March 8, 2001
Stephen K. Nash
Mark 8:31-38

2^nd Sunday in Lent

"I've Got These Brochures"

If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves
and take up their cross and follow me.

Any takers? Anyone interested in a faith that involves subjugating self-interest, submitting oneself to the possibility of ridicule and shame, perhaps even suffering and death? Mark seems to think that that is necessary if one is to be a follower of Jesus. He also knows that that decision is not natural, and does not come easily made.

The whole conversation begins with Jesus teaching the disciples that he must endure suffering, be rejected by religious and political authorities, be killed, and, on the third day, rise. It comes as no surprise that the disciples’ hearing was selective at that point. It seems that they got the part about the suffering and the rejection and the being killed, but, evidently, never hear the third-day-rise-again part of the teaching. Suffering. Rejection. Death. Needless to say, that does not fit with their picture of a successful rabbi. It certainly doesn’t square with their preconceived notions about what a messiah should be and do - God’s anointed one, the one who would save God’s people.

Peter has just finished making that remarkable affirmation, immediately before this occasion in Mark’s gospel. Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do the people think that I am?" And they reply, "Some think you are John the Baptist. Others think you are Elijah." But Jesus pressed the point. "Who do you think that I am? Who do you say that I am?" That’s always the question. Does it really matter what someone else says about him? "You are the Messiah," Peter says. And Jesus tells them not to tell anyone else.

According to Mark, it was after this little bit of dialogue that Jesus begins talking about rejection and suffering and death. I am not surprised by what happens next. Peter takes him aside and begins to rebuke him. Rebuke - it’s a strong word. In Mark’s gospel it is what Jesus does to the wind when a storm threatens the little boat in which he and the disciples are riding on the lake on the Sea of Galilee. It’s what Jesus does to evil spirits that would control a person’s life and cut them off from the community into which they were called. Rebuked - it’s a strong word. It is interesting to note that whenever anyone else in Mark’s gospel rebukes someone, they get it all wrong. The disciples rebuke people for bringing children to Jesus. Same word. The crowd rebukes a blind man who is trying to get Jesus’ attention as he passes along on the road. Same word. And Peter rebukes Jesus for suggesting that rejection and suffering and death is a part of the messianic agenda. The word must have some connotation of having power and control over other people. Perhaps Mark is subtly suggesting that the only person who can be trusted to have that kind of power and authority over another is Jesus.

Peter rebukes Jesus. Jesus rebukes Peter in strong language. "Get behind me, Satan!" In other words, what Peter suggests - life without pain, messianic leadership without suffering - what Peter suggests for Jesus is a real temptation. Avoid the pain. Avoid the suffering. Avoid the humiliation. Avoid the cross. It is a temptation for Jesus--for me. Jesus rejects it. He calls the crowd to come and to listen along with his disciples. What he is about to say, what he is about to tell them, is not just for a select few. It’s not for saints and priests and preachers. It is for everyone. And what he says is that the denial of self, carrying the cross, is not just what God has in mind for him—not only a messianic vocation, but the vocation of anyone who would follow the messiah. It is for anyone who would be a follower of Jesus.

Now, what does it mean, to take up a cross and follow him? One thing is for certain, taking up a cross is something that we decide to do. It is not something that just happens to us. It is not just some unfortunate circumstance of life that comes our way. I once knew a woman who suffered from periodic attacks of gout. Walking was painful, very painful. It was difficult for her to get from place to place. But she referred to this ailment as "the cross I have to bear." I don’t mean to discount or minimize her discomfort. But I suspect that Jesus had something different in mind.

What did it mean when he said, "If anyone would become one of my followers, they must take up their cross and follow me?" Some focus on the outcome. There are those who say that taking up one’s cross means being prepared to endure severe suffering, even physical death. There are others who point to the word that is translated "take up" and observe that that word literally means "pick up and carry." Perhaps, they suggest, the image that should come to mind is of a clear display of our faith in the public arena with all the scorn and ridicule that evidencing one’s faith convictions might evoke. Others interpret it as referring to a psychological/spiritual death to an old way of life—an old way of being and seeing--and rebirth to a new way of life, of being and seeing.

But what does Mark mean specifically when he says the followers of Jesus must take up their cross and follow him? What does it mean practically for you and me?

I am not sure. I am not sure that it means the same thing for each of us. I am not sure that it means the same thing in every situation. For me, it may involve no greater risk than opposition and criticism and perhaps a modest measure of material sacrifice - although I am no fan of opposition and criticism and material sacrifice - but we know that for Christians who gave shelter to Jews during the Third Reich, taking up the cross meant a risk of far more serious consequences.

Whatever it may mean, what I want to know is this - is this a good idea? Is this the way to capture people’s attention? Interest people in your program? It seems to me that we (And by "we" I do not mean just Tellico Village Community Church or even the ICCC. By "we" I mean almost every church that I know.) spend a lot of time talking about all the things that the church has to offer. You’ve seen the ads . . . Dynamic Worship! - Wonderful Music! - Enriching Fellowship! - Opportunities for Growth for Children & Youth! You’ve heard the promises . . . Deepen your spiritual life. Get closer to God, find peace of mind. In other words, what we tell people is what we can do for them—and there is much that the church can and does do for people. It’s understandable that we want to highlight it—to market it.

You see, Christendom has died. Christendom—that cultural reality in which respectable people, by virtue of being good citizens were just expected to be a part of some faith community. It was simply a component of being a part of Western Culture. But Christendom died, and that is a good thing, really. Even though membership in mainline churches experienced a decline through the death of Christendom, the percentage of members who were truly committed to the cause increases. But the disestablishment of religion in American culture means that churches now must compete for the interest and allegiance of those who are still curious about Christian faith and Christian community. We have even heard Christian preachers promise that following Jesus is the path to success. Want to get ahead in the world? Want God to be on your side? Of course, that offends us, and rightly so. We want no part of that obscene religious hucksterism. We don’t say that following Jesus will make you rich or famous or happy. We haven’t been guilty of perverting the gospel by saying that it’s the path to success. No.

But the truth is, I wonder sometimes if, in our effort to be attractive to people, we have not always made full disclosure about the demands of discipleship. We haven’t wanted to discourage people. We haven’t wanted to offend anyone, particularly the curious. We haven’t wanted to seem like we were fanatics. So we put a picture of discipleship on the table, a picture that is not too radical, not too demanding, and frankly, not too directly connected with the hard sayings of Jesus. We haven’t asked for any unreasonable commitment. We haven’t asked people to turn their backs on idolatries that they are particularly attached to. We haven’t talked about self-sacrifice or denial or choosing a path that involves the risk of shame or ridicule, much less suffering.

What I wonder is, have we made a mistake? I am not even thinking about, have we made a mistake in the sense that we have misrepresented Jesus of Nazareth and the whole tradition of the church in presenting a kind of discipleship that costs only within the deductible limits? What I am wondering is, have we made a mistake in that we failed to tap something that is deep, deep within the human spirit? Have we failed to offer bread of substance for the hunger of the human soul? In our helpings of chicken soup for the soul, have we failed to provide strong, meaty stew for the labor of the Spirit? Have we failed to recognize the innate human need not just for security, but for significance? Not just for love and acceptance, but for meaning and purpose? Someone has said that humans can survive any HOW if we have a WHY.

Will Willimon is a Methodist preacher. He is Dean of the Chapel at Duke University and professor of the practice of Christian ministry there. He tells the story how a few years ago a representative of Teach America visited the Duke campus. Teach America tries to recruit this nation’s most talented college graduates to go into some of the nation’s worst public schools. The goal is to transform those schools into something better. The woman from Teach America stood up in front of a large group of Duke students - a larger group, says Willimon, than he would have expected to show up for that sort of thing - she said to them, "I can tell by looking at you that I have probably come to the wrong place. Somebody told me that this was a ‘BMW campus’ and I can believe by just looking at you. Just by looking at you I can tell that all of you are a success. Why would you be on this campus if you were not going on to successful careers on Madison Avenue or Wall Street? And yet, here I stand, hoping to talk you into giving your life away in the toughest job you will ever have. I am looking for people to go into the hollows of West Virginia, into the ghettos of South Los Angeles and teach in some of the most difficult schools in the world. Last year two of our teachers were killed while on the job. And I can tell, just by looking at you, that none of you are interested in that. So, go on to law school or medical school or wherever - or do whatever successful thing you are planning to do. But, if by chance, some of you just happen to be interested, I have got these brochures here for you to tell you about Teach America. That’s all. Good night." And she walked away. With that, Dr. Willimon said, the whole group stood up and pushed into the aisles and shoved each other aside and ran down front and fought over those brochures.

Jim Elliot, a martyred missionary to the Auca Indians in Central American once said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep, for that which he can never lose.”

Maybe we’ve gotten it all wrong. Maybe we should just be up front about it. If any of you want to be my follower, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me. I can tell, by looking at you, that none of you are interested. I am not interested in it. But, just in case any of you are, I have these brochures.