If you were given the chance to follow Jesus during his earthly ministry, would you do it? Maybe you would jump at the chance to go from town to town, living with and learning from the greatest and most astounding teacher you have ever heard. It seems like a wonderful time, and often our minds can think of the many great experiences we may be able to witness. But what would happen when we start to experience persecution? And not the type of Western cultural persecution of being taken less seriously or “looked down upon” – I mean violent, dangerous persecution. What would we do if we heard that the very footsteps we were following so intently and joyously were destined to a brutal death on a cross?
This is the experience of lent for the church – we are being pulled into the mystery of Jesus the Christ, Savior and Lord, dying on a cross. We are being pulled into this great event, not by just remembering it, but by embracing in ourselves it’s spiritual gravity. Christ has called us to turn from our self-sufficiency and sinfulness towards the reality of the cross – that of denying the self and embracing our deep dependency on God for all things.
In the text for today, we see Peter wrestle with this difficult mystery, and he clearly has some problems with a Messiah that is destined to be killed, understandably so. Instead of encouraging Jesus to endure his coming suffering, he instead rebukes him, likely telling him a much better plan that doesn’t involve suffering and dying. There were previous claims in Judaea over the past hundred years to messiahship, but they were driven by violent uprisings and a quest for power, rule, and religious freedom for the Jewish people. Perhaps Peter had another messiah like this in mind. Jesus clearly reveals that Peter’s idea of the Messiah is not what God has in mind, but Jesus goes further by saying that Peter’s attempt at diverting the will of Jesus away from the Father’s will is actually coming from Satan. Not having in mind the concerns of God is what Peter is charged with, and this I believe is at the core of our temptations – a diverting of our minds and our will away from God. Imagine if we welcomed temptation in a similar way that Jesus does – “get behind me Satan! I don’t follow your footsteps, but only the path of God.”
After rebuking Peter’s rebuke, Jesus calls a crowd – including his disciples – and starts to preach to them. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Now that is quite the task – but quite the reward as well. We also should notice that it is only to our detriment if we don’t try to live up to this task. “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it.” In other words, whoever wants to place their lives above others and above God will only experience loss of life. Quite the paradox, Jesus.
This is the calling we come back to together as the Church during Lent. How do we remain true to the Way of Jesus – a path that involves dying to the self and embracing the cross. Embracing Lent isn’t just something you should do if you call yourself a Christian – Lent is a time where the Spirit is deeply at work in our lives and our churches, working to transform us into a people that live out freely the love-ethic of Christ fulfilled on the cross.
Mark 8:31-37: He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
Responding to God: The challenge of Lent is to discern the shape(s) of temptation in our lives and how we are drawn both subtly and blatantly to put ourselves first over against God’s will. Ask God to help you in this discernment and reflection.
Some reflection questions:
1) Read Matthew 4 and reflect on how Jesus responds to Satan’s temptations. How does our understanding of Satan influence the way we understand the passage in Mark 8?
2) Have you (or when have you) ever experienced the voice of temptation coming from the words of some of your closest friends?
3) How can you practice (in small and big ways) denying yourself and instead following Jesus toward the cross? In other words, how can you live out a self-sacrificing, self-denying love towards others?
4) How are you tempted to put your physical comforts ahead of your spiritual commitments?
Closing Prayer: Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)