ISAIAH 50:4-9

PSALM 116:1-8

JAMES 2:1-5,8-10,14-18

MARK 8:27-38

Sermon – 9/14/03

The Fork in the Road

Every morning when we get out of bed, we are setting our feet onto a road that forks. One fork of the road is the way of “me first, me second, me third.” The other fork is the way of Christ. One fork is the way of “C.Y.A.” (“Cover your ____”). The other fork is the way of W.W.J.D. (“What would Jesus do?”) One fork is the way towards as much success as is humanly possible. And then oblivion. The other fork is the way toward service, self-sacrifice, and death. And then eternal life.

Those who want only to get ahead for themselves, by themselves and totally under their own power will take the first fork, and when their power is gone, so will they be. Those who take the first fork to gain everything will end by losing everything. Those who take the first fork to avoid suffering will find it anyway.

Suffering is inevitable in our sinful and broken world. Sometimes people suffer because we are in a sinful world: they suffer because of the sins of others, or sometimes because of their own sins. Sometimes people suffer because we are in a broken world: a world in which natural disasters, true accidents and inexplicable diseases exist.

Christ came to earth to begin to change all that: to begin the re-creating of the world by taking all its brokenness into his own heart, to begin the healing of the world by taking all of the sins of the world onto his own body on the cross. Christ “took the rap” for the whole human race so that all sins could be atoned for and the world begun anew from the moment of his death on the cross; Christ rose from the dead demonstrating the beginning of the creation of a new world where there is no more brokenness, but life limitless in quality, quantity and goodness.

Only, Peter didn’t think that was a good idea! Peter listened to Jesus’ description of the fork in the road he, Jesus, would take and didn’t like the part about “great suffering”, “rejection” and “being killed” at all. Uh-uh. Peter was looking down the other fork in the road and saw a ticker-tape parade and cheering crowds. He couldn’t see far enough down that fork in the road to see where that way went off a cliff.

Jesus could see that far. That’s why he says to Peter in today’s Gospel, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” “Human things” – that’s the “me first” fork in the road. The first few hundred yards looks really good...if you think it’s possible to take care of all your own needs first and then worry about service and self-sacrifice. But if a person spends all that time catering to themselves will they ever think about service or self-sacrifice? One’s own “needs” have a way of growing and growing in one’s own estimation – particularly on that road.

Even Jesus knew how tempting that fork in the road was: that’s why he calls Peter “Satan”, the tempter. Avoid suffering at all costs? Sure, that’s tempting...as though it were possible.

But the fact is, suffering will happen to us no matter which fork in the road we walk down. We’re kidding ourselves if we pretend we can prevent suffering of all kinds and at all times. And if we spend all our time as human beings trying to protect ourselves against suffering and nothing to prevent others from suffering – or to help others who are already suffering – then all we prove is that we really “don’t get it”, that we really don’t understand or follow Jesus at all.

Jesus said – and says – “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. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?

Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels.”

Those words are a trumpet call to devotion, to heroism, to decisive action, to service to Christ above and beyond the call of duty wherever the need is and whatever the cost. Many have heard them as such and have done great deeds, and hopefully many more will, including perhaps some who hear or read these words. The world needs more people like John Woolman, Harriet Tubman, Corrie Ten Boom, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa and Desmond Tutu.

But most of us will never make headlines, yet we can still point our feet down the fork in the road trodden by Christ, heartened by the words of Mother Theresa, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”

Last Thursday, we observed a heart-breaking and awesome anniversary. And we observed it knowing that shock and tragedy may not be all past, that there may be more at any time, and that there is more, somewhere, far too many times.

We live, in fact, in a “9/11 world”. So in a “9/11 world”, we need “the Spirit of 9/12”. We remember the extraordinary heroism, dedication, teamwork and generosity shown by so many people on and in the wake of that terrible September day. Thousands upon thousands of people rose to the occasion in ways perhaps they never thought possible, for some maybe because they never thought it was necessary.

It is. Everyday, somewhere, someone is having his or her own personal disaster. Most, hopefully, are not replayed endlessly on TV, but they are no less real. And each and every one of these people need us.

What can we do, following the words of Jesus and the specifics of today’s passage from The Letter of James which tells us that “faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead?” Here are some specific ideas, at least one of which can be done by everyone here regardless of age or situation.

Reach out to people who have suffered losses, illnesses or disability, with listening hearts and willing hands, using my “two step program”: show up and try not to say something stupid. Listen to them. Try not to form snap judgments or offer easy cliches. Ask them what you could really do to help, and then do it.

Remember the emergency workers we depend on every day, and if you have the willingness and the ability, volunteer for your local First Aid and Rescue Squad or volunteer Fire Company. We have parishioners who can welcome, guide and encourage you.

If you know someone who’s jobless or losing a job, don’t just say, “Phew, I’m glad it’s not me” and avoid them like they’re contagious; take time to listen to them, talk to them and see if there's some network or friend of a friend you could connect them with.

If we get a hurricane this week, think beforehand who the most vulnerable people are in your neighborhood or of your acquaintance, and check in on them before, during and after. Save your list of people; winter will come.

Pray for all people who are served by or involved in any of these ministries. See whatever you do as a ministry. Wear your Christianity both boldly and humbly.

Do something for someone, someone who can’t pay you back.

And realize that you can do something right here in this building as well. People who are suffering walk in these doors all the time. Humbly ask God how you might be of service and listen to God’s coaching in unexpected ways.

Case in point: last Sunday, a parishioner who has never before been to the 8:30 service came to the 8:30 service. She has a very, very sick little boy. There’s lots of choices of seats at 8:30, but someone who came in after her, who didn’t know her, chose to sit next to her. That someone “happens” to be the only pediatrician in the parish. They know each other now.

I don’t think that was accidental.

This week, or next week, God may include you in a “coincidence” which is too coincidental to be coincidental. There’s probably a reason God put you there. Listen to your “coach”.

Take the fork in the road where you see Jesus’ footprints. It won’t always be an easy road; in fact, he guarantees that parts of it will be hard. But he will always be with you, no matter what, you will do more good than you dreamed of, and you will find that, indeed, the way of the cross will be the way of life.

Let us pray. In the words of Walter Russell Bowie, “O wounded hands of Jesus, build in us thy new creation; our pride is dust, our vaunt is stilled, we wait thy revelation: O love that triumphs over loss, we bring our hearts before thy cross, to finish thy salvation.”

(The Rev.) Francis A. Hubbard

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church