March 16, 2003

Second Sunday of Lent

Mark 8:31-38

 “Who, ME?”

      Every passage of scripture has a context and today’s reading from Mark is no exception.  To fully understand this reading, we need to look at the broader context, so first, let’s back up a bit to verses 27 through 30:

 Jesus 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?”  And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”  He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?”  Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.”

     This was Peter’s great profession of faith and it seems he may have been speaking for the other disciples as well.  Then Jesus continued, “…the Son of man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed…”  Peter was shocked.  He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  So he took Jesus aside and rebuked him, which is to say he told him he was wrong.  In Matthew’s version of the story, Peter says, “God forbid it, Lord!  This must never happen to you!”  But Jesus knew the truth and how Peter and the others were far from it.  He looked Peter square in the eyes and said, “Get behind me, Satan!  For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things!”

     Peter must have taken two steps back.  “Satan?? …who, ME?“  But how could he have been wrong?  Where was the evil in what he said?  He had just proclaimed his faith in Jesus as the Messiah.  It was Jesus who didn’t seem to understand what that title meant.  All good Jews knew the promised Messiah was going to be the One to sit on David’s throne, the One to liberate the Jews from the oppression of Rome, the One to make Israel a great nation again.  They all knew this.  They all hoped for this. 

     But Jesus would have none of it.  As he would later tell Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.“  He had a bigger vision than this, bigger than what Peter and the disciples had imagined, bigger than what the prophets foretold.  Jesus would sit on a throne alright - the throne of heaven.  There would be a great kingdom established alright - the kingdom of heaven.  “Repent and believe in the Gospel,” Jesus said in the opening verses of Mark, “for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near!“ 

     The disciples were confused.  They had been so close to Jesus and somehow missed what he was about.  They were his closest friends and yet they did not know him.  They believed the road to peace and prosperity would be made won by rebellion and that the Messiah would lead them there.  They thought power was the answer.  At least one of them was a Zealot and we know that Peter and at least some of the others carried swords.

     But Jesus saw in their aspirations what amounted to nothing better than a lesser evil and he named it “Satan“.  He saw their hunger for power.  He saw in them war that would only lead to more war.  He knew God’s vision of a peaceable kingdom where swords would be beat into plowshares. 

     Jesus was not a pacifist (just ask the moneychangers in the temple that he chased out with a whip!), but he was a man of justice and peace, the Prince of Peace who called upon his followers to be peacemakers.  But people so often got it wrong, believing they were making peace while hiding evil intentions.  He called it the way he saw it.  There could be no liberation for the Jews, no real and lasting peace if those who sought change had hearts as evil as those they sought to overthrow.  He called it the way he saw it: “Get behind me, Satan!”

     Lent is a time for reflection, introspection, looking inward, taking stock, being honest with ourselves and our God.  And when we look there, honestly look there, what do we see?  Goodness?  Evil?  The image of Christ, glory shining forth?  Or the image of Satan, darkness turning inward? 

     At the threshold of war, we must take stock, take a good, hard look at things…at ourselves.  We must be honest.  We must not settle for more of the same, a lesser evil in our eyes but evil just the same.  We must be people of justice and peace.  We must be advocates for the oppressed while being careful we don’t become oppressors ourselves.

     There are no pat answers.  There are only words of caution and hope, caution that is raised by this story of Jesus and his disciples where they were so sure they knew where they were headed but at the same time were so wrong.  They thought they knew the “axis of evil” for their time and missed the evil dwelling in their own hearts.  This is a reminder that we must be careful not to make the same mistake.  We must be clear about evil, what it is, where it is and seek to overcome it without and within.  Then, with clear conscience, true motives, Christ-centered spirits, act for justice and peace. 

     Now, here also are words of hope.  Jesus saw Satan in the eyes of his disciples and he didn’t fire them.  He loved them.  He kept them close.  He entrusted the Gospel to them and built the church on them.  He knows we are also people with feet of clay and that we often miss seeing in him God’s great vision.  He knows we are sinners and that evil is close at hand, even though we try to blame it on others.  That’s why he died for us, a sacrifice for our sins.  He loves us that much.  By his Holy Spirit he keeps us close.  He entrusts us with his Gospel and his church today.  We can trust that he will be with us in our struggle to be honest and true, just as he was with the first disciples.

     In the closing verses of our lesson today, Jesus said, “If anyone is to become my follower, let them deny themselves, pick up their cross and follow me.”  Herein lies the key to getting it right and Lent points the way - we take an honest look at ourselves, let go of selfish ambition and humble ourselves, “deny” ourselves and then trust him, walk with him, follow him.  And it may not be the way we originally planned.  He may surprise us as he surprised his disciples.  There may well be crosses to bear.  But trusting him, following him, we will find our way and we will know victory, God’s victory, God’s kingdom, justice and peace as God intends.