I’ve been thinking about Peter a lot this week…partly because I started putting together the Passion Gospel booklets and have been reading Peter’s denial of knowing Jesus, and partly because this Sunday’s gospel always makes me kind of sad. So often when we read this Gospel passage, we think Peter is stupid, or unaware of who Jesus was. But when I read it, I hear a Peter that is scared, worried, and filled with anxiety. Up to this point in Mark, Jesus and the disciples have been busy. Being a follower of Jesus has meant witnessing healings, participating in miracles, and listening to his teachings. For these early disciples and followers, Jesus has been understood as a caring helper, a wise teacher, and someone who welcomes all. And throughout all of these wonderful and revolutionary events and experiences, Jesus has been confronted by those in authority. So being a disciple has not been without some risk. But just before this Sunday’s gospel, Peter has identified Jesus as the “Messiah”. What kind of Messiah does Peter have in mind? Is he thinking that Jesus is the long-awaited king, political leader and warrior? Or does he understand that Jesus as the Messiah means a change in expectations…that Jesus the Messiah is about healing, reconciliation, and liberation? So when Peter rebukes Jesus for his foretelling of his suffering, death and resurrection…well, for me it’s hard to criticize Peter as “just not getting it”. What Jesus is talking about here is that change is on the horizon. Jesus is pointing out that ideas about a politically driven Messiah will not bring about the Kingdom of God. Jesus is also bringing to light the heavy cost of discipleship. And what I imagine Peter hears is that change equals loss…loss of friendship and leadership, loss of hope, loss of direction and loss of identity. Jesus’ response to Peter is also a rebuke, but points to an essential truth—focusing on human things instead of divine things, gets in the way of bringing about the Kingdom of God. For Peter, these “human things” are about fairness, strength, and righteousness…ideas supporting a political Messiah. And for Jesus, “divine things” are about mercy, justice, healing, reconciliation and liberation…ideas supporting the Kingdom of God. Sometimes I think I’m like Peter…and maybe we all are to some degree. When faced with the challenges of change, unmet expectations, or loss of power or privilege, we want to argue back…rebuke the forces of change. But when we do this--when we ignore the tug to go in a different direction, to face an unknown reality, to be led into foreign places--then we become indifferent to God. We have perspective that Peter didn’t have. We know how the story goes…Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension, and the sending of the Holy Spirit. We know that it is because God in Christ experienced life’s joys and sorrows, because of Christ’s suffering and death, that God knows us and has compassion for us. But it also means that we know something about God. In God’s kingdom, there is strength in weakness. In God’s kingdom, there is justice and mercy. In God’s kingdom, all are welcome. So while I understand and can relate to Peter’s rebuking of Jesus, I also have to keep in mind that God has bigger plans, plans I might not always understand, or plans that may seem strange, but that is the craziness of discipleship. And it is that craziness that calls to me to pick up my cross and follow Jesus.
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AuthorI don't know what the future of the church is, but I know that we will continue to be a place of sanctuary and hope, working towards healing in the world. Archives
October 2017
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