Mark 8:27-38
What do people say about me?
Who do you
say that I am?
When I was
finishing at Theological College, I started having conversations with congregations
looking for a Minister. First conversation with a congregation, and we all say
a little about who we are, then I was asked who is Jesus Christ to you?
My first thought was Wow! Things got really serious really fast.
I started
saying something about Jesus being God incarnate, come to live the human experience.
I stopped to think and breath, and they said, that’s fine and went on to the
next question. Remember for the past 3 years everything I had written was at
east 1,000 words, and my largest essay was 12,000 words. Turned out they didn’t want a theological essay
but wanted to know that I thought Jesus and God had something to do with each
other.
Who do you
say that Jesus is?
Peter
responds to Jesus’ question by saying “You are the Messiah!”
And when
Jesus starts talking about crucifixion and suffering and rejection, Peter goes
No Way!
Peter knew
how the story was supposed to end. The Messiah would come and take control back
for the people of Israel, not be arrested and killed.
“This was
not the Messiah they were picturing. During this time when Hebrews, and other
nations were under the heel of an oppressive empire they pictured a heroic
Messiah, a conquering Messiah, a militaristic Messiah, no doubt armed to the
teeth weaponized and ready to fight and show the might of the nation.
Instead, they get Jesus, humble, tradesman, child of nowhere special.
Instead they get Jesus who continues to balk at the tradition, and questions authority,
but does not quite call for an out and out rebellion.
Instead they get Jesus, who fully admits that he is going to suffer, Jesus who
says that the first will come last, Jesus who has come to serve, Jesus, the
kind of Messiah that no one pictured.”[1]
Do we come with
a picture of Jesus that does not allow for suffering, rejection, and crucifixion.
Do we think the suffering does not matter because of the resurrection?
Jesus goes
on to tell the disciples not only will he be crucified, but each of them will have
to bear the burden of being a disciple.
I wonder
what it means today to take up your cross and follow Jesus. I have had people tell me it is
living with pain or grief or a whole range of things that come our way as people.
Carrying our cross is much more than living with limitations of being human.
I think of people who live differently because
of their faith. People who live out loving their neighbour as they love themselves.
People who follow the call of Jesus to love those who hate you. People who
stand and speak out against oppression, when they are not the ones being
oppressed. People who move to where they are most needed, even if it means working
in isolated or disadvantaged communities.
Something I saw this week:
“Integrity is choosing courage over comfort;
choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to
practice our values rather than simply professing them.” [2]
Carrying our cross is living as followers of
Jesus, loving, forgiving, gracious and hopeful.
That is not always easy. As we look at continuing
restrictions, it can be easy to focus on what we cannot do. We cannot have dinner
with friends, we cannot gather in person to worship, we cannot travel for
holidays, we cannot hug our grandchildren. There are lots of things we cannot do.
We can be people of hope and love.
Here is part
of an article by our Moderator, Rev Simon Hansford[3]:
“In the face
of this turbulence [COVID, Afghanistan and other world events], it is easy to
forget who we are. Our response is that we become self-absorbed, worrying
solely about our health, our safety, and that of our immediate family.
An essential
part of our discipleship is remembering. On each occasion when we celebrate the
bread and wine of the eucharist, we are commanded, remember me. The central act
of our shared life calls us to remember the crucified and risen Christ.
Remembering
calls us back to ourselves, to who we are called, by Christ, to be. The awe-inspiring
news that we are crafted in the image of God; the reminder that at our best, at
our most average and at our worst, we are still loved by God. The astonishing
promise that God’s mercy and hope address each frailty and failure, and
articulate each time we bless others in our turn.
This is why
community is so valuable. On the occasions when it is difficult to recall our
hope, our faith, there are others who break the bread and share it with us,
inviting us to rediscover our value and our call. We are re-membered,
regathered by the community as we tell the stories of how Christ has acted, and
is acting now.
We have
congregations across the Synod who are helping people in their communities to
discover hope in Christ, or to remember it. People are being offered food
parcels, or phone calls, hampers are being carried to isolated communities and
congregations are partnering with vaccination hubs to support everyone who
calls through.
Our
Ministers are being vaccinated to encourage our church community and posting it
on social media – #loveneighbour – and our parish missions across the Synod are
engaging in vaccination and meals and community support for isolated people of
all ages.
Our
university chaplains are providing pastoral support to overseas students,
offering financial support to many in need. I am pleased that the Moderator’s
Fund is being used in several places in our Synod, in a disaster where there
are no fires, floods or drought, but plenty of people struggling.
Remembering,
under the urging of the Holy Spirit is about our decision, about our faithful
following of Christ. In seasons like this one, the Spirit reminds us of the One
who has died and been raised, which is the reason we serve – and proclaim – in
the world around us.
We are in
this challenging time, this pandemic, with the living God. We will serve, and
proclaim, offer forgiveness and mercy, and live out justice. We will remember
the one who calls us, who is always faithful.”
Who do say Jesus is?
How do you live that out?
[1]
Katy Stenta on https://revgalblogpals.org/2021/09/06/rcl-get-it-together/
[2]
Brené Brown, in Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We
Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
[3]
For the full article https://talbragar.net/2021/09/03/worth-remembering/
