Cross Words at the Crossroads

Second Sunday in Lent

February 25. 2024

Mark 8:31-38

The holy Gospel according to St. Mark:

³¹[Jesus] 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.³²He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³But 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.”

 ³⁴He 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. ³⁵For 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. ³⁶For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? ³⁷Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? ³⁸Those 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.”

 

The Gospel of the Lord

 

Let us take a moment of silence as we prepare to receive the message for this morning. Let us pray:

 

May we be released,
May we be held dear,
May we listen to the wisdom,
That we didn't want to hear.
May we be released,
May we. [Carrie Newcomer]

 

This morning we will focus on these puzzling words of Jesus:

 

³⁵For 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.”

 

God has a way of turning things inside out and upside down – exposing our folly. What is being turned upside down and inside out in the readings for today? Let’s first take a brief look at the First and Second readings as a backdrop for coming to terms with the Gospel:

 

In the Genesis account God is making an agreement – a covenant with Abram and Sarai – notice the names. Once the covenant is announced – notice the slight but important change in their names:  Abram becomes Abraham – meaning ‘father of many nations; Sarai is renamed Sarah which means noblewoman or princess. The Hebrew letter for ‘h’ is added to their names which represents God’s grace and power. This encounter – this name change - changes everything and these two old folks are going to change the world – and as we now know they birthed three faiths – three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

 

In Romans Paul speaks of the faith of Abraham and Sarah – how they lived out of the promise that God had made and how barrenness and old age were not a determining factor. God turned the tables. This couple trusted God’s promise and Paul says: “this was reckoned to them as righteousness.”

 

The mind of the divine is revealed in what we consider weakness – two old folks being the origin of three global religions: Judaism, Islam, Christianity -Who could imagine that?

 

These two readings are a prelude - the backdrop for our consideration of the Gospel for today.

 

Jesus gives what is often called – his Passion prediction (this is not the only time he says this – but on several occasions). Jesus announces that he is going to die – that he is going to the cross – he will suffer and die and on the third day rise again. This announcement comes right after the disciples answer Jesus’ question – “Who do you say that I am?” Peter blurts out: “You are the Messiah.”

 

Jesus speaks of going to the cross and Peter is beside himself – this is not how the ‘Messiah’ acts! Jesus hears the voice of Satan, the same voice he heard in his 40 days of temptation in the wilderness, in Peter’s words and responds: “For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

 

The mind of the divine is revealed in the cross: lest we forget:  at the time of Jesus the cross was a symbol of corrupt power – the oppression and control of people. It is not our own personal challenges, sufferings, or hardships that we may be carrying.

 

Jesus reverses the power of the cross. He overpowers this power over in ways that we only begin to imagine. Jesus going to the cross is not a submission but an act of protest against the powers of the world. His mind is on divine things.

 

Jesus reveals the divine mind: 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.

 

From the beginning the followers of Jesus were known as ‘People of the Way.’  That is a more apt way of describing Jesus’ teachings than the term Christian. We are indeed people of the Way. The Way of God’s reign is this reversal. This ‘losing life – and saving it.”

 

John’s Gospel puts it in poetic terms: “Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit.” John 12:24

 

Ok Pastor – but what do they have to do with us when we leave this building? What is this teaching meant to open us up to as a faith community? What does it mean for us to have our mind on divine things – not on human things?

 

This way of the cross – this way of living out our faith is counter intuitive. It is the opposite of what seems to work in the world: human things vs. divine things. The Gospel – divine things are disturbing and always overturn the status quo.

 

For Christ’s sake we are to lose life. What life are we to lose? It is indeed puzzling and an enigmatic saying. Here is an attempt to put in in practical terms:

 

Recently I have had conversations with pastors and lay people in our diakonia studies. A couple of their stories:

 

A tall handsome middle-aged visitor comes to a church. After worship, a well-meaning member of the Church Council approaches him. She reaches out to the visitor with the best of intentions to welcome him:

 

“We are so glad you are here. Don’t hesitate to stay for coffee” and she in advertently blurts out: “we need people to serve on the Church Council!”

 

In contrast another incident: A woman goes to a Saturday evening worship. She is alone and knows no one. During the Sharing of the Peace the female pastor notices her and takes time for a moment asking her: “What brings you here this evening?” To which she replies – “Not enough time now to tell you.”  After worship they begin an extended conversation.

 

Two ordinary incidents – one shares human things and the other divine things. Human things – we need our church to survive – so we need you.

Divine things: “What brings you here?’ An open invitation for a possible deeper conversation. Human things – the status quo. Divine things – an open question.

 

Story II: I am updating a course on Witness/Outreach for the diakonia program. I had a discussion with Pr. Brent Dahlseng of Grace in Loves Park. We recently spent an hour conversing about Grace Church’s approach to outreach.

 

Brent opened a large map of Loves Park. He then explained that for several years they have concentrated on a certain number of square blocks. They drive around the neighborhood and simply notice and pay attention to the surroundings.

 

Are there any physical needs or concerns? Eventually they walk the neighborhood and pay friendly visits to simply get to know the people.

 

They are able to contact about half of the folks – low key – if a person is out – begin a casual conversation – if Grace members live in that area, they might have an informal neighborhood gathering.

 

This is an ongoing process – Pr. Brent has been at Grace 18 years and engaged the folks at Grace to this kind of outreach – become a graceful presence in the neighborhood.

 

“Oh, we haven’t seen so and so and so out in the neighborhood for a while” –––someone who has developed a relationship with her will check on her. “

 

Oh, ‘Emma’ has lost her spouse – see if she is up to having coffee.’  These are not necessarily members of Grace – they simply live in the neighborhood and are known to Grace.

 

The agenda of this ministry is to be a listening and caring presence in the neighborhood. Pr. Brent said, “God is in the neighbor – we want to be attentive to God’s presence in the neighborhood.”  He mentioned that Grace does not ‘prey’ upon people to bring them in as members.

[He did mention the Baptist church a couple times a year brings busloads of kids to hand out candy and pamphlets to entice children and adults to come and worship]

 

No! Grace is present as an anchor of care and hope. They pray for – don’t prey upon visitors.

 

The conversation included how one has to set aside the desire to preserve one’s church and instead be present with the Gospel of grace – that is: God’s total acceptance and inclusion in Christ. Human things – preserve one’s church. Divine things – be present with the Gospel.

 

Every church has a unique context and its unique gifts for ministry. – Grace is responding to its context. God calls us to discern our context and carry the love of Christ into it. We are called to be about divine things: namely God’s compassion and acceptance – the Gospel that Christ transforms lives.

 

The poet, Mary Oliver, gives this Admonition:

 

Pay attention

 

Be astonished

 

Tell about it

 

Christ has transformed the cross from an instrument of oppression and torture to an instrument of power and love. When we take up the cross, we are taking up that divine love. Amen