Every time I hear or read this passage
of Mark’s Gospel I am reminded of the Flip Wilson Show character,
Geraldine. Geraldine was always being
tempted by the devil into doing things that were bad for her. In one particular episode Geraldine was
shopping. She spotted a very fine dress
with a very high price tag.
The devil said to her, “That’s a very nice looking dress.”
And Geraldine replied, “But, its’ too expensive.”
The devil said, “Killa (her boyfriend) would
like you in that dress, go ahead - try it on.”
Geraldine replied, “Yeah, Killa likes me looking good, but the
dress is still too expensive.”
The devil said, “You deserve a nice dress like that – you look good in red.”
Geraldine answered, “Devil, you are tempting me bad – Get behind
me Satan! – and tell me just how fine this dress looks from the back.”
Jesus admonishes Peter with these same
words, “Get behind me, Satan. You are
not thinking as God does, but as human beings do.”
Is this not the challenge for human
beings – to think as God thinks while we struggle through this secular
world?
Is it possible – to live in this world
and think as God does?
Each day we are challenged to think
like God; in our families, in our workplace, in our politics, in our social
relationships. The secular world expects
us to conform our faith and our beliefs to its expectations – often requiring and
sometimes even legislating us to blot out God; keeping Him from our daily
lives.
With such obstacles always before us, it
is a great challenge to think like God in the everyday. How do we reconcile the world’s expectations
with our own Christian identity as we juggle family obligations, work and
social pressures?
We do so by remembering the two
greatest commandments: “Love God above all else and love one
another as we would love ourselves”.
Living this way is to live as a disciple of Christ, -- to wear the name
Christian; -- to live in this world, but to be from above; conducting our lives
true to the Word of God; removing ourselves from secular world’s measures;
viewing the world with God’s eyes -- by His measures. Using the Word of God as the measure by which
we live and make decisions; taking up our Cross, not as a burden of sorrows and
sins, but as a banner of triumph and truth.
Jesus tells his disciples, “Whoever
wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow
me. For whoever wishes to save his life
will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel
will save it.”
When we shoulder our cross – we stand
tall – recognized as Christians, believers in the Word of God; -- standard bearers
of God’s truth in the world.
- In His Word we find truth – as we pray, study and meditate on Christ’s teachings, His truth and His wisdom is revealed to us.
- We see His truth in respect for all life – from conception to natural death – That each of us receives life as a precious gift from God.
- We see His truth in the dignity of all mankind – we see each person as equal; a child of God who deserves the same love, respect and opportunities to life we each desire.
- We see His truth in our oneness as a human family – we see everyone - everywhere as our brother and sister – that when one suffers we all suffer -- our local actions have global consequences; making us responsible for each other.
- We see His truth in our treatment of the poor – that those with the least must have a share in God’s bounty.
- We see His truth in His love for us and in His command to love one another – love, like God, is our alpha and omega.
There is great struggle and
responsibility in living truly as disciples of Christ – bearing the cross of
Christ; wearing the name Christian. We
have many forces working against us each and every day. As disciples we are called to think, speak and
act in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ – bringing His Word of salvation to
the world.
- As disciples we know we can rely on God’s grace to give us strength and courage to stand up to evil and work for good.
- As Christians, we stand together with Christ, against those who would diminish us; working to remove God from our lives.
- As believers in the Word made flesh, we resist the work of the evil-one who uses cunning and violence under the guise of worldliness and necessity to enrich themselves and oppress others.
- As brothers and sisters of Christ, children of God, we are stewards of this world – reaping what we sow, -- let us sow the seeds of love, good will and peace; replacing the weeds of hate, malice and discord.
Peace,
Deacon Don
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