Loading...I know y’all have had some new gadget – some piece of technology or a piece of furniture that you’ve had to put together.
The new thing CAME with directions – tab A into slot B –
but, be honest now, did you follow those directions?
Some of you probably did, down to the letter!
But, others of you.... Let’s just get started and figure it out as we go!
Sometimes it is REALLY hard to hear and follow directions,
especially when you are pretty sure that you can just figure it out
-- all on your own.
The problem with doing it yourself is that you don’t really understand, you don’t really get it. You might misunderstand and make mistakes or errors.
~~~~~~~~
To wit, Peter, one of the 12 disciples,
the best example of the disciple-who-is-us,
in one moment gets it so right!
and in the next – splat – falls flat and is so wrong.
The “getting it wrong” part is not just that he says the wrong thing
(when, really!, he’s just standing up for Jesus and defending him!)
but that he, as Jesus says,
puts his mind on human things, not divine things.
Jesus had the instructions, the guide, and gave them.
But Peter said, “Nah! That can’t be right! We’re going to figure it out with what we think we know.”
Peter quickly went from being
the rock -- a solid foundation upon which to build something –
to a stumbling block – the thing in the way,
distracting and disturbing, and tripping people up.
“You have set your mind on human things, not divine.”
What does Jesus mean? After all, Peter was trying to save Jesus’ life!
It seems as though Peter was using the common Jewish understanding of the Messiah – a strong, powerful, military leader who would overthrow the oppressors (in this case, the Roman Empire and those who colluded with them, such as King Herod).
Peter was stuck on the “human things”,
the human understanding of freedom and salvation and liberation that came through military might and strength.
Yet, here was Jesus saying that he, just correctly identified as the Messiah, was on his way to Jerusalem, not to overthrow the oppressors, but to, instead, suffer at the hands of the Jewish Powers That Be, to be killed by the Romans, and then rise in three days.
This is so unexpected.
This is topsy turvy.
This is radically different.
It is completely unexpected and out of the box.
These are the “divine things”:
• weakness is really strength
• service and helping others (not military war) brings peace
• love is the most powerful force
• salvation comes through death, especially from laying down one’s life for others.
Indeed, this way is not only the Divine Way of Jesus’ path and life.
It is the Way of Discipleship,
the path to follow.
To walk this way is to carry the cross.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wonder if, when we hear this Gospel story, we get stuck on the part where Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan”. I wonder if we get caught up by the image in our heads of the guy in the red suit with the horns and the long, pointy tail. I wonder if we get distracted and MISS the real story....
Because, Jesus then goes on to tell Peter and all the other disciples
that we are to follow in his footsteps –
to suffer and to carry the cross.
Meaning...
give up what we think that we know or think that we can figure out on the fly, and to instead
do as Jesus does.
Jesus gives us a radical invitation to discipleship,
to just be Christian in name only,
but in what we do,
what we say,
who we hang out with,
who we include,
who we advocate for and stand with
who we love
who we serve,
how we use what we have,
how we work.
Discipleship is what we call the collective practices of following Jesus,
the activities that reflect the priorities of God that we see through Jesus.
St. Paul gives us a handy list in Chapter 12 of his letter that makes up our Epistle reading today.
Check out this handy bookmark for you to use:
Let love be genuine
Hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good
Love one another with mutual affection
Outdo one another in showing honor
Do not lag in zeal
Be ardent in spirit
Serve the Lord
Rejoice in hope
Be patient in suffering
Persevere in prayer
Contribute to the needs of the saints
Bless those who persecute you
Rejoice with those who rejoice
Weep with those who weep
Live in harmony with one another
Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly
Don’t claim to be wiser than you are
Do not repay anyone evil for evil
Live peaceable with all (so far as you are able)
Never avenge yourself
If your enemies are hungry, feed them
If your enemies are thirsty, give them something to drink
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good
What are the actions that you intend to work on and practice?
Print this off, and keep it; put it in your Bible, or Prayer Book, or journal. Or, maybe stick it on your fridge – wherever you are likely to see it and where it will be helpful.
When you have made one of these items a regular habit, pick a new one and work on it until it becomes a habit also.
~~~~~~~~~~
Truthfully though, in my own experience, there are usually some weeks (or even months) that are easier than others to actually be a disciple.
These past months have been rough. It’s been hard to be a disciple lately:
the wildfires in California
the changes in drastic weather patterns from droughts to hurricanes
the continuing racism and violence toward POC in the US
the political divisions which are unraveling the tapestry of our nation
and, oh, the coronavirus pandemic with all that that means for us.
It’s just so much. I feel so overwhelmed by it all.
I get stuck in the “human things” –
the fear, the anxiety, the clutching at what I think I know.
//
Stop.
Back up.
Put your mind on divine things, not human.
Practice discipleship.
Don’t just offer “prayers and thoughts”.
Don’t stop with charitable giving.
Advocate.
Build relationships.
Serve.
Put down your own self and pick up someone else.
Live deeply into your baptismal covenant
to work for justice and reconciliation in the world.
This is not easy.
It is not a walk in the park.
It is not the “wide highway” that the world tries to lay out and entice us to follow.
But, this is the way of life –
not just for you,
but for all of God’s world and all of God’s beloved people.
Amen
