Gospel text for Sunday 11 December 2022

 Matthew 11:2-11        When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,

‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’

“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Reflection        What are we hoping against hope will arise in the wilderness of our lives today? What are we looking for ? An apocalyptic fix by an autocratic messiah king wielding power from an imperious precipice, bursting onto the scene with grandstanding performances? Or a humble servant silently birthing the Spirit of the living God in our unguarded hearts, one person at a time?

According to the Jewish scholar, rabbi and physician Maimonides, who is to Judaism what St. Thomas Aquinas is to Christianity, belief in the eventual coming of a messiah is a fundamental part of Judaism. Maimonides describes the messiah, the “one who is to come,” this way. “A king shall arise from among the House of David, studying Torah and occupied with commandments like his father David… and he will impel all of Israel to follow it and to strengthen breaches in its observance, and will fight God’s wars, this one is to be treated as if he were the anointed one. If he succeeded and built the Holy Temple in its proper place and gathered the dispersed ones of Israel together, this is indeed the anointed one for certain, and he will mend the entire world to worship the Lord together…”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messia

Rumors must have been rampant about Jesus’ mind-bending mountaintop sermon proclaiming the poor and the hungry are blessed, the meek who understand their place in God’s kingdom are happy and those who are just and sincere are satisfied. (Matt 5.1–11) Waiting in prison and hearing about “all the things” that Jesus was doing; giving sight to the blind, restoring the lame to walk, cleansing the lepers, healing the deaf and raising the dead, John the Baptist had to be scratching his beard in bewilderment. How does Jesus conform to a messiah’s job description?

To make matters even more muddled, some of the things Jesus says are flatly offensive. “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees (that would be the religious Jews) you will never enter” God’s kingdom. (Matt 5.20) What? Are not the religious people guaranteed a fast pass to the kingdom? After all, they are the people with temple privileges, the ones who enforce and piously follow the letter of the law. No wonder John is perplexed and sends his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come?” (see below)

Here is the thing. Jesus does not come to fulfill the letter of the law. He comes to fulfill the Spirit of the law. “You have heard it said, you shall not murder…but I say to you if you are angry with a brother or sister you will be liable to judgement…” (Matt5.21–22) “You have heard it said, an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say… give to anyone who begs from you…” (Matt 5. 38,42) “You have heard it said that you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matt 5.43–44) Give your charitable gifts anonymously. Uphold your position of power with mercy and integrity. Speak truth and treat all people with dignity. Be humble rather than make a display of what a righteous religious person you are. (Matt 6.1–11)

From the point of view of John and the religious Jews of his time, Jesus does not fit the messiah’s job description.This remains true today. Although many Jews understand Jesus to be an exemplary prophet, he fails to gather the “dispersed ones of Israel together,” therefore Jesus cannot be the anointed one. To date Jesus fails “to mend the entire world to worship the Lord together.”

To make matters even worse, Jesus offends the keepers of the law, the religious people, calling them hypocrites, “For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside (you) are full of greed and self-indulgence.” (Matt 23. 25) “You are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matt 23.28) Jesus is exposing the superficial way overtly pious religious folk adhere to the letter of the law but miss the mark by failing to follow the spirit of the law. (Sound familiar?)

The one whom John baptized in the river Jordan, the one whose sandals John is not worthy to tie, the one upon whom the Spirit of God descends, the “one who is to come” and bring the “kingdom of heaven near” appears to be the unorthodox healer, preacher, dissident, Jesus who comes to reform, not replace the Jewish tradition. But John’s expectations about what the messiah’s success should look like prevent him from recognizing Jesus’ status quo shattering presence and consciousness bending invitation to change.

Which begs the question; What expectations, beliefs or preconceived notions make us deaf and blind and unreceptive to the”one who is to come?” What are we hoping against hope will arise in the wilderness of our lives today? What are we looking for this Advent season? An apocalyptic fix by an autocratic king wielding power from an imperious precipice, bursting onto the scene with grandstanding performances? Or a humble servant silently birthing the Spirit of the living God in our unguarded hearts, one person at a time?

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Gospel Text for Sunday 8 May 2022

 John 10:22-30        At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one.”

Reflection        Our human experience occupies both the measurable arithmetic world in which 1+1=2 and the immeasurable infinite world in which 1+1+1+1….=1. And all is well with the world and us until we begin to ask questions designed for the 1+1=2 world of the 1+1+1+1….=1 world.

While attending a dinner party the conversation turned to “God moments,” experiences of Divine Presence in our lives. A woman I will call Corinne asked, “What if I have never had one of those St. Paul knock your socks off ah-hah moments?” Sounding skeptical and impoverished she continued, “What if God has never shown up for me?”

Now Corinne is a woman who loves more things than I can count; mountains and deserts, being outdoors, sports, travel, music and dancing. She has a passion for helping and healing people and animals and an enormous family of siblings, kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews who regularly surround and delight her. 

Here is the thing. Many of us will never have knock you off your horse, cannonball moments writ large with neon. And, all of us are having God moments all of the time, but they are more like the prophet Elijah’s experience on Mount Horeb during which he did not encounter God in a great wind, an earthquake or fire but in the "sound of sheer silence" from which he received direction for his life.  (1 Kings 19.11-18)

1+1+1+1….=1in the infinite world of Divine Presence. Applying rules for arithmetic to the immeasurable renders us impoverished as Corinne who like the Jews in John's gospel text demand, “Tell us plainly if  you are the Messiah?” Corinne and the Jews are frustrated and impoverished because they are applying rules for arithmetic to the infinite.   The poet writer of Psalm 46 articulates the rule for solving the mysterious equation 1+1+1+1….=1 this way, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Ps 46.10)

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Gospel text for Sunday 16 September 2018

Mark 8.27-38    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?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

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. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 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.”

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. 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. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 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.”

Reflection        Peter identifies Jesus as Messiah. Jesus shusses him and proceeds to call himself  “Son of Man.” Here’s the thing. The Jews have been waiting for a Messiah to come and rescue them from their suffering. In the Hebrew Testament ‘Messiah’ refers to kings, prophets or priests who are anointed with oil and set apart or consecrated for special missions or callings as chosen for them by God. 

When Peter identifies Jesus as ‘the Messiah’ he is only partially correct. As we saw at his baptism, Jesus is anointed and consecrated, he is favored by God. But, Jesus is more than that. He has not come to overthrow the Romans, rescue the Jews and establish a new political kingdom on earth. Jesus ministry is intended to reveal life on this earth lived in solidarity with God and with all people. 

The Jews hoped for a Messiah who would conquer their Roman oppressors so that they would be the ones in charge. But Jesus calls himself the ‘Son of Man.’ He embodies a new understanding of the relationship between God and humankind.

Jesus proceeds to teach that the Son of Man is not going to conquer the Romans nor be welcomed with open arms. Rather, he will suffer and be rejected by the religious officials. In fact, he will be killed, but, he will not be overcome, which is what, “in three days he will rise again” alludes to. Clearly this does not comport with the generally understood meaning of Messiah. Messiah is supposed to be hero, planting his victory banner on the mountaintop. Messiah is not supposed to suffer and be killed. Peter does not want to hear this, so much so that he basically says to Jesus, “Can we have a word?” Then takes him aside and rebukes his teacher. Jesus returns the favor telling Peter, “Get behind me.” 

Jesus embodies a new consciousness along with an invitation to a new earthly kingdom, an upside down kingdom wherein those who want to follow Jesus must lose life as they know it order to be restored to new life in right relationship with God and all people. Participating in this new kingdom means setting our minds on divine things - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control rather than on human things - pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger and laziness. 

The question is, which kingdom are we making now?

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks has done a multi part series on Morality in the 21st Century. To hear the first program, please click on the image in the upper right corner of your screen. 

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Gospel text for Feast of the Epiphany, Sunday 8 January 2017

Matthew 2.1-12        In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: `And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’"

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Reflection       “Why do we give one another gifts?” Habit? Duty? Obligation? Guilt? Manipulation? I believe gifts given in the genuine sense of giving are the outward and visible sign of our interior state, our intrinsic good will. Some gifts reveal our sense of gratitude, some extend healing, others communicate our inner desire for reconciliation, still others express our interior state of reverence or love. Given this way, gifts are means by which we make visible our hidden or invisible thoughts and emotions. When we choose the so called perfect gift for someone we are communicating by our choice that we know and value them as the unique person they are. 

Which leads us to the wise men in today’s teaching story. Finding the child Jesus they are “overwhelmed with joy,” they open their treasure chests (their hearts?) and carefully choose the perfect gifts for the infant Jesus, gifts that reveal they know and value the unique person Jesus. The wisdom of the wise is to look beyond appearances of  destitute Jewish parents with a newborn lying in an animal feeding trough, and see a human being, a divine being, a fragile being destined to die.  

As with all good teaching stories, the wisdom is hidden between the lines.  The wisdom of the wise men is hidden in the gifts they bring. Gold represents humanity. Frankincense represents divinity and myrrh is used when preparing bodies for burial. The wise men’s gifts are the outward and visible signs of their interior understanding of the true nature of this child, Jesus. Human, divine and destined to die.

The wise mens’ well chosen gifts communicate, “We see you for who you truly are.” Like the brightness of a star that illumines the entire world, the foreigners’ perspicuity  elevates the exchange of gifts from expressions of mass marketing or mad materialism to a spiritual transaction. 

Celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany we receive the incomprehensible gift given to all of humanity; the revelation that like our brother Jesus we are human beings, divine beings and fragile beings destined to die. There are no foreigners, there are no strangers. There are no “others.” Receiving this news we join the wise men, overwhelmed with joy and reaching into our hearts we search for the perfect gift to communicate we know and value each person we meet for who they uniquely are; human, divine and utterly fragile.

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Gospel text for Sunday 18 December 2016

Matthew 1:18-25        Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Reflection Mary considered drinking an extract of the herb silphium but after praying about it, she had a change of heart. Joseph planned to send Mary away to give birth to the illegitimate child in obscurity but after a dream in which he experienced the presence of God with him, he had a change of heart.  Although we have no evidence for the historicity of the first statement, it is not beyond the realm of possibility. The question is, what does it take to have a change of heart?

What does it take to change our opinion? What does it take to change a decision that we no longer think is right or true? What does it take to change our behavior and consequently the course of history?

Since the Twelve Step program was published in 1939 by Alcoholics Anonymous countless people have made significant lifestyle changes in all areas of their lives.  I believe one of the keys to their success is the second step; recognizing a “Higher Power” that Christians call God is present and actively giving us strength and the capacity to accept and grow through the challenges of life. 

And the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, “‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.”  (Luke 1. 28-31) 

In little more than a week, in the midst of our darkest season, we will be welcoming the birth of the Christ child, the return of new light and life and hope in our lives. Are we ready to examine and change our opinions or feelings on matters that impede or inhibit the message of dignity and hope for all people? Are we prepared to reverse decisions we have made that in the new light of God present with us fall short of expressing compassion, inclusion, freedom and justice for refugees and immigrants, people with disabilities or varied gender preferences, for foreigners and strangers and all of creation? Are we willing to have a change of heart and amend our lives to allow the Presence of God in us and of us and through us to be Good News for all people on earth? 

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Gospel text for Sunday 11 December 2016

Matthew 11:2-11        When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Reflection     In lock-step with the law and the prophets of his Jewish tradition, John is looking for a king in the line of David to exercise power over all people, to enforce the Jewish law and establish a consolidated political-religious state. It is no wonder he sent his disciples to question Jesus, “Are you the one who is coming or are we to wait for another?” There is every chance that John heard about “all the things” that Jesus was doing; giving sight to the blind, restoring the lame to walk, cleansing the lepers, healing the deaf, raising the dead, and bringing good news to the poor… (Matt 4.25) Not the expected list of skills and accomplishments for a messiah king.

John must have heard about the mind-bending sermon Jesus preached to large crowds on the Mountain proclaiming the poor and the hungry are blessed, the meek who understand their place in God’s kingdom are happy and those who are just and sincere are satisfied. (Matt 5.1-11)  And surely John heard what  Jesus said about the Jewish law, “Do not think I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill…” (Matt 5.17) But (and this is a large ‘but’), “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees (that would be the religious folk) you will never enter” God’s kingdom. (Matt 5.20) What? Are not the religious leaders guaranteed a fast pass to the kingdom? 

The Messiah of what became the Christian tradition did not come to fulfill the letter of Jewish law. The Christian Messiah Jesus came to reform the Jewish tradition by fulfilling the Spirit of the law. “You have heard it said, you shall not murder…but I say to you if you are angry with a brother or sister you will be liable to judgement…” (Matt5.21-22) “You have heard it said, an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say… give to anyone who begs from you…” (Matt 5. 38,42) “You have heard it said that you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be children of your father in heaven.” (Matt 5.43-44)

From the point of view of John and the religious Jews of his time, Jesus does not fit the messiah’s job description.  Where he should be paying attention to giving a proper “tithe of mint, dill and cumin,” Jesus is concerned with matters of “justice, mercy and faith.” (Matt 23) He even dares to turn the finger of judgment toward the religious leaders, calling them  hypocrites, “For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside (you) are full of greed and self-indulgence.” (Matt 23. 25)

Clearly John is perplexed by the antithetical position pronounced by Jesus. The one whom John baptized in the river Jordan, the one whose sandals John was not worthy to tie, the one upon whom the Spirit of God descended, the “one who is to come” and bring the “kingdom of heaven near” turns out to be the unorthodox dissident, Jesus. How could this be the one John is looking for?

Which begs the question, what are we looking for? What are we hoping against hope will arise in the wilderness of our lives? This Advent season are we preparing our hearts to receive a feudal King legislating power from the top of a pyramid? Or are we allowing our hearts to be transformed and give birth to the Spirit of the living God, full of “justice, mercy and faith?”

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Gospel text for Sunday 1 March 2015

Mark 8:31-38        Then Jesus began to teach his disciples 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. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 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."

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. 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. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 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.”

Reflection        In spite of Peter’s (and our) great hope to the contrary, Jesus did not come to put an end to suffering in the world. Jesus came to assure us that God is with each and every one of us as we navigate the inevitable suffering of our human condition. In fact, Jesus came and revealed to us the foolish wisdom that there is blessing to be found in suffering, which of course flies in the face of conventional wisdom that blessing is found in power, control and accumulated success (in the shiny purple robes of a warrior king messiah). Which brings us back to Peter whose conventional idea of a messiah put him cross-ways with Jesus. 

Do you remember Jesus’ sermon on the mountain in Matthew’s gospel? “Blessed are…  the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger for righteousness, those who are persecuted…(Matt 5.3-6, 10). These words are nonsense to the conventional wisdom of the world. And, they are the wisdom of the foolish in God’s upside down kingdom.

It is not God’s will that we suffer, nor do I believe it was God’s will that Jesus be tortured and hung on a cross. I believe, it is God’s will that we know God’s presence with us in the midst of the suffering that is inevitable to our mortal human condition. The death-dealing blow of the ruthless words from our Ash Wednesday liturgy leap to mind, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Frankly, the process of returning to dust is not for the faint of heart. Whether it comes by disease, accident or the brutality of others who will stop at nothing to extinguish unvarnished truth, there is no escaping the fatal consequence of life. Returning to dust entails suffering. As Christians this does not give us cause to be angry, afraid or despair. As Christians we understand that suffering opens the way for us to encounter God and experience blessedness. This is the way of setting our minds on divine things rather than on human things.

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Gospel text for Sunday 16 September 2012

 

 

Mark 8:27-38

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?" And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

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. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 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."

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. 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. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 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

 

Reflection

“Who do people say that I (Jesus) am?” Subversive? Liberal? Progressive? Regressive? Orthodox? Heretical? Blasphemer? Possessed – by a demon? By the Spirit of God? It depends on who answers the question. Jesus’ family think he is out of his mind. The religious officials declare he is a heretic. Possessed by Beelzebul  is what the Scribes decide. Herod figures Jesus is John the Baptist returned from the dead to get him back for cutting off his head. The masses are not quite sure what to make of this Jesus;  teacher, healer, exorcist, magician, a prophet like Moses or Elijah. It’s hard to tuck Jesus into neat little categories and groups.

Jesus asks Peter, ““Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers, “You are the messiah.”” OK then, that clears it up  - as long as we know what “messiah” means.  Peter thought he did. Messiah is the person for whom the people of God have been waiting for a very long time. Messiah is the one who bursts onto the scene and ends suffering and injustice. But Jesus doesn’t understand “messiah” that way.

 

Jesus launches into a terribly problematic teaching. Messiah is “… the Son of Man (and) 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.” First problem. Jesus calls himself the Son of Man. That must mean that somehow messiah is associated with or finds identity in humankind. Messiah is not some supernatural force that is going to break in and create a happily ever after life. Second problem.  Messiah is supposed to end suffering, not be subjected to it, and certainly not be rejected and killed. What good is a dead messiah? Third problem. “After three days rise again.” What does that mean? And even if he is killed and comes back to life he will just be a dead man walking. How is that going to out my enemies and secure my life?

 

I’m afraid I am right there with Peter. I don’t want to hear what Jesus is saying. I want my messiah to make my life better, and that would be according to my definition of better. But Jesus makes himself painfully clear. All the things of the world that I seek (end of suffering, security, justice) are about enhancing my situation or status. And I will lose them. End of story. Or is it?

 

Following Jesus means dying to the self-focused way I (and the culture around me) see things. Because when I decide to ally myself with Jesus and act to spread God’s all inclusive love rather than to secure my share and keep everyone else a safe distance away, I will infuriate the people around me. My family, my friends, the religious and government officials will not like it one bit. And I will be persecuted, even killed. That’s what Jesus tells the crowds, disciples and us. But - and this is a big but - when I make my choices in alliance with God's purpose and in solidarity with God's people, I find my identity in God.  The little me with my meager wants to have it my way dies, and I rise again in the Christ.

 

Find the story that accompanies the image

  “ Muslims in Pakistan, show compassion and justice” at http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/26/opinion/rauf-christian-girl-pakistan/index.html