A Crisis
This can be listened to hear
Gate Pa – Year B 2nd Sunday in Lent, 2018
Readings:
Psalm Psalm 22:23-31
First Reading:
Genesis
17:1-7,15-16
Second Reading:
Romans
4:13-25
Gospel:
Mark
8:31-38
What I want to say:
Explore
changes in our sense of who we are using the story of Abram and Sarai, and
Marks Gospel and Peter. So who are we invited to be if we stand where Peter
stood.
What I want to happen:
People to reflect
on how the Mark story challenges our sense of who we are in Christ when Jesus says
“take up your cross and follow me” to us.
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
6 years ago last week I had an
astounding experience
my sense of self undertook severe
shake up
I stood in church and was labelled a
vicar
-
me!??!
-
given up any desire to have that label
years ago
-
I was a youth worker
o
spent my life doing that thing
-
educator –
-
but a vicar
o
hid in my office for first few days
-
took quite a while before I felt even
vaguely comfortable with that label
-
this new way of seeing myself
sure you have all had that experience
started new profession
same
kind of experience first teacher
when got engaged – felt so foreign
not how I was
used to seeing myself
-> then married
when first a dad
All have these moments of crisis
really
critical moments when how we see
ourselves in world
and how we live in world need to be
rethought to some degree
when have been some of yours?
2. Abram and Sarai
story from first testament is such a
massive moment
Abram had son to wife’s slave – Hagar
named
Ishmael –ancestor of Islam
but he and Sarai given hope of ever
being parents together
Sarai past child bearing years
little bitter and
angry about all this
Heard how Abram meets God
-
again given promise that his son
through Sarai would be multitude
-
means by which covenant from chapter
12
-
blessed to be a blessing ->
fulfilled
just imagine that moment
disbelief
hurt
hope
such moment of crisis – danger and
opportunity
both given new names – Abram and Sarai
God changed Abram's
"high father" name to “Abraham,” "father of a
multitude" (Genesis 17:5) and his wife's name from “Sarai,” “my princess,”
to “Sarah,” “mother of nations”
Do we have moments as significant as this?
-
> what new name would we have been
given to reflect who we became as a result?
3. Cross and Crisis
our gospel story is even bigger
Peter gets given a hard time here
but he has already had a few massive
moments where he had to rethink who he was
started as fisherman
then chooses to leave that life behind
and to follow this new rabbi
with
his amazing teaching and ability to heal
so now he is no longer a fisherman
he is a disciple –
with all that entails
following behind and learning from
this rabbi
after a while Jesus asks who people
were saying he was
after few their answers
Jesus asks who they think he is
I suspect Peter had been building up
to this new way of seeing things
but it was a real crisis point
naming Jesus messiah is a dangerous
thing for everyone
that
title brings down the wrath of Rome,
wrath of Herod
wrath of the rulers of the Temple – families of
the chief priests.
which means Peter identity
-
sense of who he is takes severe shift
-
so much danger in this new identity
-
and yet there is so much hope and
promise involved
the thrill and terror of that moment
and Jesus responds by doing 2 things
first – orders them not to tell anyone
second – teaches them about how Son of
Man must suffer many things
be rejected by
the elders and the chief priests and the scribes
and be killed,
and after three
days rise again.
imagine being Peter in this situation
How would you respond?
moment of risky recognition
of both seeing Jesus and himself in
this new light
mad hope that if this continued they
would all be in places of honour and power
Jesus confirms his worst nightmare
to which Peter pushes back
quietly
this is still his
rabbi
it is not his
place to question him
and yet what he is saying is horrific
for everyone who
is following
they have walked down the roads of
crosses
they know what
happens if this goes wrong
But that was the temptation
to see this all
as it was expected
Jesus knew that powers of evil are
only defeated by the cross
Jesus then confirms this with his
astounding statement
said openly to all who will hear
no more secrecy
“If anyone would come after me, let
him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
all that Peter thought he knew about
himself turns to ash
4. Who are we in this story?
That is the invitation of Lent
to allow Jesus to speak these words to
us
not nice words that we have made them
into
these are words that should call into question
everything that we believe about God
about Jesus
about our selves
invite you to place yourself in this
story
read it again
as I read it
place yourself in place of Peter
what is Jesus saying to you?
And
he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be
rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and
after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him
aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your
mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
34
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone
would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
35 For whoever would save his life[d] will lose it, but whoever loses his life
for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to
gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return
for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this
adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed
when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Comments