|
First
Reading
|
Psalm |
Epistle |
Gospel |
| Proverbs 1:20–33
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Psalm 19 |
James 3:1–12 |
Mark 8:27–38
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A man and his friend went to the market to purchase a carpet, and there in middle of the market place stood death, looking at carpets also. Death glanced over at the man, and then stopped and looked at him intently. Quickly the man said to his friend, “I must go to Melez, for death is staring me in the eye and I must escape.” With that, the man vanished. Death turned and continued to look at the carpets. Finally the friend got enough nerve to approach death and ask, “Why did you stare my companion in the eye?” “I did not stare at him,” replied death. “I was merely surprised to see him here in Bergama, for tonight, I have an appointment with him in Melez.”1
Years ago I remember someone said that the snooze alarm is a great symbol of our culture. The alarm goes off, waking us from sleep, announcing a new day, and we press the button, silencing the alarm for another ten minutes and return to sleep. However, the snooze alarm doesn't give us more time, any more than we are able to postpone an appointment with death by running to Melez. Indeed, instead of the snooze alarm giving us more time, it does quite the opposite. When it wakes us again, there is even less time to shower or eat breakfast and prepare for the day, yet snooze alarm mentality is rampant today. Today alarms of global proportions—environmental, economic, and social, are going off, and the response appears to be to push the snooze bar and go on sleeping.
It is the snooze alarm mentality that always makes it easier to believe in a savior who will come rather than a savior who has come. People who enjoy shouting that the end of the world is coming, often are trying to escape and avoid the genuine voices that call to them to live responsibly in the world now.
In the Gospel, Jesus inquires of the disciples,” Who do people, say I am?" Peter replies, "Some say you are one of the prophets, making sense of the present time and connecting it to the future of Israel’s welfare, and some say you are in the tradition of Elijah who, as the forerunner, will announce the coming of the messiah, or John the Baptist, returned from the dead and specifically warning us to repent and prepare for arrival of a shaking of the world’s foundations and cataclysmic manifestation of God." "But Peter, who do you say that I am?" In this great moment, Peter gets it right! "You are the Messiah.” Perhaps thinking of the words of God to Moses at the burning bush, perhaps as much out of fright as perception, Peter in effect proclaims, "Jesus, you are who you are.”
When Moses asked God “What is your name?” God said, "I am who I am." God was telling Moses, I am part of this world, and I am offering to be a part of your life, your struggle, your suffering, and your deliverance. I am not bound by your future or your past.
Moses knew he stood on Holy Ground and that there was no snooze alarm button on the burning bush. When Peter in his big moment said, "You are the Christ," he was also saying, "Jesus you are influencing my life now, you are altering my behavior now, my opinions are being re-shaped and my perspective is being re-focused as we speak. You are announcing that God’s new world is present among us now. You are showing how God is acting in our very lives today! You are calling us to new and larger tasks at this very moment.”
A little later, Peter lets fear and doubt overwhelm him and thinks to himself, whoa! I don't know about this. My own agenda doesn't seem so bad after all. I’m not sure I want to change all that much. Peter begins to think maybe he doesn't need to commit himself entirely, Jesus is asking an awfully lot, and maybe he can negotiate out of a total commitment or wait until his retirement account is sufficiently funded. Peter, in effect, looks around for the snooze alarm to postpone what urgently needed to be faced and tried to substitute a false sense of security. Hence Jesus says sharply, "Get behind me Satan". Anything that allows one to keep God's presence simply in the future, anything that blocks God's offer of a new existence and a resurrected life today, is an obstacle to genuine discipleship.
Most of us are under pressure, juggling all sorts of demands on our time, and trying to sort out how being a person of faith relates to being a teacher or student, a parent or caregiver, or serving on one of Ithaca’ s innumerable boards or committees. Someone once asked a spiritual guide, "What am I going to do, when I run out of time, when I have no further answers, and when my arms can hold no more?" The guide replied, "Do not be like a child who refuses to eat today because he does not know what will be served tomorrow.”
Jesus taught us to pray “give us today our daily bread.” That is why when Peter after his big moment, lost his courage and reached for the snooze alarm, Jesus grabbed his hand and shouted, “Stop! Don't try to push me off, don’t push the snooze alarm. but get up, Recognize God working in your life today and all the challenges it brings. We will face the challenges, the heartache, the pain, and the hard work together. Come to my table and I will feed you with the nourishment you need to follow me.”
And I offer this to you in the name of the Living God, Amen.
1Adapted from an old Mideastern folktale
