e-vo for week of February 29

Dear e-votees-

I hope and pray that your time this far into Lent has been good and blessed and real. May the pretenses that we allow to grow up around ourselves and that we accept from the world fall away in the deep and truthful and abiding presence that is Jesus.

Peace,
Karl

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31 Then [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. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 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." 34 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. 35 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. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 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."

Mark 8:31-38, NRSV

There are two strands to this gospel lesson that is appointed for Sunday.

One strand has to do with how we respond to Jesus and his words in general.

The other strand has to do with how we respond to these words in particular.

Confessing that Jesus is fully God or claiming that “Jesus is my Lord” or taking on the moniker Christian obligates that one to let Jesus have the final word. When Jesus talks his followers should listen. When Jesus lays out how things are going to be those who are following should says things like “Amen. Now how can I press into that future most faithfully?” Peter shows us, by counter-example, how we are not to be. Or, perhaps, Peter shows us who we know ourselves all too well to be by articulating just what we would if we were in the scene.

Peter isn’t so comfortable with Jesus’ teachings about suffering and rejection and martyrdom. Jesus speaks of it openly. Peter pulls Jesus aside to offer a semi-private word of rebuke. Jesus turns to the disciples and offers a very public counter-rebuke. He labels Peter “Satan” and says that his mind is not on the things of God but on the things of the world. Jesus then goes on to talk of gaining and losing. There is some backwards kingdom math in that we find life and fulfillment and salvation through death and fasting and pressing into that which might kill us. But if we truly lay claim to “Jesus is Lord” than it seems good, wise and prudent to press into this odd kingdom math that he espouses.

The full arc of Peter’s life is that, according to church tradition, when the Romans came for Peter he did not shrink away from martyrdom. What he did, however, was request to be crucified upside down. He didn’t feel that he deserved to die in the same form or posture that Jesus did. The soldiers granted his request and he was dispatched. When you see upside-down crosses in church symbology it is a reference to this martyrdom. Peter wasn’t ashamed of Jesus in the end. Perhaps Peter was ashamed that he didn’t become more like Jesus during his time on this earth but he was not ashamed of Jesus.

Peter forfeited his life in a glorious and faithful fashion. May God so stir us that if we die a martyr’s death tonight or a slow and prolonged phasing out of this life that we might yield our lives, too, in glorious and faithful fashions. May we let our lights so shine before others that they might see our good works and glorify God who is in heaven.


Lord, teach us to live life and face death faithfully and well over cowardly and poorly if we must make that choice. Our days our yours; have your way in us. Amen.