First Reading:
7Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech,
in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we
want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. 8I do
not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your
love against the earnestness of others. 9For you know the
generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet
for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become
rich. 10And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is
appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but
even to desire to do something— 11now finish doing
it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according
to your means. 12For if the eagerness is there, the gift is
acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one
does not have. 13I do not mean that there should be relief
for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance
between 14your present abundance and their need, so that
their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a
fair balance. 15As it is written,
The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had
little did not have too little.
Second Reading:
27Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of
Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his
disciples, Who do people say that I
am?
28And they answered him, John the Baptist; and
others, Elijah; and still others, one of the
prophets.
29He asked them,
But who do you say that I am?
Peter answered
him, You are the Messiah.
30And he sternly ordered
them not to tell anyone about him.
31Then 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. 32He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him
aside and began to rebuke him. 33But 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.
34He 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. 35For
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. 36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world
and forfeit their life? 37Indeed, what can they give in
return for their life? 38Those 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.
About 15 years ago, I went on a date with a girl I didn't know
terribly well. I was in my early twenties, I was in college and on
the weekends I was a ski instructor. I think it was our second or
third date we went up to the mountains for a day of skiing. We had a
nice drive up and a pretty uneventful first run or two. It was clear
that I was going to spend a lot of time waiting but honestly I kind of
expected that and it was no big deal. But then, toward the beginning
of the third or fourth chairlift ride, she asked me if I ever wanted
to have kids… I thought to myself, uh, oh.
Of course I
did… She asked me if I'd thought of what I wanted my life to
look like. I was afraid of where this conversation might be going so
I did what I think anyone in my situation would have done, I played
dumb… what do you mean?
I asked. She said, Well, you
know, when I think about what I want my life to look like one day, I
imagine having two or three kids running around and I think I'd like
to be done having kids by the time I'm about 35… I want to be
married for about 5 years before I start having kids… I think a
long engagement is a good idea and I definitely want to know the guy
I'm going to marry for at least a year before we get
engaged…
The whole time she was talking I was acutely aware
that I was stuck on a chairlift… doing math in my head and the
only thing that came to mind, which maybe I shouldn't have said
out-loud, but I did, was So you're looking to find someone pretty
much — today aren't you…
It's amazing the ways we plan our lives… We've heard the old adage; if you want to make God, laugh… tell God your plans. And in our passage today we get the other side of the story too. Jesus told his plan to the disciples and they wouldn't hear a word of it. Peter proclaimed that Jesus was the messiah but when Jesus started to teach that as the messiah he had to be rejected by the leaders and rulers… he had to suffer and to die, Peter Got upset. Now scholars have different ideas about what the disciples expected the messiah to be, but this passage makes it clear that Peter wasn't interested in the kind of messiah Jesus was talking about. It was too important of a role in the history of the Jewish people to be wasted on someone who would be rejected and killed. So Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked him. Don't talk like that. I stand by what I said. I believe that you are the messiah, but you need to fit into the plan. Because what you're talking about is ridiculous. You cannot be the messiah and fail the way you are describing.
Sometimes, I don't think Peter is that much different than many of us… we all make plans, and really, we should all make plans. It's part of the way we interact with the world in which we live. It's part of the way that we make the most of the time and the resources that God has entrusted to us. Planning is essential, both in our personal lives and in our communal life as the church. The question isn't about whether to plan… the question is where does God fit into our plans? Where does the way of Christ enter into our consideration?
When Peter rebuked Jesus, Jesus turned right back around and rebuked Peter… strongly. He said Get behind me Satan… By trying to force Jesus into his understanding of what the messiah would be Peter had mixed up the roles. It was as if Peter had already written the plan and had included a few blank spaces for the input of the one he called the messiah—when he was asked, who do you say that I am?
I've done a lot of work with youth over the years and perhaps the place I've gotten the most raised eyebrows from parents is when I've asked teenagers to think about their plans: specifically where their plan comes from. So many of the young people I've spoken to feel an immense pressure to get good grades so they can go to a good college so they can get a good job so they can support a family of 2.5 kids in their nice house with a big yard and a white picket fence. They've already got the plan… they just need God's help filling in the details… God help me know which school to go to. God help me pass a test. God help me choose a major, God—help my plan go smoothly. None of those prayers are wrong or bad… but the most common planning process I've run into often only leaves room for God in the details. It's as if the plan get's 90% done and then we start praying. Here is what's left unsettled God… help me figure it out.
But then we come to question Jesus asked the disciples, which rings true in every time and in every place for people who would follow Jesus. Who do you say that I am? Am I the one who fills in the blank spaces in your plan, or am I the one who is at the heart of the plan… on whom the plan is based?
It's interesting how Jesus put his task: he said he "must" be rejected, suffer and be killed. It's not that he thinks this might happen or that he probably will suffer. It's not only that he expects to or intends to suffer, but that he must. One way of looking at is says that the suffering has to happen in order to fulfill Old Testament prophecy. Another way of looking at it, which seems to be the way Jesus himself more often refers to it… is that the suffering is the logical extension of the way Jesus lived. He challenged the status quo by seeing people as people, instead of a means to an end… he lived forgiveness and reconciliation and generosity, he didn't honor the boundaries of who was the in-crowd and who were the outsiders but instead he opened his table—he welcomed whoever would come. In this understanding it was inevitable that the people in power would rise up to silence him… because he challenged the source of their power by encouraging marginalized people to recognize their worth as God's beloved. At least it was inevitable that they would silence him unless he walked away from the plan he was following—which seemed to be what Peter wanted him to do… change course to avoid the cross. Jesus was gaining a following… he could likely have become a popular teacher and lived a relatively comfortable life but Jesus knew who was at the center of his plan, and he wasn't about to turn away from it.
And just in case there was any doubt, Jesus began to teach the crowd
and the disciples. If you want to become my follower, deny
yourself; take up your cross and follow me.
It's the first time
in Mark's gospel that the cross is mentioned; and make no mistake, it
is scandalous to even speak of the cross. One theologian writes that
to first century ears, The cross is an obscenity an absurdity, an
instrument of torture that Rome used to remind [subjected] people of
the cost involved in resisting the empire.
The cross isn't in
anyone's plan… and yet Jesus told the disciples and the crowd
that the way to follow him is to take up the cross. Those who want to
save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my
sake, and the sake of the gospel will save it.
Historically there have been times and places where following Christ was a death sentence, and thank goodness that's not the situation in our time and place. For most of us, the difference between having the ethics of Christ at the center of our plan or simply filling in the blanks is a matter of comfort and convenience. I don't presume to know the details of what your life will look like by following Christ. In many ways, I'm still figuring that out for myself. But I can say with confidence that taking up the cross refers to voluntary activity, decisions intentionally made to imitate and follow in the footsteps of Christ: always welcoming, always serving, always challenging injustice and always seeking wholeness. As long as the choices we make revolve around saving our own lives, by trying to make them either comfortable or easy, the plan remains ours alone.
And the overwhelming grace in all of this lies not in
a must
— as in you must suffer…but rather in a
may— as in you may follow. In response to the question, Who
do you say that I am?
On this World Communion Sunday we're
reminded that Christians across the globe are invited once again come
to the table… to make the life and ministry of Christ central
to our lives: to be fed, to be nourished and to be sent out into the
world to proclaim the good news. And perhaps the best part of the
plans we've made is that we can change them as our priorities change.
No matter how many times we've walked away from good
intentions… no matter how many times we've said God, One of
these days I'll do this… or one of these days I'll not do
that… or one of these days I'll learn about you and follow you
more closely,
it's not too late to make those intentions a
reality. You see the past may be written, but by the grace of God,
the future is wide open. Thanks be to God. Amen.
The foregoing sermon was given by Rev. Dan Holland at the United Parish of Bowie on October 4, 2009.
© 2009 Daniel Holland
