Who Would Ever Deliberately Choose
to Lose?
And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid, Lord! This
shall never happen to you."
But he turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me;
for you are not on the side of God,
but of men." Matthew 16:22-23
Jesus came to end suffering on earth, to lead the world to peace, to set
right what has gone wrong and to give believers a new day and a new hope,
-- right?
Yes, ultimately that is true. Jesus does give us a new day and a new hope
and He did come to point the way to peace and to end suffering for the poor
and marginalized. Those are our tasks, and some of those are His gift
to us.
Peter thought that was the goal of Jesus ministry--putting things right the
way they had never been right.
And so when Jesus began talking about how he was going to be persecuted by
the religious leaders in Jerusalem, handed over to Romans and put to death,
Peter was horrified.
And he said so.
"No Lord, this isn't what needs to happen--never."
Think about it:
They all knew John the Baptizer and were devastated and horrified when Herod
had him killed.
How could God let this happen? Now he was silenced.
No way was all the promise of Jesus going to end up like John.
There was a history of reformers and revolutionaries being put to death by
Rome for daring to overthrow the system.
No way was Jesus going to end up like them!
This could NOT be allowed to happen. Jesus had to move forward and His bright
ray of promise must not be snuffed out.
But Jesus turns on Peter with words that must have been like a slap in the
face. "Get behind me Satan. You are not thinking with God's thoughts, but
with man's thoughts"
Why was Jesus so angry with Peter?
Peter's response is totally understandable. Totally human.
Of course that was the problem--it was totally human and what Jesus was revealing
was God's wisdom, which to our minds often seems totally backward to how
we think. In fact it is often 180 degrees opposite.
My life is but a weaving,
between my God and me,
I do not choose the colors,
He worketh steadily.
Of times he weaveth sorrow,
and I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.
Not till the loom is silent,
and the shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the canvas,
and explain the reasons why
The dark threads are as needful
in the skillful weaver’s hand
As threads of gold and silver
in the pattern He has planned.
He knows, He loves, He cares,
nothing this truth can dim,
He gives His very best to those
who leave the choice with Him
Jesus is adamant with Peter because it was a battle Jesus had to win, and
it was not an easy battle.
Why was Jesus so angry with Peter? Because the temptation was real.
Jesus could feel the pull of Satan in Peter’s words.
The temptation is real to push to the side all the dark threads in the tapestry
and insist on only light and happy scenes. That’s what you would like in
your life.
It is what I would like in my life.
I don’t want to embrace pain and suffering any more than you do.
Any more than Jesus did when he prayed in the Garden, “if it be possible,
take this cup from me.”
Still one of the great conundrums today. Why doesn’t God just put an end
to suffering?
Maybe it is because he has already borne it and redeemed it. He has
given us the way not past or around suffering, but the way through it. So
that our suffering is not meaningless—the cost we bear now in faith leads
to something.
Have you ever stood before a vending machine, be it one that issues a parking
permit or vends you a cold drink on a hot day, and have nothing to put into
it? Of course you have.
But what if the coinage of the kingdom is suffering for the Lord, and self
denial in one form or another?
What then?
Should God reach into your pocket and take away the very thing that can become
your coinage?
And in fact it is this way. Paul in that wonderful passage in Romans
8 says, God is working good in all things to those who are called according
to his purpose and who suffer for him.
Jesus says “take up your cross daily and follow me.”
No one in their right mind wants to suffer, or would want anyone else to
suffer.
But pain and difficulty are a normal part of this life.
They were to be a part of the rest of Jesus life. In fact it is his suffering
in obedience to God that becomes the key to our delivery.
Building a new church here.
What does God want, what do we want?
I think God wants a church that embraces the pain of our world, not one that
stands off from it and only wants nice things and nice people.
God wants a church that knows what it is to give its life away, to take up
its own cross to the glory of God so that we can share the good news of how
we found God’s love for us in the hardships.
Peter wanted a Messiah who would not show Israel his great power and take
over the throne of David.
There was no rightful king in Jerusalem at that time.
Herod was not. He was not Jewish. He was Hasmonean.
There was no legitimate King in Jerusalem.
Jesus had the credentials. From Judah, born in Bethlehem, David’s city just
as foretold by the prophets.
With the angels at his right and left hind, and Peter and the rest not far
behind, He would take His rightful place. He would purify the temple and
put to rights all the wrongs in Judah, Samaria and Galilee.
People would come from all over the known world to learn from Him and to
worship the one true God. Nothing could withstand his power.
Something like that was Peter’s agenda.
When you think about it, its not a bad one.
Who wouldn't want that?
A strong church to which hundreds and hundreds come every Sunday where the
gospel is preached from its prominent pulpit by gifted preachers. Programs
for all. A music program with a choir that would make any congregation proud.
A building full from Monday to Friday with all the great teaching and support
groups you can imagine.
Hey, I want that!
I really would.
But it seems that what Jesus is saying is, “first I want you to be the church
of Gethsemane.” I want you to weep for the sorrow of your community.
Pray for them with your own blood and tears. I want a church that is
willing to give away its own life for others. That is willing to do the unpopular
and unnoticed things that care for others. Not to your glory, but to God’s.
I want a church that would rather give away its money to the suffering before
it things about stained glass windows. I want a church that would rather
have an old beat up piano so it can send money to the homeless on the streets
of Victoria or Victoriaville in Africa.
That’s the kind of heart God is looking for.
That is the kind of heart that can only be developed by being willing to
wait in prayer in our own Gethsemane when we pray and pray and our prayers
do not seem to be answered the way we hope. Will we still be faithful and
joyful disciples or will we sour with our disappointments?
God calls us to take the way of obedience and putting aside our wants to
take up His wants instead.
I pray that your way will be joyful and filled with peace and grace.
I will always pray for healing and hope.
But I also know there will be times when we will be there with you in times
of sorrow as well.
And I know you know it too.
But we need to be reminded. It is not about us.
It is about offering our lives to God for Him to use as He wishes. Not as
we want.
Its not easy, but you will not be alone.
Preached August 31, 2008
Dr. Harold McNabb
West Shore Presbyterian Church
Victoria, British Columbia
Online Resources Consulted
http://www.preachingtoday.com/
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