True confession time:
I have—on occasion—succumbed to the occupational hazard of preachers to sneak a mini sermon into a public prayer.
For the sake of clarity, I’m referring to talking to the hearers who are in the room while I’m supposed to be talking to God on their behalf.
Admittedly, it’s a narrow distinction.
Most of the time, for me, it hasn’t been a conscious effort. I usually become aware that I have wandered into the sermon zone “in the moment” and try to refocus as quickly as possible.
I’m not going to talk specifics about some I’ve heard, but there have been some doozies.
What got me thinking about that this morning is an account from a few verses of Mark 8 and a memory of a prayer I have often prayed in group settings where there is a significant decision to be made.
“And He [Jesus] began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise from the dead. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but on man’s” (Mark 8:31-33).
Peter loved Jesus and was absolutely convinced that Jesus was the promised Messiah (see Mark 8:29). He was dedicated to being part of Jesus’s team and seeing Jesus fulfill His purpose in the world.
But his understanding was immature (not fully developed). It was based more on the traditions he had been taught than on what he had learned from his time of traveling with Jesus.
So when Jesus started talking about being rejected and betrayed—and even dying—Peter was aghast.
I can just imagine Peter pulling on Jesus’s sleeve and saying, “Come here for a minute.” Then in a dramatic whisper, “You can’t be talking like that! This is NOT the way for the Messiah!”
And then Jesus, whose compassion and grace were constantly on display, responds without gentleness, “What you’re saying is from Satan!”
Dang! That seems harsh.
“And He summoned the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, ‘If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what could a person give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels’” (Mark 8:34-38).
Let’s be clear: the way of Jesus is the way of the cross. It is the way of surrender. It is the way of losing power and influence. It is the way of choosing to be the persecuted rather than the persecutor.
It is recognizing that HOW we get there (the means) is every bit as important as THAT we get there (the ends).
That brings me to my prayer:
I have often prayed this as a legitimate prayer, but also because I want those in the room to hear it:
“Lord, be glorified in our process as well as our outcome.”
When we’re willing to engage in—or even tacitly accept—any method necessary to achieve our desired results, we are NOT setting our minds on God’s purposes or His ways.
When our objective is winning … or power … or influence … we are NOT setting our minds on God’s purposes or His ways.
When we are willing to endorse or accept un-Christlike means to achieve Christian ends, we are NOT setting our minds on God’s purposes and ways.
When we excuse the means of OUR side because of the means of THEIR side, we are not setting our minds on God’s purposes and ways.
There are people I love whose views I share. There are people I love with whose views I could not be more diametrically opposed.
People in both of those categories love Jesus as much as I do. People in both of those categories are as committed to Jesus as I am.
My prayer for—and call to—ALL of us is that our first priority and primary identity would be as cross-bearing followers of the way of Jesus in all our means.
And trust Him to bring about His ends in His way.
Be amazing today, my friend .
