Thursday, March 2, 2006 · no responses · comments closed

from Lent and Easter Wisdom: In the passage for today, the Pope works from Mark 10:33, “We are going up to Jerusalem.” He says, “This journey to Jerusalem…is the model for the Christian who is committed to following the Master on the way of the Cross.”

This prompted me to read Mark’s account of Jesus’ journey to his crucifixion. I hesitated to write “to his crucifixion,” though Mark 10 is the third time that Jesus clearly predicts His death to the disciples. Yes, Jesus knew He was headed for death, and He knew that His death was necessary. My hesitation comes from the fact that Jesus didn’t go to die, He went, in the words of John Paul, “to complete his redemptive mission.” Did that mission include dying on the cross? Absolutely! But it was so much more. This journey of Lent is not about dying to or denying myself; it’s about completing my mission. Like Jesus, I must die to myself along the way, but in neither case is death the goal; it’s a part of the journey and a means to an end. I can’t help but think that Jesus’ knowledge of the end goal — salvation — kept Him going along the way; it put the suffering in perspective. Thus, we don’t suffer for the sake of suffering; we suffer for the sake of the call God has placed on our lives.

So, I read from Mark 10 through the end of the gospel to see what sort of model Jesus provides for the journey. What stood out to me most clearly is that Jesus always did things on His own terms — that is, He never let others set the agenda for Him. On several occasions, His opponents tried to trap Him, but he never engaged them on their level; yet, when asked a sincere question about the greatest commandment, Jesus responded in kind.

Though it sounds counter-intuitive to say so, Jesus was able to put aside offense and anger — that is, to put aside self — by having a very clear sense of Himself. Consider what leads us to engage those who anger or offend; it’s a desire to defend, to be right, or to prove our point. Mark shows us that Jesus was sure of His identity: He is comfortable receiving the acclamation of the crowds in the triumphal entry and the anointing with oil at Bethany, and He makes clear that He is the Son of God, not the Son of David. The longer I teach, the more comfortable I become with students who challenge my authority. Early in my career, I took offense and got defensive; while the students are often inappropriate in their tone, the real problem was my insecurity in my teaching ability. Now that I’ve taught for over twelve years, I can see the student’s immaturity for what it is without acting immaturely myself.

These two surely go together: Jesus sticking with His plan and His sense of Himself. The third thing I observe is that even though Jesus looked to His friends for comfort and support, He didn’t rely on them. Rather, He entrusted Himself to God. It’s amazing to me that He is able to predict desertion and betrayal and yet He isn’t moved from His path. The fact is, our friends, family, spouses, pastors — people we believe in and count on will disappoint us. Even in Gethsemene, Jesus’ response isn’t “What’s wrong with you guys! What sorry friends you are!” Instead, He encourages them to do better.

This is timely insight for me (though that should hardly be surprising — the Holy Spirit’s timing is impeccable!); I’ve seen the need for all three of these traits just since reading Mark this morning. If indeed Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem is a model for own journeys, I am ready to go, because I see a real need to be like Jesus!