Get Behind Jesus

Summary

Have you ever had it all figured out?  Now I mean, specifically with God.  Where for some reason you seem to know exactly how things should go down in your life, and in what God is doing?

Well, there have been times that I figured, yep, this is exactly how it should go, and then it doesn’t.

In today’s scriptures, from the Gospel of Mark, Peter thinks he knows how things should be going, and is very surprised when Jesus says otherwise.  In fact Jesus goes as far as calling Peter, “Satan” as a way of describing how far off course Peter’s thinking is from God’s plan.

Well, back in 1994, I interviewed to be the Youth Minister at my home congregation in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  I had grown up there, been a part of the youth group from the age of thirteen through eighteen, and then volunteered as a youth leader from nineteen years on.  Not only that, I had also helped lead mission trips into Mexico to work with a YWAM orphanage, and later on the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mexico.  I felt as if I was the perfect fit for the job, because I also knew the congregation, it was my spiritual home, I should get the job.

It felt so right, that I was envisioning myself leading groups down into Mexico to do the same type of work I had done as a youth and youth leader.  I felt as if everything was falling into place…except it didn’t.  It wasn’t to be…instead God called me to other ministries; volunteering with the church in Mexico, planning for and leading youth to serve side-by-side with youth in other countries, and then eventually to seminary and pastoral ministry.

I have experienced the same sort of thing as well, in my Christian faith.

I remember back in high school, feeling as if I had the Christian life down pat.  I knew how to be good, how to say the correct things and that I totally understood what God meant in the Bible.  I felt confident in giving theological advice to others…too confident.  I felt right in correcting others behavior…too right.

But instead of having it all figured out and acting and living how God truly called me to live, I was too often living out my ideas of the Christian life, with false humility and quiet judgment.  I was so confident that I was prideful, I was so right, that I was self-righteous.  I felt like I knew exactly how God was going to use me, as a Youth Minister, and that I really only needed to be given the opportunity.  Everything seemed to just be falling into place…except it didn’t.  It was not to be, not in the ways that I imagined it, at least.

Thankfully, God helped me to see the error of my ways.  And, thankfully God had other, better paths for me to walk, and other, better plans for me to follow.  I could not see those paths, I could not understand those plans, but Jesus could, and I have learned to follow…except when I don’t, or forget, or get stubborn, or just cannot see through all the stuff happening in my life.

Do you understand what I am getting at here?

We think we know, and then we don’t.  We think we can see, but are blinded by our own plans.  We think we are listening to God, when we are simply listening to ourselves.  You see being a disciple of Jesus is not easy, nor simple, nor centered upon ourselves.

Let’s look at Peter, Jesus’ closest disciple and friend, for an example.  In today’s scripture Peter is so wrong in what he thinks and does, that he is called, ‘Satan’ by Jesus.  Satan!

To get called that name means Peter was really wrong.

So, what was he wrong about?  Everything really.

Peter thought he knew what was the best way for Jesus to be the Messiah.  He had his ideas and plans for Jesus, and figured that Jesus would agree with him.  Wrong!

Jesus’ own plans were quite different, and when Jesus revealed them openly in front of the crowd, Peter thought not only the plans, but sharing them were a big mistake.  So, Peter pulled Jesus off to the side to let Jesus know his plans were wrong, and that he shouldn’t be talking in that way.

On a side-note, Peter was not, and is not the only person I am sure, who thinks they know what the Messiah should be doing, and how.  No, most of us get caught up in this game at some point, and there are certain teachers, leaders and pastors who have become so proudly confident and self-righteous in their faith, and Biblical knowledge that they will tell you exactly how Jesus thinks, what Jesus wants, and what Jesus will do, today, tomorrow and in eternity.

Frankly, to me those types are a bit scary, and when I start thinking that I know exactly what Jesus wants, I get a bit scary too.  And as we read in today’s reading, Peter was getting a bit scary as well, ‘cause he was trying to push Jesus off course.  But Jesus would have none of it, rather as we read Jesus told Peter to, “Get behind” him.  Obviously Jesus was angry, but wasn’t he also helping Peter in rebuking him to get behind him?  For isn’t that what is required to be a follower?

I remember when I was a child playing a game called, “Follow the Leader.”  In the game you were supposed to mimic exactly the actions and words of the leader.  If the leader raised her right hand, you lifted yours as well.  If the leader shouted, “Merry Christmas”, then you shouted, “Merry Christmas” as well.  When the leader ran, you ran, and when they stopped you stopped.

Is not that what being a disciple really is supposed to be, following the leader?

Peter surely wasn’t following on that day, and I know there are many days when I am not either.  Certain days I am trying to lead Jesus, and other days I am not paying attention enough to even know that Jesus has tried to lead me in a new way.

What is the biggest problem with following Jesus?  Ourselves.

That is why Jesus needs to say, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves…”

Deny ourselves.  What does that mean?

I think it means that we need to put our plans, and our priorities away and truly seek Jesus’ will and guidance each day.  In that way we make Jesus’ plans our own.  If we’re simply going about doing what we want to do in our lives, without any input, any guidance from our Lord and Savior, we are simply living our lives.  Lives centered upon our own agenda, and our own priorities.

When we are called to follow Jesus, truly follow each day by asking the Lord for leading in our thoughts, our words and our deeds, we start to lose our lives.  When we start asking these questions over the course of years, we start to live for Jesus’ sake, for the sake of sharing the good news of Jesus’ love, forgiveness and gift of salvation, we end up realizing that our lives have been saved.

How is this?  Well, there are two layers.  First of all, our lives our saved by Jesus’ gift of salvation and eternal life through belief in him, and his death and resurrection, this is what we mean when we talk about salvation.

But when Jesus talks of our lives being saved, after we have lost them by living for Jesus’ sake, what I think Jesus means, is that then our true lives are lived.  Remember, God creates us with talents in our being, and passions in our lives.  We are not given these talents and passions to simply use them for our own earthly gain.  Neither are we given them, to push them to the side and never use them.

So, what Jesus calls us to do when he calls us to lose our lives for his sake, is to actually fully use our gifts and talents for him, and for the gospel.  Do you get what I mean?

We end up saving our lives in this process, because we use our gifts, and live out our passions in the ways that Jesus wants us to, in the way Jesus leads us to, and so we are fulfilled, and we live in the joy of Godly purpose!

So, we do need to get behind Jesus, we need to get behind him, and follow the leader…follow him to salvation and new life, here on earth, as well as in eternity to come!

Amen.

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