In the cross walk
a sermon by Tammy nelson
presented on march 4, 2012
at san leandro community church
for the second sunday in lent
based on mark 8:27-38
One of my favorite quotes comes from the novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The headmaster of the school, Albus Dumbledore takes a moment to share this piece of wisdom with Harry: “Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”
Today’s scripture is also about choosing between what is right and what is easy. As Valerie mentioned last week, Lent is a time to explore Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan to take the easy route to Messiahship. Use his power for personal gain (stone to bread), surrender his authority to another to gain power, wealth, fame, etc. (bow down to Satan and gain all the kingdoms of the earth), And perform amazing, miraculous feats to prove himself (throw himself from the highest point in the temple and let the angels catch him as proof that he really is God’s chosen one). It was fairly obvious to Jesus in the wilderness, what was the correct choice and the scripture says that Satan left Jesus alone until a more opportune time.
When we are really concentrating on the things of the Spirit, when we are attuned to God and listening for that still small voice, it is pretty easy to make the right choices. But when we enter back into the daily grind, it is more difficult to see temptations for what they are.
The last time I brought the message, we saw Jesus healing and teaching. We saw popularity coming to him as people from everywhere came with their sick and demon possessed for healing. He was about to make it big, and what did Jesus do? He walked away from that town, because he saw a glimpse of what fame would do. He knew what he was born to accomplish and if he spent all his time healing in one location, he would not be able to accomplish his mission. It would be a wonderful, fulfilling life, but it would not be what he was meant to do.
Today, we see Jesus encounter another possible turning point in his ministry. Peter has just declared Jesus to be the long awaited Messiah. This was HUGE! People had generations to imagine and vision what their Messiah would be and do. Jesus instructed his disciples to keep this news under wraps for now. He’d already seen what fame can bring, and the Messiah! Well, that was a whole new layer of problems as Jesus quickly found out.
He began to talk about the troubles he was going to be encountering along the way, about opposition from the religious leaders, about persecution and eventual execution. But Peter, confident now in his recent revelation of who Jesus was, KNEW what was supposed to happen. And Jesus’ vision of pain, humiliation and death was not part of the whole Messiah package. I can just imagine the disciples listening with growing unease to Jesus teachings. They begin to murmur to themselves and finally they make Peter go talk to Jesus about his message.
Peter, trying to be kind, takes Jesus aside before he chides him. You’re the MESSIAH! You’re supposed to be gaining popularity, supporters, you’re supposed to sound the message of liberation. Enough with the gloom and doom message.
And Jesus, knowing it is not just Peter who shares this view, turns to everyone as he somewhat harshly it would seem, tells them the reality of what it means to be his follower. He recognizes the present temptation to bow to the whims of another in order to get easy recognition and power. He could whip the people up into a revolt, deliver a rousing speech and attack the Jewish oppressors. All he had to do was surrender who he was to the people’s perception of what a Messiah was supposed to be. And just like in the wilderness, he recognized the temptation for what it was. He refused to be less than himself.
Jesus knew what it meant to be authentically human. He knew what God had in mind when humanity was first created. Why would he surrender that reality for something inferior? Human perception sometimes gets skewed. We can see that in things like optical illusions. Have you ever seen the one where there are two people in different corners of a room. One looks like a giant and the other normal sized simply because the room is sloped from one end to the other so at one end your head might hit the ceiling and on the other there are several feet of space between you and the ceiling? Reality is the shape of the room. Our perception is how we make sense of the room.
The Messiah is a reality. People’s perception of the Messiah is how they make sense of messiahness. And it has a LOT to do with where each person is in their life. A people under sever oppression would think of the messiah as a rescuer, someone to free them from their oppressors. People who live a pretty comfortable life would view the Messiah in very different terms. Perhaps the messiah would come to bring others the chance to live the comfortable life.
But Jesus knew what he was meant to do and be. He challenged everyone’s perceptions and called them to authenticity as well. He called them to be examples. When we think of crosses, what do we envision? The pretty stained glass works of art that decorate church buildings? The lovely gold or silver pendants that adorn the faithful? The idea that we all have our cross to bear? It would have been a very different vision playing through Jesus’ listeners minds when they envisioned the cross. The cross was an instrument of humiliation and torture, meant to be an example to all who passed by, seeing people suffering a slow painful death. The closest I could think of in my mind was, if anyone would follow Jesus, let them take up their noose and follow him.
We are called to be an example to the world. An example of love, forgiveness, healing for all to see. It is only when we are able to lay aside our perceptions and embody God’s reality on earth that we will be able to be authentically us.
In Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32..
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.... How many other things are we missing?
Today’s scripture is also about choosing between what is right and what is easy. As Valerie mentioned last week, Lent is a time to explore Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan to take the easy route to Messiahship. Use his power for personal gain (stone to bread), surrender his authority to another to gain power, wealth, fame, etc. (bow down to Satan and gain all the kingdoms of the earth), And perform amazing, miraculous feats to prove himself (throw himself from the highest point in the temple and let the angels catch him as proof that he really is God’s chosen one). It was fairly obvious to Jesus in the wilderness, what was the correct choice and the scripture says that Satan left Jesus alone until a more opportune time.
When we are really concentrating on the things of the Spirit, when we are attuned to God and listening for that still small voice, it is pretty easy to make the right choices. But when we enter back into the daily grind, it is more difficult to see temptations for what they are.
The last time I brought the message, we saw Jesus healing and teaching. We saw popularity coming to him as people from everywhere came with their sick and demon possessed for healing. He was about to make it big, and what did Jesus do? He walked away from that town, because he saw a glimpse of what fame would do. He knew what he was born to accomplish and if he spent all his time healing in one location, he would not be able to accomplish his mission. It would be a wonderful, fulfilling life, but it would not be what he was meant to do.
Today, we see Jesus encounter another possible turning point in his ministry. Peter has just declared Jesus to be the long awaited Messiah. This was HUGE! People had generations to imagine and vision what their Messiah would be and do. Jesus instructed his disciples to keep this news under wraps for now. He’d already seen what fame can bring, and the Messiah! Well, that was a whole new layer of problems as Jesus quickly found out.
He began to talk about the troubles he was going to be encountering along the way, about opposition from the religious leaders, about persecution and eventual execution. But Peter, confident now in his recent revelation of who Jesus was, KNEW what was supposed to happen. And Jesus’ vision of pain, humiliation and death was not part of the whole Messiah package. I can just imagine the disciples listening with growing unease to Jesus teachings. They begin to murmur to themselves and finally they make Peter go talk to Jesus about his message.
Peter, trying to be kind, takes Jesus aside before he chides him. You’re the MESSIAH! You’re supposed to be gaining popularity, supporters, you’re supposed to sound the message of liberation. Enough with the gloom and doom message.
And Jesus, knowing it is not just Peter who shares this view, turns to everyone as he somewhat harshly it would seem, tells them the reality of what it means to be his follower. He recognizes the present temptation to bow to the whims of another in order to get easy recognition and power. He could whip the people up into a revolt, deliver a rousing speech and attack the Jewish oppressors. All he had to do was surrender who he was to the people’s perception of what a Messiah was supposed to be. And just like in the wilderness, he recognized the temptation for what it was. He refused to be less than himself.
Jesus knew what it meant to be authentically human. He knew what God had in mind when humanity was first created. Why would he surrender that reality for something inferior? Human perception sometimes gets skewed. We can see that in things like optical illusions. Have you ever seen the one where there are two people in different corners of a room. One looks like a giant and the other normal sized simply because the room is sloped from one end to the other so at one end your head might hit the ceiling and on the other there are several feet of space between you and the ceiling? Reality is the shape of the room. Our perception is how we make sense of the room.
The Messiah is a reality. People’s perception of the Messiah is how they make sense of messiahness. And it has a LOT to do with where each person is in their life. A people under sever oppression would think of the messiah as a rescuer, someone to free them from their oppressors. People who live a pretty comfortable life would view the Messiah in very different terms. Perhaps the messiah would come to bring others the chance to live the comfortable life.
But Jesus knew what he was meant to do and be. He challenged everyone’s perceptions and called them to authenticity as well. He called them to be examples. When we think of crosses, what do we envision? The pretty stained glass works of art that decorate church buildings? The lovely gold or silver pendants that adorn the faithful? The idea that we all have our cross to bear? It would have been a very different vision playing through Jesus’ listeners minds when they envisioned the cross. The cross was an instrument of humiliation and torture, meant to be an example to all who passed by, seeing people suffering a slow painful death. The closest I could think of in my mind was, if anyone would follow Jesus, let them take up their noose and follow him.
We are called to be an example to the world. An example of love, forgiveness, healing for all to see. It is only when we are able to lay aside our perceptions and embody God’s reality on earth that we will be able to be authentically us.
In Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32..
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.... How many other things are we missing?