PAST SERMON 2009 #4
by Reverend Pat Blythe, delivered on Sunday March 8, 2009,
at the Church of the Holy Spirit.
Putting Our Complete Trust and Faith in God
Mark 8:27-38
27 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?” 28 And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
31 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.”
We traveled north from Tel Aviv along the coast of the Mediterranean, then past Nazareth, Cana, Capernaum and up into the Mt. Hermon range to the place today called Caesarea Phillipi, the place where 3 springs converge to become the Jordan River.
It was a pagan place of worship to the god Pan (the god of running water) But Jesus changed all that!
Right before today’s Gospel reading in Mark is the story of Jesus going to Cesearea Philipi with his disciples. Jesus had called his disciples to accompany him up the mountain. They had been together for quite a while and Jesus knew that the time had come to share with them the future of his mission. He first wanted to make sure that they understood who he was; and secondly that they begin to absorb the idea of his suffering and death. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
Then he wanted to move them a step further than what they had been hearing along the way. “But who do you say that I am?” He waited, and then Peter, impetuous as ever answered him, “You are the Messiah.” There, it was said. It’s what they had been thinking, it’s what Peter had come to know and believe. Finally it was out in the open. Finally he could take them to the next step.
Then Jesus told them that he would suffer, be rejected, killed, but rise again. He spoke those words boldly, as one who not only knew he must suffer and die, but one who was resolved he would, thus taking control of his death and resurrection — or should I say, thus leaving all in the Father’s hands.
You can almost hear the audible gasp that must have followed and the total disbelief that such a thing could happen. After all, the Messiah was thought to be the one who would conquer their enemies and restore the kingdom of Israel — and Jewish tradition had it that he would come in power and might.
This must have been on Peter’s mind when he began to rebuke him. No, it can’t be that way — after all he had done — the miracles, the teaching, the followers! How could it end like that? Jesus didn’t want to die and he knew he had the power to prevent his death. These were the same temptations he had already fought in the desert. This was Satan tempting him once more to fall down and worship him!
Turning, Jesus sternly rebuked Peter in front of his disciples and said, “Get behind me, Satan! Peter’s rebuke was a human response — a knee-jerk reaction to something so abhorrent that it was inconceivable to even think it. Here Peter showed more love than discretion — a zeal for Christ and his safety. But his mind was focused on earthly things and not divine things — he couldn’t see the forest for the trees, so to speak.
Instead of being crowned, Jesus must be killed! Then, Jesus shocked them and said plainly: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Wow! Talk about getting slapped across the side of the head! Talk about saying it the way it was and is, and making no excuses!
Whatever does it mean to take up our cross and follow Christ? Does it mean allowing ourselves to be inconvenienced? Does it mean a complete change in lifestyle? Could it mean dying for Christ?
Perhaps it means being prepared to put our complete trust and faith in God? That’s what Abraham did. He was willing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Although he lived long before Jesus, his willingness to serve God unconditionally was a type of taking up his cross and following — thus showing that God chose well when he chose him to be the father of the Israelite people. At the last minute his son was spared, and a ram was provided for the sacrifice. We can’t know the mind of Abraham — perhaps he was confident all along that God would intervene and provide another sacrifice. Nevertheless, he never wavered and remained faithful to the will of God.
Peter, however, still had much to learn. He was letting his emotions get in God’s way. You’ve heard the scripture, “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak — well, that was Peter!
Think of people you know or have known who have taken up their Cross and followed where Christ has led:
Think of the our soldiers in Afghanistan who believe they are making a difference in the lives of the people by being there, and who risk their lives every day for their country — and to follow where they believe Christ has called them.
Unfortunately we lost three more soldiers this past week. One of them, Denis Brown, we have heard a lot about. He was a Christian who believed in what he was doing and knew only too well the risk involved. Sadly he lost his life, but his eternal life is safe with the Christ who died on the Cross for us all.
Many of you will remember Bp.Victoria Matthews who was our Area Bishop a number of years ago. From Toronto Christ called her to go to Edmonton and now has called her to go to New Zealand as the Bishop of the Diocese of Christchurch. That’s on the other side of the world. Her friends and family are here. But that’s where the Holy Spirit led her and she willingly obeyed and is making a difference for Christ there. That’s taking up your cross and following Christ!
Think of the woman who went to the aid of another woman who was hit by a car a few weeks ago, and was hit herself and badly injured just because she stopped to help someone in trouble.
And then there's a small boy whose sister had a rare and serious disease. Her only apparent chance at recovery appeared to be a transfusion from her brother, who had miraculously survived the same illness and now had the antibodies necessary to protect his sister. When the young boy was asked if he would do this, he considered it for a moment and then said, “yes,” he would do it for his sister. As the transfusion progressed, he lay next to his sister, smiling. She was looking better all the time; a pink glow had returned to her cheeks.
But all of a sudden, he looked up and asked, “When will I die?” This very young boy had gone into this, thinking that while he might be able to save his sister, it would cost his life. A step into the unknown for the love of another! We need to ask ourselves if we too are in the company of such faithful people.
Thankfully, not all of us are called upon to face the life or death situations that confronted Abraham, the soldiers, the bishop, the woman, and that young boy, but each one of us has to make choices all the time — some big, some very small — but choices that represent our commitment to Christ. We are called by Christ to follow him. But first, let’s sit down and count the cost. Are we able to choose Christ over life itself? Can we bear to think of losing our life for Christ's sake and the Gospel's?
When the tempter is trying to draw us away, he tells us only of the good things but nothing of the peril of his service. But Christ tells us of trouble and danger — that we shall suffer, perhaps even die, in the cause. None of us can know what lies before us, or what will be asked of us in the weeks and years ahead. What Jesus asks of each of us is that we follow him through all our days; that we keep our eyes fixed on the one who endured everything for us; that wherever life's path takes us, we let his love and his light be our guide.
I invite you to go away this week and answer these questions:
What has Christ asked of you?
What is he asking right now?
Is it just an inconvenience; is it a challenge; or is it life-changing?
What will your answer be?
We know that when God asks something of us, the decision is never easy. We find out as we read on in Mark that even the disciples, in their humanity, had difficulty in following Jesus to the cross. Some fell asleep when Jesus went to pray. Peter openly denied Jesus after his arrest, and some of the others went into hiding until after the resurrection and they saw him again.
As for the disciples, finding out exactly who Jesus was, brought them more than ever they bargained for. But ultimately they were changed — they went out and preached everywhere, doing the work they had been commissioned to do, and for some of them it cost their life.
So it is with us! If we keep our eyes on Christ, ultimately we too will be changed and will go out and do the work we have been called to do. And the thing that makes it do-able, is that we are not alone in this. We have Christ’s promise that we will not have to do it alone. Thanks be to God.
I read this quote: “Most people think that what the Gospel needs is more clever, skilled people, when what it needs is more people who are willing to bleed, suffer, and die in a passion to see people come to Christ.” (Bob Pierce – Stories Unlimited p. 98)
Caesarea Philippi is the place where the god Pan was worshipped. Our secular world is the place where the god of individualism, power and control is worshipped. Jesus transformed Caesarea Philippi into a place of decision for Christ. Today, in that place where he is worshipped by those who call themselves Christians and would-be disciples, he says we must take up our cross and follow him — down the mountain, into Jerusalem and out into our world.
Let us pray: Strengthen us Lord Christ to reject this world’s temptations; teach us to take up our cross and help us to follow you anywhere. In your name we pray.
AMEN.