Brian’s Reflection: The Weekend, Sat, March 7, 2009

"If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves
and 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,
and for the sake of the gospel, will save it."

- from the Gospel called “Mark”, Chapter 8 (RCL readings for Lent II)

People approach “Holy Scriptures” in many ways. From narrowly literal to broadly metaphorical. I tend to the “broadly metaphorical” – which will surprise no one who knows me.

People also create Holy Scriptures for many reasons. This is always the question to be asked when pondering any of them: Why is this story being told?

I have spent over 50 years getting to “know” Jesus the Christ. He is the Touchstone by which I “judge” Scripture – not the other way around. I believe that I “know” the heart and nature of Jesus and therefore of God. So. Here is what I think.

It sounds to me like Jesus that He would have said, somewhere in His preaching, “Those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the Gospel, will save it.” I do not believe that Jesus “knew” that He would be crucified, or that this particular death was “fore-ordained”. Jesus’ followers wanted to assert that He did – and there are many passages in the four Gospels which ascribe to Jesus a foreknowledge of what would happen to Him. This is understandable; they simply wanted to add Wonder and Amazement to the man they had given their lives to. They wanted to boost the Mystery of Jesus in the eyes of their culture; to enhance His reputation and the certainty of His uniqueness, and His power, and His special relationship to God. Perfectly understandable; it flows out of the amazing experience they had had of Him.

And so: the cross becomes the central symbol of Christianity. Not for the suffering the Christ mythically underwent. But for the great Love it reveals. The shapers of Mark’s Gospel understood this. They understood what Jesus would do for Love. They had experienced it. After Jesus had died, on the cross, they knew that He would have said those wonderful words about “taking up the cross”. It simply means: “Love God and yourselves and others as I have loved” – and Jesus emphasized this when He gave them His “new” commandment.

To give oneself in Love, to Life and to God and to Others, is the Way to Life. “God” does it – many religions understand that all Creation has Life because God pours Her Life into it. The Cross is the call to live fully and deeply the Mystery of Love. I applaud the communities which formed the Gospels for proclaiming that liberating, freeing Message.

“Taking up the cross” is NOT a denial of ourselves. It is a denial of our false selves - which is what Jesus wants us to deny. Giving in Love in where we shall find authentic Life.

Brian+