Sören Kierkegaard wrote:
If
you have any knowledge at all of human nature, you know that
those who only admire the truth will, when danger appears,
become traitors. The admirer is infatuated with the false security
of greatness; but if there is any inconvenience or trouble,
he pulls back.
Admiring the truth, instead of following it, is just as dubious
a fire as the fire of erotic love, which at the turn of the
hand can be changed into exactly the opposite, to hate, jealousy
and revenge. Christ, however, never asked for admirers, worshipers
or adherents. He consistently spoke of 'followers' and 'disciples'
(Synthesis, March 12, 2006).
Are you an admirer or are you a disciple? At the moment of today's
passage, Peter was only an admirer. His discipleship would come
later. Peter believed he was supporting his friend who was just
having a bad day. Imagine what you would probably do or say if
a close friend who was totally healthy suddenly started telling
you they would very soon suffer and die. Most of us would no
doubt tell them to snap out of it, to not have such crazy thoughts
and attempt to convince them their prediction was very wrong.
We would do this because we would want to continue having their
friendship and also because any talk of their impending suffering
and death might also cause us to wonder what our own future involved.
In the case of Peter, his friendship with Jesus involved even
more. Peter had his own ideas about Jesus' life and Peter
knew what Jesus did would also greatly impact him. Think about
those who work on major political campaigns today. These individuals
want to get their candidate elected not only for the sake of
the candidate but also for what's in it for them. The primary
backers of a candidate expect to get certain rewards. They are
willing to work hard, make sacrifices and pay certain costs.
The disciples of Jesus had given up home, family and jobs in
order to follow Him because they expected certain things when
He came into power.
Perhaps we should take time today to consider the cost of following
Jesus. If the truth be known, the vast majority of us are probably
not giving enough. Of course I am talking about much more than
what goes in the offering plate.
Think about what it costs to love someone. Of course there are
usually rewards in it for us but often the sacrifice and pain
seems to exceed the rewards. A spouse who spends his or her lifetime
caring for a partner who is ill makes such a sacrifice. A parent
who cares for a child in need or who continues to love an adult
child who is constantly in trouble understands the pain and sacrifice
of love. Anyone who has ever loved and had that love rejected,
understands this. There is a cost to loving and there is a cost
for discipleship.
I believe today's passage is at the very heart of what
Mark considers to be the work of Jesus and it portrays what is
involved for anyone who aspires to follow Jesus. Jesus says this
quite clearly in Mark 8:34, "If you want to follow me you
have to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me."
In this instance denying one's own self is clearly stating
and accepting God's will for my life is more important
than my own agenda or the world's agenda. In every situation
one must ask, "Is this what God wants me to be doing or
saying and am I prepared and willing to do it or say it?"
Taking up the cross means discovering and carrying out God's
ministry for me with a willingness to sacrifice everything including
my life in order to accomplish that ministry. Following Jesus
means we are to imitate the example He gives in telling the truth
and in loving and serving others.
Verse 34 quite simply means we are to make Jesus the central
focus of our life. How many of us are prepared and willing to
do this? We need to understand we do not do this to save ourselves.
We do this because we understand we have been saved in spite
of having done nothing to deserve it and we are most appreciative
for what God has done for us in Christ.
It is often difficult for us to understand and accept the fact
we cannot save ourselves or anyone else for that matter. Only
God can do this. We do, however, have the power to lose ourselves
and each of us must decide what or who it is that will cause
that loss. We lose ourselves to whatever it is we give ourselves
to. No doubt you have heard the expression, "He gets lost
in his work." This means the person has completely given
himself or herself to whatever it is they are doing. One can
get lost in drugs, in hobbies, human relationships and a variety
of other things but none of these things can save the person.
Only God can.
"There is a scene in Tolkien's The
Fellowship of the Ring, where a partnership is forged among
those who would accompany Frodo on his journey to destroy the
ring of power. The movie version makes for a very gripping
visual illustration, and the original literary text is equally
as moving. What comes through is a sense of selflessness as
the bond that unites these creatures. Furthermore, each subsumes
his will to the greater cause, and trusts an unseen and transcendent
good for an outcome that will bless all of Middle Earth, even
if the trek itself causes the demise of any or all of the compatriots" (Emphasis,
March/April 2006, p. 18).
When Jesus told Peter to get behind Him, He was asking Peter
to deny his own agenda and support Jesus. When we say we are
behind someone or something we are saying we will support it
and the person or cause can count on our participation and backing.
Today we need to decide if we are truly ready and willing to
get behind Jesus because we trust and accept what He is asking
us to do.
It is the Lenten journey to the cross, the grave and salvation
in God's Kingdom. |
