Mark 8:27-38 (New Revised Standard)
27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" 28 And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29 He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. 31 Then he 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."
Reflection
Jesus was about as far north as he would go during his ministry travels. Jesus posed a couple of questions to his disciples. Who do people say he is and who do you say he is? A generic question and then a personal question. Peter replied with the personal answer... "You are the Messiah."
The disciples were beginning to see who Jesus was and what Jesus was about. Beginning to see... there is so much more to Jesus that we don't see or understand. There is a part of me that rejoices in this concept with my own faith and a part of me that fears a misunderstanding in my own mind. I suppose the disciples had many of these same feelings.
Yes, Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Yes Jesus is God... but what did I miss? I don't think that I can fully understand Jesus and what he has done in this frail flesh of mine. I can't do this on my own. I fully depend on God to reveal himself through Jesus, through the gifts and actions of the Spirit and through the Word. I can't understand God on my own. So, I look to God. I follow Jesus. I search the Word. I listen to God's Word spoken and acted out through fellow Christians. I come to the Sacraments and witness God active in the lives of all of us.
Jesus knows the mission. I know only part of the whole. It's hard to come to grips with the understanding of a love that would take God to the cross for me and all people. I could mean well, like Peter, and say all of the "right" and "churchy" things. I could act goody two shoes and church lady like, yet become a tool of Satan. A well meaning, yet unspiritual person could take it all and be twisted all ways possible. I can go to self-realization and self-denial, yet be all wrong as a disciple.
Jesus asks us to deny ourselves, our wants and our desires and give ourselves, our life and our actions over to God. Just as Jesus came in mission to save the world, he gave himself to the world. It's not about how we appear or even how we appear to act. It's about giving ourselves to God to follow God's plan in God's way and through God's will. To save your life is not up to you or me. But to give your life is the will of God. To give your life to God. That's a disciple. That's one with faith. That's one that lives for and in the will of God. In the giving comes the life. A radical life in God. A wild ride with the Spirit. But a life that makes all the difference. Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Lord, open my eyes to your will and your way as I live my life in and through what you have done... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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