Mark 8:27-38
Second Sunday in Lent
March 1, 2015
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our text, He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
It’s easy in this text to focus on Peter’s great confession gone bad to the point of rebuke. It’s also easy to focus on Jesus’ monologue about his suffering and death, or his monologue at the end of the text, calling us to not be ashamed of Jesus’ words, but to live a godly life according to the gospel.
But, with so much to focus on, it’s easy to overlook that little sentence right in the middle of our reading: “And he said this plainly.”
When it was all on the line, Jesus spoke plainly. No parables, no symbols. Just the ‘meat and potatoes’ law and gospel. “It is necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and be rejected and be killed, and after three days rise again.” It is necessary. He can’t say it any more plainly than that. Without this suffering and death, you remain in your sin and are condemned for eternity. It is necessary.
As plainly as Jesus speaks the need for the gospel, He also plainly speaks condemningly of us sinners as we pay lip service to the gospel. Peter paid lip service to it, calling Jesus the Christ, but then rebuking the Christ for taking the hard, necessary road.
In response to Peter, Jesus speaks plainly words that evoke in us a humbling self-examination: “Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
He said this plainly, as bluntly as can be said. How desperately we need Jesus to speak plainly. For, with any wiggle room we find reason to doubt his plain meaning, to convince ourselves that the Christian life will be more comfortable, or that the gospel will be achieved some easier way than in Jesus’ suffering and death or shared more easily than us confessing to this adulterous and sinful generation. We need Christ to speak plainly to us, lest we reinterpret everything to fit our imaginations, because that’s exactly what this world certainly tries:
Jesus says, “In the beginning God created them male and female,” and evolutionists explain that he really meant “in the beginning of humanity, not six literal days at the beginning of time!” Jesus says, “Be baptized with water and the Spirit,” and enthusiasts think he’s saying, “When you’ve made your decision for Jesus, you’ll be baptized with the gifts of the Spirit. And, to show you’re committed to him, then be baptized with water.” Again, Jesus says, “This is my body; this is my blood,” and rationalistic protestants say, “He couldn’t have really meant it.” He says, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise,” and proponents of purgatory argue that he was really crying out, “I say to you today (comma) you will be with me in paradise” as if Jesus needed to clarify that he wasn’t speaking those words tomorrow or yesterday! And, as blatant and simple as any of His words: “It is finished!” And we sinners think that somehow we can/need to still do something to earn heaven.
How foolish/asinine is Man in his blatant effort to disregard the plain words of Christ and make them mean something other than what Jesus said! If anyone ever wanted to doubt him or reinterpret his meaning or put words into his mouth, hear the words of our text. Jesus speaks plainly.
And yet, it’s when Jesus speaks plainly that He is rebuked by his own followers. Recall in John 6, Jesus spoke plainly about eating his flesh and drinking his blood… the crowds said, “This is a hard saying. We can’t believe this!” When Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked if they too were going to leave, Peter made a great confession, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”… the words – the plain words – of eternal life. That is all that is needed. And yet, does Peter himself forget the simple plain truth of Jesus’ gospel? For when Jesus speaks plainly to Peter about how this gospel will be achieved and sealed – “The Son of Man suffers and dies” – Peter refuses to believe it. He rebukes His Lord for such blunt honesty.
How like Peter we are! So willing to hear something plainly as long as it’s something we agree with… but once it’s not, the words better be chosen carefully, guardedly, a “walking-on-egg-shells”, “don’t rock the boat” way of speaking.
And so, how does Jesus respond? He gathers the crowd and speaks plainly not just the gospel but the Law!
It’s almost as if we can see his frustration with Peter. It’s almost as if Jesus is speaking through a clenched jaw when he gathers the crowds and gives them an earful of what Peter is due: “Here’s what’s involved in being my disciple!” And yet, this is no simple “letting-off-steam” earful that the poor hearers didn’t deserve. Nor is this some rosy pep talk, as if Jesus is really rooting them on, saying, “Hey would-be-disciples, you can do it! I believe in you.” Rather, this is Jesus telling it like it is. Saying it plainly: “If you are ashamed of Me and my plain, simple words, I will be ashamed of you when I come again in glory.” Period.
Friends, do you want to be a disciple of Christ? Then here it is: expect life to be hard. Expect that your plain, simple confession that Jesus is the Truth will be received by the world as an abrasive – as nails on a chalkboard! Jesus says, “If the world hates you, know that it hated me first.” The world will hate the Christian faith.
And specifically because it will, you are called to deny yourself. Not to fend for yourself (for God will defend you), not to change the plain simple words so that the world will like you (God will protect you), but to deny yourself and think of your brothers and sisters in Christ, starting with your own household… But also, to think of those who are enemies of the gospel and what it would mean for them to be blessed by your plain confession of the Law and Gospel!... to think of others before thinking of self. As Jesus says it, “let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” To deny in the Greek is (a-par-nay-omai). To deny one’s self is to affirm that one has no acquaintance or connection with himself. He does not know himself or think on his own needs, but only on Christ. In the words of St. Paul, “I desire to know nothing among you but Christ and Him Crucified.” If that seems hard, that’s because it is. To be sure, following Jesus and trusting His law and gospel – it’s all for our own benefit, but that doesn’t mean we sinners aren’t persuaded by the world’s own promises. In fact, you know in your heart of hearts how miserably you have failed at being a disciple.
Have you not asked yourself, ‘Do I really want to gamble with the theology of this Jesus, when the world offers me so much?’ Indeed, the Christian faith is not confusing – it’s radically simple; but in this world, because of our sinful seflishness, it is hard to hold fast.
And at other times, you’ve probably said, “But my life isn’t hard. I don’t feel I’m bearing any crosses.” Then consider that from two angles: first, examine yourself and ask whether your daily life is one that confesses the faith, or whether you have exchanged your cross of faith for a life more defined by the expectations of this society. Have you packed your schedule so tightly that you write-off as a relic of a bygone era family time to gather around the Word in prayer? Have you shied away from confessing the faith to your family, neighbors, and others because you want to steer clear of a ‘touchy subject’? And what about the confession we make with our money? Does our love of money tempt us to think the service’s Offering is about giving as little as needed (whatever is left over) rather than about a confessional act of giving firstfruits in faith that God is our source of provision? Is your life defined by your wealth and health and reputation, so that if any of these was taken from you, you might doubt whether the Gospel is worth holding on to? In short, is Christ your God during the week, or do you merely pay lip service on Sunday morning and then have your daily life defined by the temptations of the world… in which case, no wonder (!) you do not feel the burden of bearing your cross.
But, there’s another angle from which to view this: Perhaps you can honestly answer with true godly piety to everything just asked – that, yes, daily life earnestly desires to echo and depend on God’s gifts of Sunday morning, and in thanksgiving, to benefit others with your confession of the Faith. And, even with that, your life is so blessed that you do not feel like you are bearing a cross. To which I say, “thanks be to God that He has blessed you in such ways. Truly, what a marvelous gift of His Fatherly goodness toward you.”
But, then, you must also consider the second angle: you will eventually bear your cross because, unless Christ first comes in His glory, you will walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Your loved ones around you will taste death. You will taste death. All that surrounds you now, all that comforts you now, it will all be reduced to nothing… so that many of us – no matter how rich, how successful, how intelligent, how well-known – many of us spend our final days with little more than bed and a night stand, a preview of the hymnists’ prayer: “And in its narrow chamber keep my body safe in peaceful sleep until thy reappearing.” And – if all you have now rivals Christ – what will you then say about the great price you paid in selling your soul for earthly comfort? Will you not in regret echo Jesus’ plain words: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? What can a man give in return for his life?”
No matter how light and far off and distant that cross seems now, you will all taste death. And that is the ultimate cross we bear… the temporal suffering in the hours, days, weeks, and months before we taste of death. As even our rite of confirmation reminds us, we are called to “suffer all, even death, rather than renounce this faith.”
This is a most weighty cross. And yet, why do we carry it in the confession of Christ? Is it because we say, “Well, I’m going to die anyway, I might as well hope this is the answer!”? Or, is it because we say, “This Jesus, this Savior of mine, He and he alone has conquered death, has carried the cross of justification, and can promise with authority that I will overcome death. He has spoken such promises plainly. He has forgiven my sins of not bearing my burdens faithfully. And so, I pray for strength to carry my crosses anew with hope firmly in him.”
You see, in all the hardships in life, even staring into the face of death, in them all it is worth following this Jesus because not only does He speak plainly of your crosses to carry, but He also speaks plainly about His cross carried for you. He speaks plainly about your salvation. Hold fast to him because he has already said plainly that He will hold fast to you. He has already proven it and done it and accomplished it, so that there is nothing left for you to accomplish. You do not hold fast to him to earn anything, as if trying to convince him to unclench his jaw and not compare you to that poor, miserable wretch Peter. Rather, you hold fast to him because for you and your fellow poor, miserable wretch, Peter, for you both he clenched his jaw and set his face on Jerusalem and determined to go there and suffer and die and rise again for your salvation. You hold fast to him because He has promised not to be ashamed of His Church even before His Father in heaven. Jesus went to the cross and bore the brunt of your sin, your guilt, your condemnation by taking up your cross of condemnation – the one you deserved – and making it his own… so that he stood before the Father and confessed His willingness to shed his blood for you rather than be ashamed of you.
What comfort is yours that Jesus – He who intercedes for you, He who advocates for you – what comfort that He speaks plainly! The Father will not reinterpret Christ’s words. He will take the Son’s words at face value: “O Father, for this soul, I have shed my blood and paid his ransom.” And, if the Father takes Jesus’ word at face value, you ought as well.
How necessary! – in fact, the only way – how necessary that the Son of Man suffer and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said it plainly. He accomplished it plainly. Thanks be to God.
In the Name of the Father And of the Son And of the Holy Spirit.AMEN
************************
Prayers for the week of March 1, 2015
Lord God, almighty and everlasting, for the sake of Your beloved and only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus, rightly confessed to be the Christ—we beseech You therefore to hear our prayers, and to grant unto us that which You know is needful and best…. Lord, in Your mercy: HEAR OUR PRAYER as we pray for for the whole Church of God and our brothers and sisters in Christ according to their needs.. Heavenly Father, we ask You to hear our prayer, deliver, and preserve us, not for our sakes, but for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ…Amen.
----------------------
“And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” Mark 8:31
----------------------A Prayer based on the Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer “Our Father, who art in heaven”
In the Name of the Father and of (+) the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O Lord, Almighty God, You graciously gave Your only-begotten Son over to death that we sinners might believe that You are ‘Our Father’ and we are your children, so that with all boldness and confidence each Christian may ask of you as dear children ask of their dear father. To that end, lend Your fatherly ear to my petitions:
* For the ill, suffering, injured: As a father is ever faithful at the bedside of his ailing children, so also be ‘Our Father’ in caring for those who are ill, injured, or hospitalized including Wally Bartels, Connie Block, LaVerne Anderson, Valerie Mulles, Diane Mautone’s father and mother, Debbie Taylor, Sue Ail and all who bear their crosses of physical infirmity: Bless those who cannot attend church including Irma Martin, Margaret Joseph, Florence Mitchell, Bruce Morecraft, and Alice Breneman.
* For the anxious, lonely: As a father brings courage to his trembling children, so also be ‘Our Father’ in giving strength to those who prepare for surgery or await test results and those who are otherwise anxious or lonely including all Widows and Widowers of Calvary.
* For the mourning: As a father comforts his children, so also be ‘Our Father’ in wiping every tear from the eye of those who mourn the death of loved ones. Comfort them with the certainty of the resurrection and the promised inheritance of all who are children of the Heavenly Father.
* For the rejoicing: As a father takes pleasure in providing joys and blessings for his children, so also be ‘Our Father’ in hearing our thankful praises for the blessings you have bestowed on your children. With those whom you have called in Holy Baptism to be Your child (including NAME), with those who celebrate anniversaries and birthdays, with those who thank you for new and restored health, and with those who celebrate any of life’s blessings, we thank and praise you as ‘Our Father.’
* Please give and strengthen Faith in Christ to Anne, Vickie, Alexa, Dan, Kevin, Ryan, Paul, Mark, and those whom I encounter at work and in the daily conduct of my life.
Hear my petitions, O Heavenly Father, for the sake of Your Son, who has taught your adopted children to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven…”
No comments:
Post a Comment