True Identity

Many years ago, I was having a conversation with someone (a good friend) who was telling me something too good to be true. I wanted what he was saying to be true. But we both knew that it wasn’t.


And I thoroughly surprised myself with the thought:
“Get behind me Satan.” (I didn’t say it out loud, ha)
But: that was perhaps the first moment I integrated this somewhat strange teaching.


I call it a teaching, because it isn’t just a story about Jesus “calling Peter out”… but it is a story with a deeper call for us to be awake;


…To be conscious of our true identities.


In Matthew’s Gospel we hear of the Temptation by Satan in much more explicit terms than in Mark’s Gospel. Our version was very brief this year - and doesn’t tell us of the three temptations to power, wealth and control.


In this year’s cycle of readings we are given this story. Jesus is not really calling Peter Satan. He is hearing the temptation through Peter’s plea. The temptation is directed at Jesus. It is Jesus who is primarily being tempted… and he recognizes the voice explicitly.


Notice he doesn’t shout “get behind me Satan” at Peter.
“But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said ‘Get behind me Satan.'”


Jesus turns.


Jesus recognized the voice because he spent time in the desert listening to the voice of God as well as this voice that showed up. He learned of his true identity: beloved; both human and divine. Jesus spent time learning about his strengths and his weaknesses. He grappled with these challenges and temptations.


When Jesus hears that voice that would once again attempt to pull him from his true identity he turns.


He does an about face.


(And he turns his face toward Jerusalem, as they say.)


He is aware of the struggle ahead of him. He is awake.


Our challenge is to also stay awake to our true identities. There are a lot of forces that wish to pull us this way and that way in society.


Forces and voices that tell us:


We have to keep up with the Joneses.
We have to live up to someone else’s version of ourselves (who they believe we are - or want us to be).


And society is calling us constantly to this pull: to wealth, power, and control. Let’s just face it…


The Bible may call them temptations, but these attributes are what most humans aspire to. We grow up believing this is how to succeed in life.


But Jesus says:
“For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?”




True life - your true identity;


This story is about Jesus’ identity - which has a lot to do with who we are as his followers.


The Christ/Messiah that the disciples want and Peter wants is still a version of the powerful, domineering kind who is coming to save them from Roman imperialism.


They do not want to hear about the suffering servant.


Jesus goes on to say:


My followers will “…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.”

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Jesus asks us to give up our life to save it. This is also a strange and paradoxical teaching.


And to pick up your cross is certainly shocking. The cross was a torturous execution tool of the Roman government used especially for rebels.
Jesus’ current following knows this. So what is Jesus saying here?
I believe he is saying: deny what this imperial life stands for because, The Gospel (the Good news) is that the Kingdom of God reigns.


Apparently “For my sake” is not in some of the earliest manuscripts of Mark.


Mark was written just after the fall of the Temple. 70 CE about 40 years after Jesus’s death. The community hearing this message is largely Jewish. And the Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire did not succeed.
Mark is writing to a group who are afraid and angry and grieving; who are trying to pick up the pieces.


Jesus talking about suffering and sacrifice is very real for this group who are doing just that - and struggling to maintain their identity.
He is saying in order to follow him, we must stay true to our identities and stay true to the Gospel message that the Kingdom of God reigns.


Lent is not about suffering in order to somehow pay back Jesus because he suffered for us.


Lent is about the sacrifices we make or the practices we take on in order to know ourselves and know God better.
That is what Jesus was doing in the desert… and that is what this community of suffering Jews are doing out of necessity.


So what does that mean for us today? Does the Good News still need to be proclaimed?


We know too well the imperial powers are causing mass destruction across the world through policies and wars.


What can we do today?
Stay true to your identity. (The first part of this passage.)
Don’t let someone feed you lies because it sounds good- less challenging - less painful.


You are the beloved. You are a follower of Christ.


Our message is one of peace. Jesus gives us his peace at the Last supper. That is one of the most challenging aspects of our identities. To follow Jesus, we are to share peace.


So if that means sacrificing your ego this Lent, then try it out.


If that means standing up for the good news when you’d rather not face your friends or society… try it out.


We are still living in a time when dominance rules.


As you can see from this gospel: ”When in Rome do as the Romans do” is not always a positive catch phrase.


“When you can’t beat ‘em - join ‘em” is not always a positive catch phrase.


It is up to you to be awake and to remember:
Who am I? -


I am the Beloved…


I believe in a higher power.


And I will continue to turn to this good news for the sake of my family, my friends, and the World.