“If now, while they are one people,
all speaking the same language,
they have started to do this,
nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do.
Let us then go down and there confuse their language,
so that one will not understand what another says.” Genesis 11:6-7
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Mark 8:34-35
Piety (Psalm 33)
The LORD foils the plan of nations, frustrates the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever, wise designs through all generations.
Happy the nation whose God is the LORD, the people chosen as his very own.
From heaven the LORD looks down and observes the whole human race,
Surveying from the royal throne all who dwell on earth.
The one who fashioned the hearts of them all knows all their works.
A king is not saved by a mighty army, nor a warrior delivered by great strength.
Useless is the horse for safety; its great strength, no sure escape.
But the LORD'S eyes are upon the reverent, upon those who hope for his gracious help,
Delivering them from death, keeping them alive in times of famine.
Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and shield.
For in God our hearts rejoice; in your holy name we trust.
Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/021607.shtml
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.” Mark 8:34-35
This call to discipleship immediately follows Jesus’ rebuke of Peter (“Get behind me” parallels “Follow me.”). As the NAB points out, “this utterance of Jesus challenges all believers to authentic discipleship and total commitment to himself through self-renunciation and acceptance of the cross of suffering, even to the sacrifice of life itself.”[1]
“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.” Life seen as mere self-centered earthly existence and lived in denial of Christ ends in destruction, but when lived in loyalty to Christ, despite earthly death, it arrives at fullness of life.[2]
Ched Myers et al. point out that Jesus underscores the point that “Gain and loss should not be calculated according to the ledgers of the dominant culture.”[3]
What of the symbol in this expression? The cross? In today’s reading, we might envision a cross that is steeped in religious symbolism. Walk into any jewelry store at Fair Oaks Mall and you can see cases filled with crosses – silver ones, gold ones and some made of both silver and gold. Head down the Mall to the Family Christian Bookstore or down the street to The Pascal Lamb and there will be more – maybe some made of wood and others of plastic. Some to wear. Some to hang on your wall. Some to display on your car.
Watch any talk show and actors and actresses wearing crosses will parade out to promote their latest book, movie, marriage or other narcissistic endeavor.
But this modern religious/cultural icon is NOT the cross that the disciples will picture when Jesus speaks.
Jesus is not asking the disciples to “give up” chocolate for Lent. He is challenging them to give up their very human existence and take up this cross of certain death. Today, he might challenge us to face execution by the electric chair or the gurney where prisoners today are strapped down and killed – not for capital offenses but for His sake or for the gospel!
Action
We have six days until we begin the Lenten Season for 2007. Where is Jesus calling you to take up your electric chair?
He doesn’t want us pre-occupied with building modern day towers of
The challenge of the execution challenges the “self” as the center of the universe. It calls us out of life centered in individualism and self-interest and into life according to God’s love. Out of this love, Jesus calls us to resist systems and structures that cause or perpetuate injustice. Where in your life are you called to resist the culture of violence, consumerism, or other forced of injustice?[4]
No comments:
Post a Comment