God's Last Words

“The Politics of Identification”

MARK 8: 27-38

Many of you go thru life everyday saying you are above the petty politics and gossip of everyday life. I would tell you that it is in our very sinful desires that we make everything and everybody political; we base our interactions, wants, desires, and proclaimed needs on external sources – so how can we not become political in encouraging others to meet them?

A busload of politicians were driving down a remote country road when, all of a sudden, the bus ran off the road and crashed into a tree in an old farmer's field. The old farmer, after seeing what had happened, went over to investigate. He then got out his backhoe and proceeded to dig a hole to bury the dead politicians. 

A few days later the local sheriff came out, saw the crashed bus, and asked the old farmer where all the politicians had gone. The old farmer said he had buried them. 
       
The sheriff said to the old farmer, "So they were all dead?" The old farmer replied, "Well, some of them said they weren't, but you know how them politicians lie."

Two Washington politicians had locked themselves out of their car, and had left some important papers they needed for a meeting inside. "Let's use a coat hanger to pull up the lock," suggested the first. 

"Oh, no," argued the second. "Someone might see us and think we were trying to break in." "Then we could use my pocketknife to cut away the rubber around the window and stick our fingers through to pull up the lock." 
      
"No, no! People would think we're too stupid to know how to use a coat hanger to open cars." "Well, we'd better do something fast. The top's down and it's starting to rain."

Dictionary.com defines political as: of, relating to, or concerned with politics; relating to citizens and their conduct in affairs of life; and use of intrigue or strategy in obtaining any position of power or control, as in business, school,

community, or family. Believe me or not; it’s all about politics.

Each of us have our opinions about politicians and our opinions about each other.

We humans make our politics personal, and if we say we don’t then, we’re just trying to take the high road. But think about it for a minute:

marriage is political, child rearing is political, treating and recognizing the rights of your fellow man is political, business and sports are political, race relations is political, education is political, health care is political, jobs are political, food is political, television and the media are political, certainly religion and faith are political, and now in some places which bathroom you use is political.

Every endeavor of mankind is political because we’ve made it so, like it or not.

We are for and against everything – we have opinions, attitudes, trigger warnings,

and we are on constant watch for the micro-aggressive outbursts of others that upset our politically moral outrage and personal images. Politics have become our identities. If we believe or support something then that is who we are.

In our Gospel lesson for today Jesus, walking in the most pagan region of his home area, asks His disciples 2 important questions that had huge political, social, ethical, and eternal implications.

First Jesus asks them what people are saying about Him, and follows up with “but, who do you, my faithful followers, say I am?” Listen to His words and the interaction between His followers from Mark 8: 27-38.

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 

He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly.

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

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. 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? Indeed, what can they give in return for 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.”

It’s clear that the world is only seeing Jesus as something that’s already been seen – just another potentially great leader of the Jews that has already failed in bringing about change in Israel. They cannot see Him in a Divine manner that testifies to His teaching that human outlook on life must change, away from everyday politics.

Jesus is not someone you are going to vote for or against, depending on political whims and party platforms – Jesus is going to become the way, the truth, and the life.

You can’t just endorse Jesus’ teachings, hold Him up as a good moral teacher, or use Him as an example for political exercise – you have to live Him.

Jesus knew He would be controversial. He knew people, politicians, and Luciferians would try to leaven Him out of politics, dilute Him out of laws and the enforcement of laws. Separation of Church and government is only just so much hooey! Christ cannot be situationally separated out of those who follow Him. 

Jesus knew He was to be the sacrificial lamb that was designated to change things forever and that there would be some who would remain firmly on the side of His adversary and remain politically and humanly correct. Their self-imposed lifestyle based on deception, inspired by the great deceiver Satan, would not budge under even His Grace. They want it to stay political – He wants it to become faithful.

A careful man is being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy road. The light turns yellow, just in front of him. He does the careful thing, and stops, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman hits the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as she misses her chance to get through the intersection with him.

As she is still in mid-rant, she hears a tap on her window and looks up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer orders her to exit her car with her hands up. He takes her to the police station where she is searched, fingerprinted, posed for a mugshot, and perp-walked to a cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approaches the cell and opens the door. She is escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer is waiting with her stuff. He says, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping the guy off in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker, and the chrome plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. 

Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."

What kind of identity do you proclaim to the world? What kind of identity do you live out? Are you ashamed of Jesus or could He be ashamed of you? Are you living politically or faithfully? Amen.