MARK 8:27-35
I ONCE MET A YOUNG MAN –
SLIGHTLY OVERWEIGHT, VERY SOFT-SPOKEN – WHO WAS IN A MIDDLE
MANAGEMENT POSITION IN THE INSTITUTION WHERE I WORKED. I WAS LOOKING
FOR SOMEONE TO OCCUPY A SIMILAR POSITION IN THE AREA OF MY
RESPONSIBILITY, AND HE HAD APPLIED. I ASKED HIM A STANDARD
QUESTION: WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS? I WAS SHOCKED AT
THE ANSWER.
HE REPLIED, I WOULD LIKE
TO BE THAT PERSON OVER IN THE CORNER THAT NO ONE PAYS MUCH ATTENTION
TO, JUST DOING MY JOB, EARNING MY SALARY, GOING HOME IN THE EVENING
TO MY FAMILY. I DON'T WANT TO BE A LEADER, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE A
FORTUNE, I DON'T WANT TO BE FAMOUS.
I HAD NEVER HEARD
ANYTHING LIKE THIS. USUALLY THAT QUESTION GETS ANSWERS RANGING FROM
FLYING TO THE MOON OR BECOMING THE PRESIDENT, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
TODAY JESUS TELLS HIS
DISCIPLES THAT YOU HAVE TO BE A FOLLOWER.
IN OUR WORLD, IT'S NOT A
GOOD THING TO BE A FOLLOWER. WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO SHOW INITIATIVE;
TO STEP IN AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. WHAT PARENT WANTS TO HEAR THAT
LITTLE SUZY IS A VERY GOOD FOLLOWER? WHAT EMPLOYEE WANTS HIS
EVALUATION TO SAY THAT HE IS A GOOD COMPANY MAN, BUT NEEDS EFFECTIVE
LEADERSHIP? WE EQUATE BEING A FOLLOWER WITH BEING MEDIOCRE, NOT
MEETING OUR POTENTIAL.
BUT HERE WE HAVE JESUS
TELLING US THAT IF WE WANT TO BE DISCIPLES, WE NEED TO TAKE UP OUR
CROSS AND FOLLOW HIM.
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES AND PROBABLY EVERYWHERE
ELSE, IS THAT THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE FOLLOWERS.
IF WE ARE FOLLOWERS, WE TRY TO IMITATE WHAT WE FOLLOW, WE LISTEN TO
WHOM WE FOLLOW, WE EXAMINE OUR OWN BEHAVIOR TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE
DO IS IN CONFORMITY TO THE ONE WE FOLLOW. THERE IS NO PLACE FOR A
FOLLOWER TO DEVIATE FROM THE RULES OF THE ONE WHO LEADS; THERE IS
LITTLE ROOM FOR INITIATIVE. BUT WE DON'T SEE IT THAT WAY. WE ARE
AMERICANS, WE DON'T LET ANYONE TELL US WHAT TO DO. WE BELIEVE IN
RADICAL EQUALITY, AND WE ARE ALWAYS WILLING TO TEAR DOWN PRESIDENTS
OR BISHOPS OR ANYONE WHO IS IN AUTHORITY.
JESUS SAID, “IF ANY ONE
WISHES TO BE MY DISCIPLE, HE MUST TAKE UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME.”
SO NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO BECOME A FOLLOWER, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO
SUBMIT OUR WILL FOR THE WILL OF JESUS AS EXPRESSED THROUGH HIS BRIDE,
THE CHURCH, BUT WE HAVE TO TAKE UP HIS CROSS. SOME OF US ARE JUST
WAITING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE IT IN US TO ACCEPT
MARTYRDOM. IF OUR END WAS A GLORIOUS END, AND THE NEXT THING WE KNEW
WE WERE IN HEAVEN, WE COULD HANDLE THAT. I SUSPECT THE OLDER WE ARE,
THE MORE LIKELY WE WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM DYING FOR CHRIST. SOME OF
US ON THE OTHER HAND DON'T EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT TAKING UP A
CROSS. WE LIKE OUR LIVES, WE ENJOY THE GOOD THINGS GOD HAS GIVEN US.
AND WITH SHAME, WE ADMIT TO OURSELVES THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY DO
ANYTHING TO STAY ALIVE, TO CONTINUE TO ENJOY OUR LIVES.
BUT TAKING UP THE CROSS
OF JESUS – THE WAY MOST OF US ARE CALLED TO DO IT IS BIT BY BIT.
WE GET MARRIED AND FIND THAT WE HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE SOMEONE ELSE AS
WE MAKE DECISIONS. WE HAVE CHILDREN AND FIND THAT MUCH OF OUR TIME
IS GIVEN TO MAKING THEIR LIVES BETTER; WE SAVE FOR THEIR COLLEGE
EDUCATION, WE WORRY ABOUT THEM; WHEN WE ARE GRANDPARENTS WE GET
CALLED UP TO BABY SIT AT THE LAST MINUTE. WE SIT AT THE BEDSIDE OF A
PARENT WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. WE HELP OUT AT A SOUP KITCHEN OR
PICKET AN ABORTION CENTER. WE PUT ASIDE SOME OF OUR INCOME EVERY
MONTH SO THAT A CATHOLIC MISSION SOMEWHERE CAN KEEP GOING. SOME OF
US MAKE A BIG SACRIFICE IN THAT WE SEND OUR CHILDREN TO CATHOLIC
SCHOOLS. WE TAKE UP THE CROSS A LITTLE AT A TIME, ALL THROUGH OUR
LIVES.
EACH TIME WE TAKE UP THE
CROSS WE LOSE A LITTLE OF OURSELVES, AND REPLACE THAT BIT WITH OUR
CROSS. ON CALVARY JESUS LOST HIMSELF COMPLETELY TO THE CROSS.
THAT'S THE OBJECT OF OUR LIVES AS WELL, WHETHER IT HAPPENS ALL AT
ONCE OR IN LITTLE BITS DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS.
THAT'S THE MYSTERY THAT
PETER DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. LIKE US, HE KNEW IN HIS MIND THAT JESUS
WAS THE MESSIAH. BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT – OR MORE
ACCURATELY, HE KNEW WHAT IT MEANT BUT HE WAS DEAD WRONG. HE THOUGHT
THE MESSIAH WOULD COME BLAZING INTO THE WORLD CONQUERING ALL THOSE
WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MISERY OF THE EARTH. AND THOSE WHO WERE
HIS FRIENDS WOULD HELP HIM RULE OVER A NEW ORDER. BUT THAT WAS NOT
THINKING AS GOD THINKS, AND WHEN YOU HAVE PETER'S MIND-SET ABOUT WHAT
IT MEANS TO BE MESSIAH, YOU ARE INDEED IN THE HANDS OF SATAN. IF I
CAN TAKE OR LEAVE JESUS, IF I CAN PICK OR CHOOSE WHAT I WANT TO
BELIEVE AND WHAT I DON'T; IF I THINK THE CHURCH HAS A GOOD SOCIAL
GOSPEL BUT IS ALL WET ABOUT SEX; OR SHOULD BE MORE IN TUNE WITH THE
TIMES AND NOT STUCK IN THE MIDDLE AGES; OR SHOULDN'T KEEP INSISTING
THAT IT HAD THE FULLNESS OF TRUTH – I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO
BE MESSIAH, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A
DISCIPLE.
TO BE A DISCIPLE IS TO
TAKE UP THE CROSS; TO TAKE UP THE CROSS MEANS THAT WE LOSE OURSELVES
SO THAT WE GAIN ETERNAL LIFE. WE CAN DO IT ALL AT ONCE OR GRADUALLY
OVER OUR LIFETIME, HOWEVER LONG. IF WE ARE GOING TO TAKE UP THE
CROSS, WE HAVE TO RESIGN OURSELVES TO BE FOLLOWERS, NO MATTER HOW WE
MIGHT BE LEADERS IN OTHER THINGS. BEING A FOLLOWER REQUIRES
HUMILITY, PATIENCE, AND ADMITTING THAT WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS,
THAT WE ARE SINNERS, THAT WE ARE IN NEED OF FORGIVENESS; AND IT
REQUIRES THAT WE GET SERIOUS ABOUT BEING CATHOLICS, AND ALL THAT THAT
MEANS.
THE YOUNG MAN I MENTIONED
AT THE BEGINNING – I WAS SO IMPRESSED THAT I DID HIRE HIM. HE WAS
A PERFECT MIDDLE MANAGER; HE TOOK MY ORDERS AND HE SAW THAT THEY WERE
CARRIED OUT. HE TOLD ME WHEN MY IDEAS NEEDED REVISION. HE WAS
LOYAL. A COUPLE OF YEARS WENT BY AND HE WAS INVITED TO MOVE UP IN
THE CORPORATE HEIRARCHY, TO MANAGE NOT ONLY MY DEPARTMENT BUT FOUR
RELATED DEPARTMENTS. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGED HIM TO TAKE THE JOB, AND
IN FACT I HAD SUGGESTED TO MY SUPERIORS THAT HE BE OFFERED THE JOB.
HE REFUSED, AND IN A SHORT TIME HE HAD APPLIED AND GOTTEN ANOTHER JOB
IN ANOTHER DEPARTMENT DOING PRETTY MUCH WHAT HE DID IN MINE. HE WAS
A GREAT FOLLOWER. LET US WORK AT BECOMING GREAT FOLLOWERS.
