We Win By Losing

I wonder how many of us can really relate to Peter and how he reacted to Jesus' announcing that he is on his way to Jerusalem where he would be rejected by the elders and killed?  (Mark 8:31-38)  As if trying to absorb the impact of his words was not enough, Jesus tells his followers that they must deny themselves and take up their crosses.  Can you blame Peter for asking his dear friend and mentor, "Just hold on and wait a minute, think about what you are saying; isn't this a bit much?"  Let's face it,
 Peter was finding it difficult to understand why following Jesus required such a commitment.  Was he being selfish in wanting to hold onto those things he held dear?  Was it really necessary to let them go, after all he was not a wealthy man? 

All of us have some experience with selfishness.  We can easily call to mind some people we know who are completely self-absorbed with their own feelings, desires and opinions.  We know them because it is hard to be around them for very long without trying to run for the exit.  Of course part of the problem is that we mirror ourselves in others and see a glimpse of what makes us uncomfortable in ourselves in others.  Yet most of us can be completely oblivious to the ways in which we ourselves are absorbed in our own opinions, feelings or wants.  We just don't notice it because it is about us.  But make no mistake... all of us have plenty of experience with selfishness...our own selfishness.

Despite what we think or may have been taught, the self-denial that Jesus calls us to practice has nothing to do with denying ourselves something we like during lent.  It's not about giving up meat or chocolate for six weeks.  It goes way beyond that.  Jesus calls us to let go of our own self interest.  This is something most of us find a rather impossible choice, and perhaps one of the greatest obstacles to experiencing the life and love God offers us all.  I think it also means getting free from ourselves that place in which the ego is the center of our universe.  Perhaps that's what Jesus was getting at when he talked about trying to save our life by losing it.  He said that the only way to truly live is to give ourselves away for the sake of others.  When we get trapped in the prison of our own self indulgence, our own wants or what "I" deserve, we are stuck in a place that robs us of life itself.

We only truly discover the life and love that God has to offer when we let go of all of those things we cling to so tightly in that small place of the ego and open ourselves to the people around us in compassion, understanding and love.  Only then can we be open enough to receive the life and love that God wants to give to each of us every day.  (based on Alan Brehm, The Walking Dreamer, 2015.)

...The World the Flesh and the Devil

The forty days of Lent becomes a time of giving, giving ourselves to God by letting go of those distractions that get in the way of our journey. Jesus was driven by the Spirit to go into the wilderness and subjected himself to being “tempted by Satan” and be in the presence of “wild beasts.” For the past few weeks we have spoken of the demons of our lives that influence if not control our behavior, get in the way of our happiness and prevent us from being more available to God. By going into to the desert Jesus removed himself from the “world, the flesh and the devil."

Of course we know where and how this will all wind up but Mark’s beginning (Mark1: 19-15)  is not just somber, it’s dark, foreboding and ominous. And while in stark contrast to last week’s glorious transfiguration, it’s important for us to remember on this first Sunday in Lent... not because of the  penitential nature of Lent ...but because it represents a prototype of our lives which at times can and will be dark foreboding and ominous. This is the real us and Jesus in his divinely inspired incarnation is showing us the way to the kingdom as he provides a template for us to follow and proclaims that  "The kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." And as if Jesus’ words need validation, Mark writes…And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
 

So how can Lent be a transformative experience for us? We need no wilderness or desert, nor do we need to engage in acts of deprivation. Perhaps being attentive to our behavior, or changing a routine, removing an habitual act, or adding a novel practice can in some way, sow the seeds of change and transformation and open our hearts to God. The walk to Jerusalem is a step by step procession back to God with each prayer and act of compassion and self-denial.
 

Through all the tumult and the strife I hear the music ringing. It sounds an echo in my soul; how can I keep from singing? No storm can shake my inmost calm, while to that rock I’m clinging. Since I believe that love abides, how can I keep from singing? (from a Quaker hymn)

And This is My Beloved

Peter is at first speechless, then finally able to get the words out, he wants the moment to last forever by making a permanent dwelling to commemorate the “ecstatic” experience, (Mark 9:2-9). He was overcome with joy, the likes of which are impossible to effectively describe in mere words. Peter’s vision of the transfigured Christ, radiant in the brightest of light and surrounded by Moses and Elijah is perhaps, a glimpse into another dimension.

Nancy Rockwell writes that pure bliss is nearly impossible to describe, “...And, though we are urged to follow our bliss, it’s hard to imagine what bliss would be, except an answer to our inarticulate longings.  Perhaps that is why, in stories, transfiguring moments arrive as unexpected joy.  We cannot, after all, make them happen, but when they occur, we never, ever, forget them.” (The Bite in the Apple, February 8, 2015)

In Mark's Gospel, a story so full of secrecy, the Transfiguration says that Jesus has plans to be conspicuous. What he will disclose is not necessarily the secrets of the universe or the meaning of life; rather, it's himself. He may be hard to see clearly in all his intricate detail, considering the radiant glare, but he's surely there. At the Transfiguration then, we are in the presence of delight.  Delight as an aspect of the holy.  Meditation on Mark 9 can elevate this sense of delight. 

The Transfiguration does not sketch an image of intimidating purity or self-satisfied and inviolable majesty.  It is tender holiness.  The scene is a reminder that holiness, as a characteristic of God, is participatory and shared.  God loves, so God interacts.  This holiness expresses itself in self-giving, for that is what happens when someone adores and celebrates someone else. 

As God expresses this delight, we gain a little more insight into the divine heart and take delight in Jesus, for God does.  At the Transfiguration, then, Jesus stands in impressive company, sharing the moment with two others who know what it is to share close communion with God and to breach that seemingly unyielding boundary between life and death. 

The bright light of the Transfiguration affirms life, a light that shines ahead into Lent to keep that season in perspective, never without hope and confidence.  This light speaks a promise that God is here.  (WorkingPreacher.org.2015 Matt Skinner)

 

Go to the desert...abide in Him...renew

Jesus is a man of action; he moves with a deliberate sense of purpose as he focuses on the work at hand (Mark 1:29-30). As the Sabbath ends, it might have been tempting for him to bask in the success of a good day’s “work:” healing and teaching. Not so, Jesus is on the move and as in Mark’s previous Gospels, there’s a distinct sense of immediacy in what he does.  The Gospel depicts the power of forgiveness and healing and provides comfort for those who are in need. These extraordinary healings and exorcisms proclaim Jesus’ identity and his divine power, all of which he credits to God to whom he retreats to the desert to pray before dawn.

Jesus knows the needs of those who are sick and disturbed… but he also knows the absolute necessity of silence and communion with the Father. While this balance in Jesus’ life was intended to be an example to his first disciples, it is even more important to us today. So much emphasis is placed on who we are and what we do and what we have achieved. When we are consumed with the things of the world and don’t take the time to catch our breath to refresh, to let go, to get away…and go to our own desert, we lose sight of the importance of “being,” of spending time with ourselves and with God. Jesus provides an example of what it means to be a “whole person.”  He is fully involved in his ministry and generously gives his time and energy to those around him …yet he takes time for himself and for God.

Mark’s Gospel invites us to a world of worship that goes beyond words. It’s one in which the words become flesh in us and in those who reach out for our help. While there is a strong bias for action and immediacy, we are inspired to be free of the “demons” that get in the way of our living fully human as God intended for us. In so doing, we are invited to go to our desert and abide in him and be renewed. The spirit of the Epiphany is ongoing.