Sts. Peter and Paul
by Mark English

Mark 8:27-35

My name is Peter, son of Jonah.  My original name was Simon. But when
our Lord Jesus called me to be one of his 12 special learners, he called me
Cephas or Peter--which means 'Rock'. Cephas is the Aramaic form of my name;
Peter is the Greek form--like you have Pedro and Pierre in Spanish &
French.

You celebrate today not my birthday, but my death day, when I and St.
Paul were executed in different ways in different parts of Rome for loyalty
to Christ and disloyalty to Nero, the Roman emperor. The Christian Church
has observed this date for 1,750 years--even longer than the date for
Christmas.

Paul and I were both involved in bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to
new ears, as well as encouraging ears and hearts that had heard the good
news before. But while we were together in this, we were actually quite
different.

I grew up north of Jerusalem around the Sea of Galilee, also known as
Lake Tiberias. You'd call it a backwater. While I had no formal education,
I did learn the fishing trade, going into business with my brother Andrew
and the Zebedees--James, John, and their father. We worked long, crazy
hours, doing our fishing through the night till just before dawn. That way,
we could bring the freshest fish possible to the early morning market. Of
course, that meant we had to clean and repair our boats and sails in the
daytime (where it could get bright and hot). We had no lighted marinas to
do our work in the cooler evening! Maybe that's how I developed my temper
and outspokenness.

I think Jesus knew what he was doing when he chose me and my partners
to follow him and later take his mission further. True, we weren't cultured
in the ways of the upper crust, but then, Jesus didn't come for the upper
crust so much as he came for the whole loaf...and those who feel like
crumbs.

Paul, on the other hand, had quite a different background than I. He
grew up in Tarsus, in Asia Minor, what you'd call southern Turkey. Tarsus
was a cosmopolitan city. He could experience many cultures there. He was
schooled from early on. He did know how to work with his hands, as a
tentmaker and leatherworker. He spoke Hebrew and Aramaic and Greek
fluently. Later, because of his learning and eloquence, he was chosen to be
a Pharisee, one who knew the Jewish Scriptures and could teach and
interpret them. He was concerned with the purity of Judaism and saw
followers of Christ as a threat.

Whereas I had walked and talked with Jesus for a period of years, Paul
had not. He never saw Jesus perform a healing, never heard him preach or
teach, never saw him suffer, never saw the tomb--kind of like you all.  He
did have that special experience on the way to Damascus, where he perceived
the risen Christ addressing him, questioning him about his persecution of
the young church.

While we came from different backgrounds, had different skills, and
even applied ourselves to dif-ferent places of mission (he focused on
ministering to Jews; I focused on Gentiles)--the one God was able to use
all of who we were and what we brought. When you look at Paul and me, you
can see how God can lift up what many may think is lowly or insignificant
and put it to use.

But one thing I learned--and I want to pass on to you--is that in order
for God to use it--I needed to lose it. Paul needed to. You need to, as
well.

'Lose what?' you ask. Lose your fear for self and your focus on self.

In today's Gospel lesson from Mark, after Jesus tells us of impending
suffering, rejection, execution and rising (and I rebuke him for that
crazy-sounding stuff), Jesus calls the crowds together with us disciples,
saying, '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.'

What does it mean to deny oneself? Some of you may be able to deny
yourselves certain foods for a time--so that you might look and feel
better; but that's not really denying yourselves. You're still dieting for
the good of self. Can you deny your thoughts of getting good things for
yourselves? Or of evil for your those who cause you trouble? Can you stop
your lusting after things? I'm afraid most of you would be like me--rather
than deny yourself, you would deny Jesus. For God to use it, we must lose
control of it, lose the focus on self.

Denying oneself is concerned with the will--that one's will should not
be the controlling factor in one's life. Denying oneself involves
sacrifice--you folks have known some of that, of foregoing something valued
for the sake of something having a more pressing claim. What have you
denied yourself because you are Christian? What things of value have you
given up for the sake of following Christ? I gave up my lifework, my home,
my relatives, my old dreams. Paul gave up his position, his popular
respect, he gave up his body and his freedom more than once. Is your
central attitude centered on self--or on God?  And which one will really
bring you life? Will you lose concern for yourself and rest in concern for
God?

What I saw, Paul learned, and you have heard--we are so valued by God,
God sent his only Son to us, to live among us, to die for us. We are that
precious to God and Christ. Christ's Cross proclaims that. The Scriptures
proclaim that.  The Holy Communion he instituted and you celebrate today
proclaim that. Whatever we do as followers is only a response to what Jesus
has first done for us.

One of your 20th century writers penned this poem:

The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are read by more than a few.
But the one that is most read and commented on is the gospel according to you.
You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day,
By the things that you do and the words that you say.
People read what you write, whether faithless or true.
Say, what is the gospel according to you?
Do others read His truth and His love in your life?
Or has yours been too full of malice and strife?
Does your life speak of evil, or does it ring true?
Say, what is the gospel according to you? (1)

I hope you celebrate today not so much what Paul and I did in our
lives.  Rather, I pray that you celebrate the love of God given us in
Christ.  Be strengthened and comforted by God's promises, even amidst your
weakness and shortcomings. Go forth in his name. And with words of
Scripture, words of you own witness, deeds of mercy and a heart of love,
let Christ shine and show through you. Others here know him; some do not.
It is not too late or futile to spread the gospel. For Jesus calls us all
to be his and to find our lives in him.

Reference:

 from A Fresh Packet of Sower's Seeds, Third Planting, by Brian
Cavanaugh, T.O.R., pp. 6-7. Paulist Press, Mahwah, NJ 07430, 1994


(Comments to Mark at MARK.T.ENGLISH@ecunet.org.)

serving senior citizens at scattered sites through
Lutheran Homes Society in NW Ohio