mary the mother of Jesus.
- As a mother…what do you think these thoughts?
- Do you think that they are the way a mother would think?
- If your son told you that he was traveling to a distant place where he would likely die…what would you say to him?
- What is the difference between divine things or human things?
Sermon
Sometimes well meaning Christians ask us; “Have you accepted Christ?” Or maybe; “Are you saved yet?” If we are not sure of it…we are instructed to get down on our knees and accept Jesus into our hearts…and we will be saved. Following this prescribed instruction is necessary to be saved… It is said that we must accept Jesus before God’s grace works and God can accept us. And if we don’t do it in this way…God will reject us.
There is a problem though. This process is very rigid… It implies that…the ones who accept Christ first are saved and thus loved by God…But those who do not accept Christ first are out and not loved by God…and are not saved. When we decide what we must do to enact God’s grace… and it does not happen in that specific way…we may get the idea that…we must reject them…because they have not taken the necessary steps to save themselves.
But to day Jesus seems to disagree…he plainly says; “Those who want to save their life will loose it.” We know all about this. Recently on the world stage…people have been desperately trying to save their lives. Until the Arab spring of 2011… many of us did not realize how many countries and their citizens were ruled by long term, 35 to 40 year, dictators. These dictators maintained their control… through violent intimidation… Out of fear for their own lives and the lives of their families…most citizens just tried to survive hoping not to upset the dictator.
When ordinary citizens finally came forward and gathered in public squares to protest…the tables were turned…and it was time for the dictators and those who benefited from the system…to try and save their own lives. And most often in the process of trying to save their own life…they hurt many people along the way. Ruthless dictators spent a great deal of effort and expense trying to save their live… But in their attempt thousands and thousands of lives were lost. By trying to save their own lives…these ruthless dictators…have set their minds on truly human things.
Jesus added; “Those who loose their live for my sake and for the gospel will save it.” After so many years of living in fear…ordinary citizens…moved out into the streets and the squares to protest. Until that moment they tried to stay out of the dictators’ sight… hoping to save their own lives…. Until then they tried not to upset the president and his secret police… But now they willingly sacrificed and lost their lives in an attempt to save the lives of their fellow citizens. They have given up their own safety and security…
As Christians we have heard so often about the cross… For us the cross is a religious symbol which comforts…we wear crosses around our necks… We decorate our homes and our churches…with them. But very often we forget the true significance of taking up the cross.
Jesus knew the significance of taking up his cross. In Jesus’ time the Roman authorities used the cross and crucifixion as a deterrent. Taking up his cross is comparable to public hangings…in those old western movies. Hangings were also meant to humiliate and deter anyone from committing similar crimes. When a person was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging …the sentence began a whole process of preparation. Someone was hired to build a gallows in the middle of town…where everyone could gather and watch. It was built close to the jail so the condemned man could hear and watch the progress. The hangman’s noose…became a much feared symbol of an agonizing death.
In the same way…the Roman Empireuses the cross to publicly humiliate and deter…citizens from protesting or revolting. They executed them on the cross… along side busy roads or on the top of hills…where everyone could see… The cross struck fear in the hearts of people…of on lookers… and shame in the hearts of family. Those wanted to save their lives knuckled under to the Romans.
Jesus calls on us to take up our cross and follow him. It is not about us carrying our personal crosses of sickness, old age, or anything else that weighs us down. It is not about feeling helpless over our finances or having to care for an aging spouse or parent. This we call crosses… but they are not the ones Jesus calls us to take up.
Jesus takes up his cross…early on his journey to Jerusalem. Before Peter and the other disciples have any idea about it…Jesus knows the meaning of the cross. His journey to the cross…is a selfless journey. He willing goes to the cross…with complete knowledge of what will happen. He goes and lays down his life… He accepts shame and humiliation…and carries it to the cross. It is not for his glory nor is it for the glory of the Father…But Jesus goes to the cross out his great love for all of God’s created people. Lovingly and willingly taking up his cross…is truly a divine thing.
Taking up our cross is much greater…than carrying personal burdens. Taking up our cross and following Christ is comparable to the passer by rushing into a fiery building to rescue a helpless baby or pet…and then succumbing to the flames. It is comparable to the young students who crowd the squares in large cities to protest dictatorships that oppress citizens… they don’t even know… And who are arrested tortured or even killed… It is comparable to entering a house and standing between the abuser and the abused during a violent domestic attack… and being killed for it.
Taking up our cross…does have something to do about us…we may physically loose our life…when we take it up. But taking up our cross is loving the way that God loves. It is loving as Jesus loves and willingly goes to the cross. Taking up our cross and following Jesus is doing the truly divine thing. It is shamelessly being willing to give our life for the sake of the gospel.
Let us always set our minds on divine things…and love as God loves. Let us take up the cross of Jesus and be ready to lose our lives for the sake of the gospel. And let us proclaim God’s love to all God’s created.
Thanks be to God. Amen
Leave a comment