Watch and Pray

Our Gospel this weekend is at the midpoint in Mark’s Gospel, and it is the first passion prediction of Jesus where He redefines what Messiah is to the disciples and tells them for the first time that He will be rejected, will suffer, will be killed and then rise after three days. Although rejection and tension have followed Jesus and His disciples before this point, it is still quite crushing to them to hear that their hopes for the type of Messiah Jesus would be were dashed and replaced with almost the opposite of what they expected.
 
Peter and the disciples’ hope for a Messiah was for a person who would rescue them from political tyranny and restore them to all that God had promised. They imagined the Messiah to come with power and might, wisdom and strength – like King David who signified glorious days for the Israelites. Words that would have never been associated with the Messiah – rejection, suffering, being put to death, taking up your own cross, losing your life – had been spoken by the Messiah himself. It is not surprising just how shocked Peter was, saddened and disappointed, by what Jesus was telling them.

This is again one of those “feel good not” passages in Mark. It includes what seemed liked a success (Peter knowing that Jesus is Messiah) but then is wrought with misunderstanding, strained relationships, and distress. Not only were the disciples disappointed with what Jesus was telling them, but we also get a sense in Mark’s Gospel that Jesus is exasperated with the disciples’ lack of understanding about who He really is. Jesus, too, seems let down that He could be so misunderstood. His rebuke of Peter is harsh and is a sign about the importance of what Jesus is telling them. Jesus wants to be known by them…and us. The final and complete revelation of God in Jesus is asking to be known and grasped by us!

Perhaps we are not far from Peter and the others when we try to make God into what we want God to be, not allowing the mystery of God to transcend what we know.  Sometimes, we are tempted to settle for something less than what God really is.  Like Peter and the other disciples, sometimes we will get it right, and at times, we will get it wrong – but what is amazing about this passage is that they stay!  The disciples and Jesus – they stay even after their hopes are dashed and after being so misunderstood.  Sometimes it is in these times of confusion that we indeed know more then ever how the Lord God is our help (Isaiah) and we have the courage to walk before the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm).  

May we have the grace to stay with Christ, like the disciples, on our road to what true discipleship is, even when the times get rough.

Taize song, Stay with Me, Watch and Pray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXiO2gbXvoA