| ||
 |
||
|
|
|
|
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost Mark 8:27-38 |
||
I HAVE SPENT A FAIR NUMBER OF MY YEARS INVOLVED IN THE BUSINESS OF RECRUITING YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN FOR THE ARMY CHAPLAINCY. THIS WAS BEFORE I WAS GIVEN THE TASK OF TRAINING ALL THOSE WHO SIGNED ON THE DOTTED LINE. TO RECRUIT SOMEONE TO COMMIT THEIR LIVES TO AN ORGANIZATION REQUIRES A “PITCH” THAT GRABS THEIR INTEREST AND MAKES THEM WANT TO BECOME A PART OF THE ORGANIZATION. THE IDEA IS TO ENCAPSULATE THE CORE VALUES OF THE ORGANIZATION IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE PROSPECTIVE RECRUIT WANTS TO “BUY INTO” THE VALUE SYSTEM THAT THE “PITCH” EXPRESSES IN A FEW WORDS. FOR SOME YEARS THE ARMY’S PITCH WAS “BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE.” THEN IT BECAME “AN ARMY OF ONE,” WHICH I NEVER UNDERSTOOD AND WHICH DID NOT LAST VERY LONG, BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE UNDERSTOOD IT. NOW, THE PITCH IS “ARMY STRONG.” FOR PROSPECTIVE CHAPLAINS, THE PITCH IS THAT THE ARMY MAKES MEN AND WOMEN “ARMY STONG, AND CHAPLAINS MAKE THEM SPIRITUALLY STRONG.” YOU CAN SEE, IMMEDIATELY, THE APPEAL TO YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN TO BECOME “STRONG,” AND THE APPEAL TO CLERGY WHO HAVE, ONE HOPES, A DESIRE TO HELP OTHERS TO A DEEPER AND STRONGER FAITH. THIS PITCH IS VERY EFFECTIVE FOR GETTING PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR A LIFE THAT REQUIRES PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL STRENGHT FAR BEYOND THAT REQUIRED FOR ALMOST ANY OTHER OCCUPATION. IT IS A VERY GOOD RECRUITING PITCH, BECAUSE, SO LONG AS THERE IS A NEED FOR AN ARMY, THERE WILL BE ALWAYS BE A NEED FOR THE HUMAN VIRTURES OF STRENGTH AND COURAGE. IT IS, HOWEVER, QUITE A CONTRAST TO THE “PITCH” THAT JESUS USES TO RECRUIT HIS FOLLOWERS. WHILE PASSING THROUGH THE GREEK REGION OF NORTHERN GALILLEE, JESUS STOPS AND ASKS THE DISCIPLES “WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM?” THE HESITANT ANSWERS HE GETS ARE THAT SOME THINK HE IS THE REINCARNATED JOHN THE BAPTIST, WHILE OTHERS THINK HE IS ELIJAH RETURNED, OR ONE OF THE OTHER GREAT PROPHETS OF ISRAEL. THEN HE MAKES THE QUESTION PERSONAL WITH, “BUT WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?” PETER’S FAMEOUS ANSWER, “YOU ARE THE MESSIAH,” IS THE RIGHT ONE, SO JESUS WARNS THEM TO KEEP QUIET ABOUT IT, AND THEN BEGINS TO TELL THEM WHAT IT MEANS FOR HIM, AND FOR THEM, THAT HE IS THE MESSIAH. HE SPEAKS OF SUFFERING, REJECTION, AND EVEN DEATH, BUT THIS IS NOT THE IDEA OF THE MESSIAH FOR WHICH PETER THOUGHT HE SIGNED UP. PETER TAKES JESUS ASIDE AND BEGINS TO CHEW HIM OUT, BUT JESUS CUTS HIM OFF AND SAYS, “GET BEHIND ME, SATAN! FOR YOU ARE SETTING YOUR MIND NOT ON DIVINE THINGS BUT ON HUMAN THINGS.” HAVING CALLED PETER, SATAN – THE ADVERSARY OF GOD, JESUS PUSHES HIM AWAY AND CALLS TOGETHER THE CROWD THAT FOLLOWED HIM AND HIS DISCIPLES. TO THIS CROWD, AND BY EXTENSION TO US, JESUS GIVES HIS RECRUITING “PITCH.” IF YOU WANT TO BECOME MY FOLLOWERS, HE SAYS, YOU MUST DENY YOUSELF AND TAKE UP YOUR CROSS TO FOLLOW ME. YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO BECOME AN OUTCAST, EVEN BEING THOUGHT A CRIMINAL, IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD. YOU MUST LOSE YOUR LIFE IN MINE FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOOD NEWS FROM GOD WHICH I BRING. YOU CAN EITHER HAVE WHAT THE WORLD HONORS, WHICH LEADS TO DEATH, OR WHAT GOD HONORS, WHICH LEADS TO LIFE. YOU CAN NOT HAVE BOTH. IF YOU ARE ASHAMED OF THE LIFE TO WHICH I AM CALLING YOU NOW, THEN, I WILL BE ASHAMED OF YOU WHEN I COME IN THE GLORY OF THE FATHER WITH THE HOLY ANGELS. THIS IS HARDLY THE KIND OF RECRUITING PITCH ONE WOULD EXPECT FROM THE MESSIAH. INSTEAD OF “PITCHING” THE RESTORATION OF THE THRONE OF DAVID, KICKING THE ROMANS OUT OF JUDEA, AND RETURNING ISRAEL TO THE GLORIES OF TIMES PAST, JESUS OFFERS SUFFERING, REJECTION, DENIAL AND DEATH. THERE IS NO GLORY IN THE LIFE HE HOLDS OUT FOR THOSE WHO WOULD FOLLOW HIM, ONLY THE LOSS OF THE SELF AND THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS. THE RECRUITING “PITCH” FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF FOLLOWING JESUS IS TO WALK THE WAY OF THE CROSS. THE WAY OF THE CROSS IS THE REJECTION OF ALL THAT THE WORLD HONORS AND VALUES. IT IS THE WAY OF TOTAL DEVOTION AND COMMITMENT TO THE PURPOSE AND WILL OF JESUS, AND, THROUGH HIM, TO THE PURPOSE AND WILL OF GOD. IT IS THE WAY OF SERVICE TO OTHERS AT THE COST OF OUR SELVES. IT IS THE WAY OF BEARING THE BURDENS OF THE STRANGER, OF MINISTERING TO THOSE IN NEED, OF HEALING THE SICK, CARING FOR THE POOR, AND FORGIVING THE SINS OF OTHERS AS GOD FORGIVES OUR OWN. IT IS NO EASY AND GLORIUS LIFE, BUT A LIFE OF DISCIPLINE AND STRUGGLE UNDER THE CONSTANT GUIDANCE OF THE WILL OF GOD. IT IS A LIFE LIVED AS IF WE HAD THE BEAM OF THE CROSS – BAR OF CRUCIFIXTION ON OUR SHOULDERS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AS A CONSTANT REMINDER THAT WE BELONG TO HIM WHO CAME TO DIE IN ORDER THAT WE MIGHT HAVE LIFE. THE WAY OF THE CROSS IS THE WAY OF THE POURING OUT OF THE SELF AS AN OFFERING TO GOD, THE WAY OF WEAKNESS AND HUMILITY IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD, THAT WE MIGHT BE FILLED WITH THE POWER AND THE STRENGTH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO DO THE WILL AND THE WORK OF GOD IN THIS WORLD. IN OUR WEAKNESS, IN OUR POURING OUT OF OUR SELVES FOR JESUS’ SAKE, HE BECOMES OUR STRENGTH AND OUR SOURCE OF BEING, FOR HE IS WITH US EVERY STEP ON OUR JOURNEY. THIS IS THE LIFE TO WHICH JESUS CALLS US; A LIFE WHICH MAKES NO SENSE TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SIGNED UP TO FOLLOW HIM. WHEN I BECAME COMMANDANT OF THE CHAPLAIN SCHOOL, AND WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRAINING ALL THE CHAPLAINS FOR THE ARMY, I WOULD ADDRESS EACH NEW CLASS EARLY IN THEIR TRAINING. BY THIS TIME, THEY WERE ALREADY EXHAUSTED AND IN SHOCK FROM THE SUDDEN, ENFORCED, CHANGE IN THEIR LIVES. FOR MOST MINISTERS, GETTING UP BEFORE DAWN FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING WAS A NEW EXPERIENCE, AS WAS BEING RESPECTFULLY, BUT FORCEFULLY, ADMONISHED BY DRILL SERGEANTS, SO, BY THE TIME OF MY ADDRESS, THEY WERE TIRED, SORE, AND CONFUSED. I WOULD TELL THEM, IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, JUST WHAT KIND OF LIFE THEY SIGNED UP TO JOIN. I WOULD TELL THEM JUST WHAT THEY WOULD BE EXPECTED TO DO, FROM SLEEPING IN THE MUD WITH THE SOLDIERS, TO BEARING THE SAME BURDENS, AND TO SHARING THE SAME DANGERS, ALL THE WHILE BEING EXPECTED TO NURTURE THE FAITH OF THE LIVING, TO COMFORT THE DYING, AND TO HONOR THE DEAD. AT THE CLOSE OF ONE SESSION, A NEW CHAPLAIN AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM RAISED HIS HAND. WHEN I TOLD HIM TO STAND AND ASK HIS QUESTION, HE REPLIED, “SIR, I DON’T HAVE A QUESTION. I THINK I AM IN THE WRONG PLACE.” AFTER A SHORT PAUSE, I REPLIED, “YOU’RE RIGHT. REPORT TO MY OFFICE AND I WILL PROCESS YOUR RESIGNATION AS SOON AS I AM FINISHED HERE.” WE ARE CALLED BY JESUS TO THE WAY OF THE CROSS; A LIFE OF SERVICE TO GOD THOUGH SERVICE TO OTHER MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN. IT IS NOT EASY, IT IS NOT GLORIUS, AND, SOMETIMES, IT IS DOWN – RIGHT PAINFUL. WHEN YOU SIGN UP TO FOLLOW JESUS, THE ONLY THING YOU ARE GARUNTEED TO GET IS A CROSS TO CARRY. PICKING UP THE CROSS IS THE ONLY WAY TO FOLLOW JESUS, AND THE ONLY WAY OF LIVING THAT LEADS TO LIFE EVERLASTING WITH GOD. THAT, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IS JESUS’ RECRUITING “PITCH” FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
|
|
|