Year B, Lent 2
February 25, 2024
Year B: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16, Psalm 22:22-30, Romans 4:13-25, Mark 8:31-38
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A Journey of Love and Sacrifice
There’s so much to unpack in this Gospel passage this morning. First, you have Peter trying to rebuke Jesus – then Jesus rebukes Peter. There’s one sermon all by itself. Then you have another critical verse:
“He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'”[1]
One of the first questions one has to ask themselves is how do you preach on this text without bad theology?
‘Bad theology’ in interpreting Mark happens when people misunderstand or misuse Jesus’ call to “take and up their cross and follow me.”[2] This phrase isn’t about seeking out suffering or making a big show of our hardships to get sympathy or praise from others. It’s not about accepting abuse or staying in harmful situations because we think that’s what God wants for us.
Instead, taking up your cross means facing challenges, sacrificing to do what’s right, and following Jesus’ example of love, justice, and service to others. It’s about putting aside selfish desires and following Jesus’ example of love, justice, and service to others. It’s about putting aside selfish desires and working towards a greater good, even when it’s hard.
I first want to say that this sermon is drawn mainly from Diana Butler Bass’ reflections on this week’s readings.
This week, the news broke that Alexei Navalny had died in a Siberian prison camp — Navalny was known worldwide as Russia’s most famous dissident (at least in this century), opposition leader, and anti-corruption crusader whom Vladimir Putin so hated that the Russian president wouldn’t even say his name in public.
What is less well-known is that Alexei Navalny had converted to Christianity. Three years before his death, on February 20, 2021, Navalny spoke about his faith during the closing statement at this trial. His final public words included this surprising testimony:[3]
“The fact is that I am a believer, which, in general, rather serves as an example of constant ridicule in the Anti-Corruption Foundation, because mostly people are atheists, I myself was quite militant. But now I am a believer, and this helps me a lot in my work, because everything becomes much, much simpler. I think less, there are fewer dilemmas in my life — because there is a book (editorial note: the Bible) in which, in general, it is more or less clearly written what needs to be done in each situation. It’s not always easy, of course, to follow this book, but in general, I try.
And therefore, as I already said, it is easier for me, probably than many others, to get involved in politics.
A person recently wrote to me: “Navalny, what is everyone writing to you: ‘Hold on, don’t give up, be patient, grit your teeth? Why do you have to endure it?’ I think you said in an interview that you believe in God. And it is said: ‘Blessed are those who thirst and hunger for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.’ Well, that’s great for you, then!”
And I thought — wow, this person understands me so well!
It’s not that I’m great, but I’ve always perceived this specific commandment as more or less an instruction for action. And so, of course, not really enjoying the place where I am, nevertheless, I do not have any regrets about coming back, about what I do. Because I did everything right. On the contrary, I feel such satisfaction or something. Because at some difficult moment, I did as expected according to the instructions, and did not betray the commandment…
For a modern person this whole commandment — “blessed, thirsty, hungering for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” — sounds very pompous. People who say things like that are supposed to be, quite frankly, crazy. Crazy strange people are sitting there with disheveled hair in their cell and, therefore, trying to cheer themselves up with something. Although, of course, they are lonely, they are loners, no one needs them. And this is the most important thing. Our power, the system is trying to tell such people: ‘You are lonely, you are a loner.’
It is important to intimidate first, and then show that you are alone. Well, because what normal, adequate people adhere to some kind of commandment. The thing about loneliness is very important. It is very important as a goal of power. Excellent, by the way, one of the wonderful philosophers named Luna Lovegood said about this. Remember this was in Harry Potter? And talking to Harry Potter during some difficult times, she told him: “It’s important not to feel lonely, because, of course, if I were Voldemort, I would really like you to feel lonely.” Of course, of course, our Voldemort in the palace wants this too….
I don’t feel alone at all. And I’ll explain why. Because this construction — “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” — it seems somehow exotic, strange, but in fact, this is the main political idea that now exists in Russia…
This is very important, despite the fact that our country now, of course, is built on injustice, and we are constantly faced with injustice. We see the worst kind of injustice — armed injustice. Nevertheless, we see that at the same time millions of people, tens of millions of people, want the truth. They want to achieve the truth, and sooner or later they will achieve it. They will be satisfied.
This is the truth, and you can’t argue against it. And sooner or later these people who want the truth will achieve their goal, they will be satisfied.
And the important thing that I want to tell you, and in your person, you, the prosecutor, in general, all the authorities and all the people, is that it is important not to be afraid of these people. And do not be afraid of those who seek the truth.
It is clear that Navalny expected to die — that is also the case in the award-winning CNN/HBO documentary, Navalny — in service of his nation’s hunger and thirst for justice. Navalny chose to sacrifice himself for a greater truth, a political idea that was also a biblical one.
Navalny’s choice to return to Russia to after having been poisoned, facing the possibility of both imprisonment and death, seems to be a contemporary example of Jesus’ words in Mark about taking up one’s cross.
He did, indeed, take up his cross. The consequence was both shocking and moving to people across the globe.
Who’s a real martyr?
Martyrdom is not about self. It’s not about what you’ve lost, what you’ve sacrificed, or your troubles. It’s not about “Look what I’ve done for others! See what I carry on your behalf? See what I carry on your behalf? But look how I’m suffering and despised! No one appreciates me! No one says, ‘Thank you’! Nope, that’s not a martyr.
But those who find themselves bearing the cross — whether they wind up as martyrs or not — understand that following Jesus isn’t about nurturing and carrying grievances. It is about letting go of what weighs one down to make room for something bigger, a giving of one’s self to love and service to create a different kind of world. You understand that taking this path might involve hardship and trial. You still go — you still take up the cross — not for yourself, but for others.
Taking up a cross isn’t just an inconvenient ordeal. Taking up the cross doesn’t mean whining or seeking attention when confronted with trouble. When you take up Jesus’ cross, you choose to surrender the burdens of self-pretension in favor of taking on compassion and love of neighbor. This cross puts one in tension with injustice, the powerful, violence, bigotry, and delusions of grandeur. That’s the cross Jesus instructs his followers to pick up. The “yoke” of this cross is ultimately not heavy but light.
Navalny faced his tormentors and acted courageously for a broader moral vision. Navalny accepted affliction; Navalny embodies heroism; too often, others suffer from narcissism.
We have to be crystal clear about the power of faith to inspire a more just and loving society and a religion that manipulates anger and fear for power’s sake. Sometimes, it can be hard to tell them apart.
For those of us who call ourselves Christian, we must answer the question: What cross must we take up to follow Jesus now? There are true crosses and false ones — and the paths they mark lead in opposite directions. And it isn’t about suffering and dying. It isn’t simply about giving one’s life for a cause. Any — and every — fool will die. Jesus was inviting his followers to consider how to truly love and live.
[1] Mark 8:34
[2] Ibid.
[3] cf. “Last word of Alexei Navalny in Moscow City Court (02/02/2021), MHG, February 20, 2021, https://mhg.ru/poslednee-slovo-alekseya-navalnogo-v-mosogorsude-20222021 (English translation), Accessed February 25, 2024. Originally read at https://dianabutlerbass.com/the-cottage/