03 Sep SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2023
According to the ESV, the words “from that time on” signify the end of Jesus’ Galilean ministry and the beginning of his journey to Jerusalem. In the first of four references to his upcoming suffering and death, Jesus aims to prepare his disciples and ready himself for what is, in fact, to come.
How many of us can relate to Peter? I can, as I’ve always been better at head knowledge than demonstrating application of what I’ve supposedly learned. On the written portion of the chapter test on Jesus’ true identity, Peter scored 100. He correctly answered the fact based multiple choice questions found in Section A. Unfortunately, Peter failed the essay portion completely.
When prompted to defend the argument for why Jesus had to suffer and die at the hands of the elders, chief priests and scribes, Peter grew angry and crossed through his professor’s thesis statement found in Section B. the essay portion of the disciples’ examination.
Instead, in the nearly full page of blank space, Peter wrote in large letters, “God forbid your claim should come true. I can’t defend it and protest you even suggesting that the Son of Man should suffer and die.” By saying this, Peter, in effect, argued against the main objective stated in the course syllabus, the very point of Jesus trying to teach his disciples how and why God became human in the first place.
Remember last week when Jesus didn’t give Peter extra credit for knowing who Jesus was? I mean, he thought it was great that he got the answer correct, but Jesus did not credit the knowledge Peter had as coming to him by his own accord. Such knowledge was a revelation from God.
In a similar way, Jesus doesn’t exactly blame Peter for what words he utters now, those words he wrote in the large blank space meant to comprise the essay portion of the exam. “God forbid your claim should come true. I can’t defend it and protest you even suggesting that the Son of Man should suffer and die,” did not support Jesus’ thesis. Instead, it opposed and contradicted the specific provisions of God’s unique plan of salvation.
If it was God who revealed to Peter that Jesus was the one true Son of the living God, then it would make sense for Satan to be the one speaking through Peter now. Who else but Satan would say, “God forbid that the Son of Man must suffer, die and rise again? Who else would oppose divine intervention for the sake of humankind which would save them from sin and death? Unless things unfold as Jesus describes them, humankind is left without hope of forgiveness and eternal life.
In Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion, and also in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, Satan shows up around the time of Jesus’ death with one aim: to foil the successful plot’s ending and ruin the Anointed One’s chosen course of sacrificial death.
How many of you read the book or saw the movie entitled, “The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe?” In one scene, Aslan the Lion roars at the White Witch just like Jesus yells at Peter. Aslan the Lion and Jesus the Messiah yell in order to defend not only their own integrity, but God’s plan of salvation which is beyond human comprehension.
Some faiths deem the personal suffering or death of God to be impossible and morally unacceptable. If God is God, God cannot suffer or die. Those are human limitations, not divine. Their theology does not argue against sacrifice for the greater good in general, only that God could not suffer as humans do and still be God.
Yet, the greatest good that was both necessary and possible could only have been accomplished by God, who is, by definition in our faith, a singularly unique being, who by being fully human and fully divine and of one essence was fully capable of doing the greatest good, good that was vitally necessary and all encompassing.
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the White Witch and her followers are just like Satan: motivated by evil and a lust for power. According to the summary guide of Sparknotes, “The Witch reminds Aslan of the “Deep Magic”. The “Deep Magic” requires that any treachery committed in Narnia is punishable by death at the Witch’s hands. The life of the traitor must be forfeited to her. After a discussion with Aslan, the Witch renounces her claim to Edmund, the wayward child, then she asks how she’ll know that Aslan will keep his promise. That’s when Aslan roars at her so fiercely that she runs for her life.” https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/lion/section9/
Life is demanded as payment for treachery. Life must be forfeited by those who offend whoever reigns in power. The desire of the White Witch and her followers, Satan, and many ordinary people is the same: to seek what they want and avoid suffering/pain/death. Isn’t that true? We seek what we want and wish to avoid suffering/pain and death. Listen to this scripture reading from Buddhist literature.
A reading from Theravada Buddhism states, “Now this is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering, separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering (Samyutta Nikaya 56.11, Bhikku Sujato Translation). Would anyone argue that these things are not true? Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering, separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering.
While many claim that the cause of suffering is linked to sin, the purpose of suffering remains mostly a mystery. That’s why it behooves us as disciples to listen as Jesus explains why suffering and death are necessary evils, so to speak, in order that resurrection will become possible.
Whether divine purpose is accomplished through all suffering is not argued here. What is indisputable is this: Divine suffering does accomplish divine purpose. And it’s okay to ask, “What does the suffering of human lives accomplish?” Jesus is not the only example of voluntary innocent suffering. There are many people we know whose personal sacrifice paid off for the greater good. Thereby, they too, accomplished much.
Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?”
The Oxford Dictionary defines forfeit as a verb meaning to lose or be deprived of property, a right, or privilege as a penalty for wrongdoing. The root comes from a Latin word for transgression or crime. Let’s look at another use for the word “forfeit” in sports.
When a team has to forfeit, it automatically loses. Why? Because for some reason, the team who forfeits has proven unable or unwilling to meet basic standards for play. As a result, the other team automatically wins by virtue of the facts.
Those facts may include: not having enough rostered players present or those players present refusing to abide by the rules, or accept decisions officiated by referees. Regardless, players on the offending team become, in effect, disqualified losers.
Perhaps what Jesus really meant is this, “Listen to your coach, disciples. Don’t forfeit the game by failing to follow my example. Put the team first. Losing your life for my sake will score the final win.”
What is true for athletes is also true for those who call themselves Christians: Disciples who are first string players often have to stop thinking about the potential danger of wearing the uniform, must keep their level of excitement up and decide to play the game wholeheartedly at any moment or risk becoming disqualified losers.
Tampa Bay Buccaneer John Bowles recently suffered a very serious and potentially devastating injury while playing against the New York Jets in a preseason game. Another NFL player who was recently interviewed about the dangers of professional football said something to this effect.
“Yes, we charge toward each other with full force knowing we’re going to collide and will potentially become injured. Yet, we do it anyway. We can’t always be thinking of what bad things might happen or about the dangers of play. If we did, that would stop us in our tracks. There’d be no game.”
Perhaps that player and Jesus were saying basically the same thing. “If you love to play the sport, give it your all. Success involves denying the basic human instinct to protect yourself. If you want to outscore your opponent and win the game, you cannot maintain one held position. You’ve got to run, sometimes sacrifice your body and pass the ball when opportunity arises. Always abide by the rules. If there’s no unselfish dedication, there’ll be no advancement or victory.”
Jesus didn’t expect his disciples to be spectators, to sit in the stands watching others make sacrifices. He expected disciples to be team players, to train as athletes so that when he came into his kingdom victorious, having defeated death and the forces of evil, that those who had been in the fight along with him could celebrate with him to a similar degree.
Some of those present there with him that day, in fact, did not taste death until after they saw Jesus rise from the dead and ascend into heaven. With angels for cheerleaders, the Son of Man entered resurrected life full of the glory of his Father, the coach who had led his team to victory via a regimen of training exercises and self-sacrifice.
Before being carried off the field, Tampa Bay Buccaneer John Wolford completed 4/4 passes for 57 yards prior to his injury. According to his coach, he’s expected to make a full recovery. This is Jesus’ point. We will suffer blows by virtue of following him and carrying a cross like his, but we will ultimately recover and be rewarded with victory.
The Buccaneers beat the Jets in last Sunday’s preseason game, not because one team forfeited, but because both teams were affected by what happened. Just like Jesus and his disciples, both teams were concerned about the outcome of a person’s life, the threat to their future, the suffering they may entail down the road as a result of a very unfortunate event that each of them had witnessed.
You can see the parallels, can’t you? So I guess the question for us as Jesus’ disciples is this: What can we do to honor the sacrifice of Jesus, his innocent suffering for the greater good, his willingness to give every aspect of himself for all his team players, for every fan and each of their beloved family members? Let us pray.
May we never become a stumbling block to your mission, Lord. Sometimes we are content to warm the bleacher seat, to pay our way and let others take the blows. Give us courage, strength and the desire to actively participate in whatever plays you call, to recover from any previous injuries we’ve suffered, to accept our limitations, but not go on inactive status. We truly appreciate all you have done by putting yourself out there to save us all, to become victorious over evil and to reign in glory forever. In your holy name we pray, Amen