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First
Reading
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Psalm |
Epistle |
Gospel |
Genesis
17:1–7, 15-16 |
Psalm 22:22–30 |
Romans 4:13–25 |
Mark 8:31–38
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People were attracted to Jesus because he loved God with all his heart, body, and soul and because he loved his neighbor as himself.. He knew that he, like all who are born to this earth, are loved and valued by God. Therefore, he was loveable. He let people compliment him, support him, and give him gifts of affection. At the same time he was able to give others a strong genuine sense of their own worth. He was not only extremely loveable, he was extremely love able. Indeed having the sense of being lovable, and being able to love, are really like the two sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other. That is why you cannot love your neighbor as yourself, if you are full of scorn for your neighbor or you are full of contempt for yourself. Contempt and loathing in either neighbor or yourself will inevitably cause contempt and loathing in the other.
I suspect a great part of Jesus’ ministry of casting out demons, involved healing the afflicted from the demons of self-hate, and cleansing and washing away of the infectious puss of their by-products: anger, guilt, and envy.
The Gospel was called good news because in a very oppressive world, it let people know that it mattered how people were treated, that it was wrong to degrade one another simply because one had the power to do it. People were also attracted to Jesus because after affirming that they were worthy of love, he offered them a task, a task with meaning, a task bringing lasting satisfaction to those who engaged in it. The Gospel passage this morning is addressed to those who want to stick around and learn more about discipleship.
Jesus’ retort to Peter was sharp and likely hurt Peter to hear it. Yet Peter was confusing being loveable and love able with seeking popularity and prestige for its own sake. Popularity ultimately involves the increasing desperate seeking of safety and security above all things, sacrificing truth, sacrificing love of both the integrity of self and others, sacrificing even God. Jesus was reminding Peter and all later disciples of the basic integrity and honesty of the good news, in telling them what needed to be understood, not just what we would like to hear.
If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves.” The type of denial Jesus refers to, is neither rejection of the self, or of things for the self. After all, one of the criticisms leveled against Jesus was that he readily accepted invitations into people’s homes without regard to their social status. He enjoyed being with people and eagerly accepted invitations to celebrate with them. He wasn’t an ascetic, only eating dry crusts and water. He seemed to eat out practically all the time, for the only time the Gospels record that he cooked for himself was after the resurrection when he was cooking fish on the lakeshore. Healthy denial is the setting aside of the consuming and grasping forces that have the power to overwhelm us. Denial is understanding what is healthy for us and what is poison. Jesus could affirm, be your own person, keep in touch with what anchors you, and feed your soul and body nutritious food. People who respect themselves, have fun and enjoy life, as well as have boundaries and exercise self-control.
On the other hand, rejection of self is in fact running away, and a refusal to be all the person God created. It is painfully obvious that running away is epidemic in our culture. “If only I could afford that perfume, I would not have to be myself, but more like that wonderful cool person in the ad.” “If I could buy that sports car, I would be more attractive than the person I am and more like the driver in the photograph.” We all know people who are desperately caught-up in constantly seeking to be someone else, who deep down inside haven't heard God say, “You are valued, you are loved, and you don't have to be running in every direction the wind blows, to be someone else.” A disciple understands that acceptance of oneself and acceptance of others are like the epoxy and hardener that together form the bond.
Jesus said, “Let people who want to become my disciples, ‘take up their cross and follow me.’" Discipleship is, in one sense, an all-volunteer army. Jesus doesn't want any draftees. The call to be faithful is a voluntary decision. Taking up the cross doesn't mean being taken hostage and impressed on a forced march. It may mean showing up when you have plenty of excuses to run away. It may mean facing suffering or extraordinary hardship. But because God values you, it does not mean showing up so that others can simply abuse you or beat you up.
For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake and the sake of the Gospel will find it.” We all know those who are completely caught up in an effort to be saved. They have become prisoners to some narrowly defined concept of salvation. Just as Jesus doesn't want draftees, He doesn't want any brainwashed prisoners either. Again, the good news is that God loves us, invites repentance, and is eager to forgive. Those who are always afraid of whether or not they are saved are, in effect, running away from themselves or from the grace of God. They are never sure if they are worthy enough, or perhaps they are reluctant to trust that God means what the Good News says. They are ashamed of a God who really cares.
A critical part of Jesus’ call to us involves not running away from oneself or from God, but in hanging around, accepting the grace given others and us. That is why I would suggest that Lent is much more about showing up than giving up, and letting the Good News make us more lovable and more love able.
And I offer this to you in the name of the Living God, Amen.
