Power Can Be Made Perfect in Weakness

B Lent 2 – 1 March 2015

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas

+ INJ +

Today, we return to the middle of the Gospel of Mark. We were here, in the middle, a couple of weeks ago when we talked about the Transfiguration of Jesus. In fact, that story comes right after today’s gospel lesson. But before the glory of the Transfiguration, Jesus begins talking with his disciples about his upcoming suffering and death.

As I said a couple of weeks ago, at this point in the Gospel of Mark, the disciples are trying to figure out what kind of messiah Jesus is. They want freedom from oppression – they are an occupied people, since the Romans are in control. They want someone to rise up and be strong! They want glory!

And yet, this One whom they have been called to follow isn’t talking about rising up and bearing arms.  He says, instead, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” He’s saying this to people who have seen the crosses, for they are next to roadsides – visible, for all to see. They’ve watched people die on those crosses.

This doesn’t sound like strength, or power, or glory. This sounds like shame and weakness. So, bearing all this in mind, you can see why the disciples might be confused. It’s no wonder that, in the midst of his own confusion, Peter rebukes Jesus.

The disciples are still in the middle of their time with Jesus – they cannot see the ending – only Jesus sees the long view at this point. Only Jesus sees that power can be made perfect in weakness.[1]

A famous prayer begins:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

This sort of “backwards” giving and living is what Jesus is calling his disciples to. I say it’s “backwards” because it’s often the opposite of what we encounter in the world. How often, when someone is treated with hatred, do they respond not with more hatred, but, rather, with love? Think about what a different world we would live in if there could be fewer acts of revenge. Think about what a different world we would live in if there could be less despair and less sadness – despair and sadness that are often caused by the very acts of revenge that we inflict upon each other.

That same prayer continues:

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.

The life and death of Jesus are marked by his sacrifice – the giving of himself in death, so that he might be raised to life again. His sacrifice marks us, too – as we are sealed by the cross of Christ at our baptisms, when we make the sign of the cross – each day, every day, we belong to God.

The sacrificial love of God in Christ is borne in us, and in how we live and how we love. Taking up our cross and following Jesus is shown in our lives of sacrifice, service, and love.

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At this point, we opened envelopes that had been handed out to the congregation. In each envelope was a dollar bill and an index card. In having us intentionally think about what it is to sacrifice - even in a small way - I'm asking the congregation to use the dollar for someone else's benefit. There are only two rules:

1. Use the dollar outside your own household.

2. Use the dollar outside this congregation.

The index card is included to write about how the dollar was used, and how the experience was meaningful. 

We ended with this prayer:

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.

O Divine Master, grant that we may not so much seek to be loved, as to love.

Help us to die to ourselves, that we may be born to eternal life.

Amen.

+ SDG +

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[1] See 2 Corinthians 12:9