14/9/03 6 p.m. Year B Trinity 13/Proper 19 Mark 8:31-38

MK 8:27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" 28 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"     Peter answered, "You are the Christ. " 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

31 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. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

34 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. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

On Thursday night former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was being interviewed on "Newsnight". He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and was very challenging to George Bush and Tony Blair. Carter declared that he is a follower of Jesus, "the Prince of Peace", and he therefore opposes the Iraq war. He pointed out that during his administration, with the help of God, there had been no war(s). He also said that there was no evidence that Blair had managed to restrain Bush and he accused Blair of acquiescing to Bush's wishes in Iraq, Lebanon, and the Middle East peace process.

In today's gospel Jesus challenges his disciples. First he challenges them to state who they think he is.  He starts them off by asking who people say he is before asking them what they think. It would be hard to think that the disciples had not discussed this privately before and Peter speaks, perhaps for all of them and declares that Jesus is the Christ ( Greek ), Messiah ( Hebrew ) literally "the anointed one" who they expected would come and deliver God's people.

This question is, perhaps, the most important one we can ever answer. Our eternal destiny could depend on it. Not just on the answer, but what we understand by it.

Around 70% of people declared themselves "Christian" at the last census. But of them how many would say that they believe that Jesus is God; that he died and rose again; that he will come again; that his teaching is to be studied and acted upon.

You see, it is no good calling Jesus "Christ" unless you understand what that title really means.

This is why Jesus introduces the second challenge. The current thinking was that the Christ or Messiah would come and deliver God's people by military force from the occupying Roman forces. He would then ring in a prosperous kingdom that would echo the Kingdom of David, his ancestor.

Jesus, the "Prince of Peace"  said that his kingdom would be brought in by his own suffering, rejection, death and resurrection. Peter forgot about the rising again bit and followed the way of popular thinking and began to rebuke him. Perhaps Peter had images of being deputy leader in this new Kingdom!

Jesus admonishes Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."  Moments after God had revealed to Peter that Jesus is the Christ the devil used Peter to try and deflect Jesus from the cross and therefore, God's plan to save the world.

The challenge to political leaders from this today is "How do you seek to establish and maintain your goals?" Is declaring war on a country that poses no immediate and real threat to you justified, especially if you declare yourself to be a follower of Jesus Christ?

The challenge to the churches is "How do we seek to establish God's kingdom on earth?" Are we to keep a religious group of people happy by trying to give them what they want? Should we follow marketing ploys or the latest trends to attract certain types of people? Should we water the gospel down. Make following Jesus less difficult.

Jesus answers this with his next challenge. "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."

The person who took up their cross would carry it to their execution. A long, painful, humiliating death. Jesus would give up his life in this way and he calls his followers to imitate him. For most of Jesus' disciples that challenge would be met as they faced physical death because they were followers of Jesus.

But Jesus language is also symbolic. Following Jesus is not an easy road. It involves  opening yourself up to ridicule, rejection and suffering ,even the prospect of physical death for some. Jesus calls his followers to lose their lives for him. To die to their old way of life and rise to new life in Jesus. You see there's no resurrection... unless you're dead!

In this life we die to sin and rise to new life in Jesus. Because we are united with Jesus we follow him through death into eternal life. We experience eternal life now, on earth, but one day we will experience it in all it's fullness.

This is a real challenge to the way that people think today. People want the easy route. Something for nothing. A consumerist approach. Jesus words were to the disciples and the crowd. So he was talking to everybody about the cost of commitment.

When I worked fro Eagle Star insurance Group in Leicester from 1982-4 a group of us used to play darts regularly in the Staff Room. We were talking as we played and one man, called Alan, who probably knew I was a Christian asked me if I was a "Bible basher". I didn't respond quickly and Clare, who was a Roman Catholic said that there was nothing wrong in being a Christian. I immediately thought of the words of Jesus ; 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

Encourage them not to be ashamed of Jesus and invite someone to the Alpha Course.

We have to stand up for Christ in word and deed and be prepared to bear the consequences. This is especially relevant as we prepare for the "Have your say" initiative.

We have to take up our cross daily and follow Christ. It is a continuing process, we can't step back and say someone younger or more talented should be doing it.  We can't be scared or ashamed to live out our faith. To stand up for Jesus' teaching, to love people, to share our faith with others. Our faith should make an impact on our lives and that, in turn should impact others.

Like Jesus we live in an "adulterous and sinful generation". But we are to make a stand for him because he offers us eternal life and ...

there's no resurrection... unless you're dead!

 We should not be ashamed to live for eternity. To follow God's ways and to confess that we are Christians. Someone once said 'No-one can go to heaven who has not already sent their heart there.'

The catch phrase; "There's no resurrection... unless you're dead!" Has the preacher saying the first part and the congregation the second followed by "Hallelujah", "Amen", "Praise the Lord"

I introduced another catch phrase "there's no growing ... Without the sowing!" To encourage people to share their faith. Mark 4:26-34 18/6/06 Year B : Trinity 1