Gospel Notes

Get Behind Me Satan!

Saturday, September 9th, 2006

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.”a 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,a 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 b 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 8:27-38 NRSV

Jesus Christ
are you the son of God?
i want to know
you ask that i believe
not one day goes by
that i don’t compromise your love
for the cold love of the world
it’s killing me through my own evil pride
not one day goes by
that i don’t know that i’m dying

I’m Dying (VAST - off self titled album - fantatstic album!)

Who are you Jesus?

The standard evangelical reply which comes from CS Lewis (I think…) is that there are only three alternatives

Liar
Lunatic
Lord

However this does not hold up today with many people suscribing to conspiracy theories (such as the Da Vinci Code) that there is a massive cover up and that Jesus never really claimed to be the Messiah but that everyone else made it up, or it is some secret code etc …

I am not really interested in this question - if you want to beileve that the whole New Testament is a cover-up and that Jesus really married Mary Magdalene and lived happily ever after then good on you. Jesus is no more or less than any other historical spiritual guru and what he says is not to be taken too seriously as in the famous words of Mr Smith, he is ‘only human’ (Matrix - as if you had to ask …)

What interests me is what happens even if you say Jesus is Messiah (or LORD) …

Here we have Peter saying Jesus is the Messiah, which should get him the thumbs up, right?

WRONG!

What the passage above politely writes as ‘And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him’ is the same command to silence that Jesus yells at the demons when ever they call him ‘holy One of God’!

Man, how hard is this Jesus guy to please? Even when Peter gets it right he is subjected to language that Jesus reserves for demons. If I was Peter I would be quoting the famous phrase from a red-headed ex-MP ‘Please explain!’.

The question is not really whether Jesus is liar, lunatic or LORD, but what sort of LORD is he?

Peter wants a Messiah who will return Israel to the glory days, who will kick the Romans butt and bring forth a golden age for God’s people.

Sound familiar?

Ever heard preachers decrying the sad state of our world and country, where God and his church is no longer top dog, where gays, muslims, greenies and atheists are running our schools and governments? Where our world is on the slippery slope of sin etc …

Now don’t get me wrong, I agree that our world is on the highway to hell - but the question is - what are the real causes and what do we do about it?

Too many Christians see the problem as a rampant secular society and all the moral issues that that raises and that the solution is a world where God and his church is returned to the rightful place of power and our country becomes a ‘Christian’ country run by Christian people (hence the evangelical - vote for Christians as MPs and the rise of Family First).

Sounds Good.

… except this is the exact same sort of thing that Peter wanted and he got told to shut it!

It seems that Jesus isn’t quite on board with the whole power thing.

Becasue that what Peter was all about in this statement - POWER - we want to be on the winning side and by God we want to show those heathen Romans who the boss is!

So how does Jesus reply?

He tells them that the Messiah is the opposite of power - must be rejected, suffer and die - don’t sound to good. And then will ‘rise again’ …

Peter, for one doesn’t like having his power fantasy bubble burst so he takes Jesus aside to rebuke him - and the words are the same once again as what Jesus used to rebuke the demons … what a nerve … you can guess that Peter is in for a hiding and boy does he cop it - now he is SATAN!!! The numo uno disciple and rock on whom Jesus will build his church is none other than SATAN!!! ok - he wasn’t meaning he is actually satan, but that his words were of satan, but still, you get the drift - this is a pretty big slap in the face for Peter!

So far then we have this order of conversation
Peter: Jesus is Messiah
Jesus silences Peter
Jesus is the Son of Man who must suffer
Peter silences Jesus
Jesus silences Peter
Jesus: Peter is satan!

A bit of a war of words here! But this is the point, the war is not about about whether Jesus IS the Messiah, but about WHAT SORT of Messiah he is.

Peter wants power

This is what he gets:

Jesus calls the crowds to him (this was no private teaching) and tells them
you want to call me LORD (follow me)? then

DENY yourself
TAKE UP your place in Guatanomo Bay (todays equivalent of take up your cross)
FOLLOW ME

hmmm . first one is hard - but maybe I could handle that, the third one I get, but that second one … what the hell is he on about?

To call Jesus LORD is to give up every thought we have of comfortable, respectable, nice quiet lives. Instead we are to think of ourselves as the people who the rest of the world forgets about. The people who are despised in the newspapers and opinion polls, the people who our own government refuses to recognise as having rights - they are no longer ‘citizens’ but ‘grey’ people existing in some limbo.

Not really a good advertisment for followers. But this is what Jesus INSISTS that it means to call him LORD.

That it will cost you EVERYTHING.

But …

It is the way of life -the ONLY way of life. Everything else is a fraud.

Now this is the point of the whole thing.

What sort of LORD are you following?

One who offers you power, comfort, respectability, the knowledge you are on the winning team?
Well you better get behind Jesus satan, ‘cos that ‘aint what the man is offering!

He is offering LIFE, but it will cost you everything.

Are your prepared for this journey? Are you ready to travel the road of following Jesus knowing that you are PROMISED suffering? Knowing that you are PROMISED that it will not neccessarily go the way that you want - that it will take you down a narrow road that will COST you?

But that on the way you will find out the meaning of what it truly means to live and be alive and know that your life will last beyond your own mortal body? To not fear death and power because you know that the one you follow has risen, will come again and on that day will vindicate you or give you what your soul and spirit has always longed for?

This is not about being a good member of a church, this is about will you follow Jesus in every aspect of your life.

Unfortunately you won’t neccessarily learn what this means by attending church most sundays.

This is partly why this blog exists - to try and work/live out what it means to follow Jesus - the real Jesus - not the Jesus that Peter wanted.

But Peter ended up getting it - so much so that eventually he died being crucified for his faith in Jesus - upside down at his request - because Peter said that he wasn’t worthy to die in the same way as his LORD. He did give it all up. He did lose his life for his LORD - do I think he regretted it? … No way.

It is hard for us in the western world to belive that anything could be worth risking money and our egos/respectability for (let alone our lives!).

I in no way claim to be a radical disciple who has given everything up - the best I can claim is to being a disciple somewhere between Peter rebuking Jesus and Peter getting crucified upside down - but closer to the Peter rebuking Jesus. This writing is as much a challenge to me. I write it not because I have ‘made it’ in my discipleship, but because I am ‘on the way’ and everyday Jesus challenges me to follow him. When I read passages like above this is what Jesus says to me, and then I pass it on.

All I know is that Jesus is the only one worth following - he is the MESSIAH (and not just a very naughty boy …), he is the only one who gives me life, and as he give me life, I seek to give that life to him the best I can. That challenges me everyday, but I know that Jesus is with me every step of the way.

What LORD are you following?

TWO RESOURCES for seeking to live the way of Jesus We Can be - living the beatitudes

http://wecan.be/

http://www.incommunion.org/articles/issue-30/living-the-beatitudes

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Expatriate Recognition

Saturday, July 8th, 2006

Mark 6:1-13 Contemporary English Version

Jesus left and returned to his hometown with his disciples. 2 The next Sabbath he taught in the Jewish meeting place. Many of the people who heard him were amazed and asked, “How can he do all this? Where did he get such wisdom and the power to work these miracles? 3 Isn’t he the carpenter, the son of Mary? Aren’t James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon his brothers? Don’t his sisters still live here in our town?” The people were very unhappy because of what he was doing.

But Jesus said, “Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their relatives and their own family.” 5 Jesus could not work any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people by placing his hands on them. 6 He was surprised that the people did not have any faith.

Jesus taught in all the neighboring villages.

7 Then he called together his twelve apostles and sent them out two by two with power over evil spirits. 8 He told them, “You may take along a walking stick. But don’t carry food or a traveling bag or any money. 9 It’s all right to wear sandals, but don’t take along a change of clothes. 10 When you are welcomed into a home, stay there until you leave that town. 11 If any place won’t welcome you or listen to your message, leave and shake the dust from your feet as a warning to them.”

12 The apostles left and started telling everyone to turn to God. 13 They forced out many demons and healed a lot of sick people by putting olive oil on them.

Reading this narrative as an expatriate colours my perspective. I grew up in a highly-connected rural area in the south of New Zealand in which strong relational networks provided strength for continuing the status quo. I knew that if I could just fit in with one of the clearly delineated streams of society that I would be fine. I could join the conservative Christian ’salt of the earth’ group, many of whom were related to me. I could join the rugby, racing and beer stream, many of whom were related to me. Only problem was I didn’t quite fit in either of those groups. And so I left and went North, looking for places and roles in which I could be myself without looking over my shoulder or having others look over my shoulder.

Now I’m in Australia, a long way from the networks I helped develop in New Zealand. I’ve come to realise that recognition of capacity starts at home, right with me. It’s my own fears that lead to limitations, as well as my natural liabilities of course. The voices that say “Who do you think you are?” are generally from tapes that I play, not other people.

But occasionally I do come across people who seem to project their own limited thinking on to others. “Because I can’t imagine myself trying that, how could you?”. I find Jesus’ instructions here so helpful. Shake the dust off. Do not take those people’s limitations with you. Do not replay their pettiness in your future undertakings.

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Lent Beginning

Tuesday, March 7th, 2006

The Baptism of Jesus
About that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As soon as Jesus came out of the water, he saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit coming down to him like a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.”

Jesus and Satan
Right away God’s Spirit made Jesus go into the desert. He stayed there for forty days while Satan tested him. Jesus was with the wild animals, but angels took care of him.

Jesus Begins His Work
After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and told the good news that comes from God. He said, “The time has come! God’s kingdom will soon be here. Turn back to God and believe the good news!”

Mark 1:9-15 (Contemporary English Version)

Following the Revised Common Lectionary can do strange things to the way we read the gospels. We’d not long been following the ministry of Jesus when suddenly Lent arrives and we’re right back to the beginning again! At church we’re encouraged to enter a phase of preparation for Easter. We’re asked what we’re going to give up for Lent.

I must admit I’m in two minds on this.

I’ve always been wary of an artificial division of life into holy days and ‘not so holy’ days. Much of the literature around the seasons of the Church revolves around the natural seasons of the Northern Hemisphere. Above the equator there’s the anticipation of Spring. Down under we’re heading into autumn, though on the Gold Coast I’m not sure we see any discernible difference. Seasons of the church don’t seem to have much correlation with what’s going on in the everyday rhythms of anyone’s life beyond the life of the church.

However there is something helpful about shared focus on preparation for changed minds and changed lives. As a family we’ve started a short Lent reflection before dinner each night, courtesy of Phil Hoffman in Adelaide.

I note this morning that Jesus goes into the wilderness for forty days. Forty days of preparation for a new phase of his life. Preparation for a new era for us all. Preparation for living.

I find a parallel for myself here as I start a new phase of my work for the Uniting Church, serving as Vision for Mission Advocate, resourcing fresh missional initiatives in Queensland. The temptation for me is to launch head on into the challenges we face. The reality is that there’s a lot of inner work to be done. I’m challenged to reframe my approach to life and align myself again with the values of God. That has implications for the way in which I approach relationships, power, authority and finances.

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