The Life We Save

31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." (Mark 8:31-33)

This couldn't be right! After everything the disciples had seen Jesus do, and heard Jesus say, now he was telling them that he must suffer and be killed - and they must follow him. Many of us have passed through this season of Lent so many times that we see it only in light of the resurrection that will come. We forget, or ignore, how inconceivably jarring this news must have been. Victory seemed at hand. With Jesus leading them, there was no reason to think that Roman rule, or the corruption within the established church, would stand in the way of the new promised land they seemed on the verge of entering.

We stand in the disciples' shoes more often that we want to admit - confused, questioning, doubting. We are constantly campaigning to Jesus for our own agenda to be met (setting our minds on human things). We are challenged - always, but especially during Lent - to lay down and let go of what we expect the promised land to look like. Denying ourselves and taking up our cross may look like seeking a justice and wholeness for others that we don't even feel we have received yet. While culture teaches us to take care of "number one", Jesus reminds us who "number one" really is. Caring for the things of God (divine things) by meeting the needs of others - sharing the weight of burdens, grief, and uncertainty, thereby ensuring their peace - ensures

we will find our peace as well.

34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their soul? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:34-38)