Superstitious Faith Part 2: Seeing things merely from a human point of view
This morning I found myself in Mark chapter eight. Here's Jesus talking freely with his disciples (verse 31) after having miraculously fed 4,000, healing a blind man, and dealing with religious people (a normal day at the office!). It was a vulnerable moment that only real friends can know about. Then, seemingly out of the blue, He says something that absolutely stuns his devoted followers. "The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead." (NLT version) What a negative confession of faith!
Of course, Peter, the mighty man of faith(remember, he had just gotten this big revelation from God that Jesus was the Christ, so he's flying high right now, ready to conquer the world for the Kingdom!), begins to reprimand Jesus for this awful negative confession. How could Jesus say these things? Doesn't He have enough faith to get the victory? And after all, we do need to watch what we say, right? We can speak things into existence with our words...blah blah blah...Jesus should not be saying these things. What if something bad does happen to Him now that He's made this declaration? But notice Jesus' reaction to Peter's reprimand... (again, NLT) “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
Get away from me, Satan? Peter? The rock? The one Jesus says to in another account, "flesh and blood has not revealed these things to you, but my Father who is in Heaven"? Isn't Jesus being a bit harsh? A little over the top? Maybe...maybe not...
If not, then what could possibly be so satanic about Peter's comments? I think we get a glimse in what Jesus says immediately after (vs. 34 and 35)... “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. " So...according to Jesus' words, Satan would want us to save our lives, do whatever it takes to avoid discomfort...even be the top dog...crush the enemy under our feet in Jesus' name...anything...so long as we don't fulfill our purpose and calling in God.
Could it be that Peter's "faith" was based on self-preservation at all costs? He was willing to proclaim Jesus as Messiah, His Victory...but not as the Passover Lamb, the suffering servant...our scapegoat. Could it be that he did not understand that sometimes faith involves suffering many terrible things in this life, in order to fulfill God's greater purpose in eternity? That God's ways are higher than our ways? That true faith comes by hearing, and hearing is from the very words of God spoken to us, not based our confession? That useful faith requires looking at things from God's perspective, rather than seeing things like merely from a human point of view?
Of course, looking at it all from this point in time, we know that Jesus' ultimate mission was indeed to suffer and die a horrible death on the Cross, then rise from the dead after three days for our sin and justification. But ponder this for a moment...what if Jesus' faith was like ours... instead of doing the Father's will, He decided that He would do whatever to save His life...maybe even rebuke these crazy notions of dying on the Cross, as if they from the devil? Where would we be today? Could it be that there is more this thing called faith than our positive confession?
And what am I going to do with this? Am I willing to give up my superstitious self-talk and self-aggrandizing delusions of faith for a life not so certain...where the lines are not so straight...one of constant surrender, loss...dare I say it, even doubt... all for this Jesus? Even if it means I too may suffer terrible things by making this choice every day? Or will I continue clinging on to my petty wants, my carnal idolatries, making hollow declarations of peace and prosperity, all in the name of faith? Will I give in to just playing it safe...Satan's way of fulfillment, still clinging to the cares of this life...this illusion called all that this world offers? And it makes me wonder...can I even have any part of this abundant resurrection life Jesus promised apart from this death to my ease and comfort?
My prayer today is that, by God's grace, Jesus will not be ashamed of me "when He returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” That's my confession. Amen.
Of course, Peter, the mighty man of faith(remember, he had just gotten this big revelation from God that Jesus was the Christ, so he's flying high right now, ready to conquer the world for the Kingdom!), begins to reprimand Jesus for this awful negative confession. How could Jesus say these things? Doesn't He have enough faith to get the victory? And after all, we do need to watch what we say, right? We can speak things into existence with our words...blah blah blah...Jesus should not be saying these things. What if something bad does happen to Him now that He's made this declaration? But notice Jesus' reaction to Peter's reprimand... (again, NLT) “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
Get away from me, Satan? Peter? The rock? The one Jesus says to in another account, "flesh and blood has not revealed these things to you, but my Father who is in Heaven"? Isn't Jesus being a bit harsh? A little over the top? Maybe...maybe not...
If not, then what could possibly be so satanic about Peter's comments? I think we get a glimse in what Jesus says immediately after (vs. 34 and 35)... “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. " So...according to Jesus' words, Satan would want us to save our lives, do whatever it takes to avoid discomfort...even be the top dog...crush the enemy under our feet in Jesus' name...anything...so long as we don't fulfill our purpose and calling in God.
Could it be that Peter's "faith" was based on self-preservation at all costs? He was willing to proclaim Jesus as Messiah, His Victory...but not as the Passover Lamb, the suffering servant...our scapegoat. Could it be that he did not understand that sometimes faith involves suffering many terrible things in this life, in order to fulfill God's greater purpose in eternity? That God's ways are higher than our ways? That true faith comes by hearing, and hearing is from the very words of God spoken to us, not based our confession? That useful faith requires looking at things from God's perspective, rather than seeing things like merely from a human point of view?
Of course, looking at it all from this point in time, we know that Jesus' ultimate mission was indeed to suffer and die a horrible death on the Cross, then rise from the dead after three days for our sin and justification. But ponder this for a moment...what if Jesus' faith was like ours... instead of doing the Father's will, He decided that He would do whatever to save His life...maybe even rebuke these crazy notions of dying on the Cross, as if they from the devil? Where would we be today? Could it be that there is more this thing called faith than our positive confession?
And what am I going to do with this? Am I willing to give up my superstitious self-talk and self-aggrandizing delusions of faith for a life not so certain...where the lines are not so straight...one of constant surrender, loss...dare I say it, even doubt... all for this Jesus? Even if it means I too may suffer terrible things by making this choice every day? Or will I continue clinging on to my petty wants, my carnal idolatries, making hollow declarations of peace and prosperity, all in the name of faith? Will I give in to just playing it safe...Satan's way of fulfillment, still clinging to the cares of this life...this illusion called all that this world offers? And it makes me wonder...can I even have any part of this abundant resurrection life Jesus promised apart from this death to my ease and comfort?
My prayer today is that, by God's grace, Jesus will not be ashamed of me "when He returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” That's my confession. Amen.
posted by Pastor Mel at 11:38 AM
1 Comments:
What I find refreshing is that even when we don't get it or understand the Father's will (like the example you gave of Peter)we are corrected and disciplined so that we continue to grow in our faith. Isn't that what it's all about? As men we stumble and fall and see only in part....but that day will come when we will be changed. Pray for that day to come quickly!
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