A CROSS GENTLEMEN, A CROSS!
It’s getting on towards Good Friday and Easter. It’s a time where, for 2000 years the followers of Jesus Christ have reflected on the facts of the events of his life and his death, and of his person, and on the meaning of what God does and how he operates. The Gospel tells us that in Jesus Christ God was doing his speaking, and speaking his doing.
Now it’s one thing for God to speak. It’s another for us to hear. Often enough we hear what we want to hear or expect to hear. And sometimes we are so badly tuned or trained that we might as well be deaf.
EPISODE 1
Consider Jesus and his disciples in Mark’s Gospel. They travel with Jesus on his mission, often struggling, or failing, to understand. Finally in Mark Ch 8 Peter ‘gets it’. “You are the Christ,” he blurts out. Finally they see him for who he is. Alleluia!
Jesus immediately began to teach them what he had withheld from them to this point:
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this…(Mark 8:31-32a)
Peter hears what Jesus says – and protests strongly.
…and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. (Mark 8:32b)
‘No Jesus, you are the Christ, and no Christ of mine is going to be killed!’
Jesus tells him off. And not subtly either. ‘Out of my sight, Satan!’ He then proceeds to tell them that anyone who want to come with him is going to get a cross for his trouble, not glory.
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34)
You want to live? Then die. You want to save? Then lose. If there’s going to be glory, it’s in and beyond your dying.
EPISODE 2
In Mark 9, Jesus repeats his earlier prediction.
He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. (Mark 9:31-32)
And they truly don’t get it. “A cross gentleman, a cross!” The disciples? Arguing about who will be the greatest. Children, children, can’t you hear? Want to be first? Be last. Want to be the greatest? Be least! A cross gentlemen, a cross! Get ready to die.
EPISODE 3
In Mark 10 Jesus repeats the prediction a third time.
"We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." (Mark 10:33-34)
Glory? Only through death.
James and John are thinking ahead. A cross for us? No! We want the best seats in the house!
"Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." (Mark 10:37)
No gentlemen, no! A cup of suffering, and baptism into death. I’m surely offering you a role. But as servants. With a cross. You want to lord it over others? You want to have authority? Only as you are slave of all.
Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
(Mark 10:42-45)
How then shall we live? As he did. The call is to live (and die) within his story, in his footsteps. And what did he do?
“Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
Bless you people. Happy Good Friday and happy Easter.
Fred
Friends, I’m taking leave of absence from the Parish Ministry from Easter Sunday. This will be the last blog for I don’t know how long. I hope this has been a blessing for you, and that maybe you have found inspiration for sermons, or personal devotions. In the main it’s been great fun writing these, and I’d encourage any of you to do similar things.
Over and out…
Fred
Now it’s one thing for God to speak. It’s another for us to hear. Often enough we hear what we want to hear or expect to hear. And sometimes we are so badly tuned or trained that we might as well be deaf.
EPISODE 1
Consider Jesus and his disciples in Mark’s Gospel. They travel with Jesus on his mission, often struggling, or failing, to understand. Finally in Mark Ch 8 Peter ‘gets it’. “You are the Christ,” he blurts out. Finally they see him for who he is. Alleluia!
Jesus immediately began to teach them what he had withheld from them to this point:
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this…(Mark 8:31-32a)
Peter hears what Jesus says – and protests strongly.
…and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. (Mark 8:32b)
‘No Jesus, you are the Christ, and no Christ of mine is going to be killed!’
Jesus tells him off. And not subtly either. ‘Out of my sight, Satan!’ He then proceeds to tell them that anyone who want to come with him is going to get a cross for his trouble, not glory.
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34)
You want to live? Then die. You want to save? Then lose. If there’s going to be glory, it’s in and beyond your dying.
EPISODE 2
In Mark 9, Jesus repeats his earlier prediction.
He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. (Mark 9:31-32)
And they truly don’t get it. “A cross gentleman, a cross!” The disciples? Arguing about who will be the greatest. Children, children, can’t you hear? Want to be first? Be last. Want to be the greatest? Be least! A cross gentlemen, a cross! Get ready to die.
EPISODE 3
In Mark 10 Jesus repeats the prediction a third time.
"We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." (Mark 10:33-34)
Glory? Only through death.
James and John are thinking ahead. A cross for us? No! We want the best seats in the house!
"Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." (Mark 10:37)
No gentlemen, no! A cup of suffering, and baptism into death. I’m surely offering you a role. But as servants. With a cross. You want to lord it over others? You want to have authority? Only as you are slave of all.
Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
(Mark 10:42-45)
How then shall we live? As he did. The call is to live (and die) within his story, in his footsteps. And what did he do?
“Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
Bless you people. Happy Good Friday and happy Easter.
Fred
Friends, I’m taking leave of absence from the Parish Ministry from Easter Sunday. This will be the last blog for I don’t know how long. I hope this has been a blessing for you, and that maybe you have found inspiration for sermons, or personal devotions. In the main it’s been great fun writing these, and I’d encourage any of you to do similar things.
Over and out…
Fred
posted by PastorFredVeerhuis at 9:52 AM
2 Comments:
What a perfect topic to take a pause on Fred! Thank you for your faith inspired words on this blog.
May this and other posts you have made on this site start conversations everywhere.
And when you are ready and able, I look forward to more of your words inspired by Jesus Christ.
Pastor Fred,
You have been Pastor and friend to me through this blog. Being a pastor's wife I often need to hear gospel from another's lips (or in your case typing).
I was a guest in your congregation the day you announced your need of and reasons for leave of absence. Please know my prayers are with you and your wife during this time and may God grant you your heart's desire - himself in great abundance.
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