When the church rejects the Jesus Way!?

Reflecting on Mark 8:31-33

“Rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law” (Mark 7:31)

What strikes me here is the ones who reject Jesus.
Jesus is the Son of Man these religious leaders have hoped for.
Their whole purpose was to guide the people towards the Son of Man.
Everyone saw them as the Son of Man’s greatest supporters.
They represent the one and only true religious institution.
How is it that these experts in the Law, reject the One promised by the Law?

This kind of shock happens throughout history, and still today.
When those who claim to follow Jesus, do not do what Jesus did.
When those who represent Jesus harm those that Jesus died for.

Yet in this short story, we see how and why it happens.

“‘Get behind me, Satan!’ he said. ‘You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.'” (Mark 8:33)

Here we have Peter, one of the lead disciples of Jesus.
If anyone knows Jesus, or serves Jesus, you’d think it was Peter.
But Satan gets into his mind, and twists his concerns.
He makes Peter more concerned about power, success and strength.
His human concerns, values, priorities and beliefs cloud his vision of God.
Be sure of this, Satan is still doing this work among Jesus’s followers.
And those in leadership are not immune to it.
They’re often the chief culprits, because they have the power to do it.

Jesus does not use His power to assert His control and win.
Jesus does not lead like a human (worldly) leader.

“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)

This is why the Son of Man suffers.
For God’s Way, as seen in the Jesus Way, is humility and grace.
This is how you know that a person is a Jesus follower.
Not because of their position or power in the church.
Not because of their religious training and titles with their names.
Followers of Jesus are servants of others.
For the sake of sinners, they submit themselves to help others.
They kneel with and for the sinners, seekers, strugglers and shunned.
They do not join the church in condemning and rejecting people.
And because of this, the religious leaders will turn on them too.

I no longer believe that the church is the institutional church.
This is a human organization, set up to strengthen its position and power.
It is often more concerned about its own survival, than in sacrificing itself.
There is one, holy and universal church, and that is the Church of Jesus.
Jesus followers all over the world who follow their suffering Messiah belong to it.
It is not their membership in the institutional church that counts.
It is their participation in the Jesus Way that counts.
Which is why the next verse (Mark 8:34) says what it says.
The church is made up of people who take up their cross with Jesus.
Who suffer with, like and for the sinners and strugglers of the world.
Who refuse to play the worldly church game, to follow the humble Jesus Way.

Get behind me Satan, I want to follow Jesus and the Jesus Way!

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I do not claim that I am right and the church is wrong. Both me and the church are constantly distracted by Satan with human concerns. Only You are right, and for the rest of my life I want to focus on You, prioritize You, and do what You did. Make me a servant of all, like You are. And not a just servant of the institution.