Getting Nowhere Fast

Mark 9:30-41

The disciples may have been traveling with Jesus, but when it came to growing in faith they might as well have been standing still. According to Mark, Jesus was busy teaching this followers that, “’The Son of may is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed he will rise again.’ But [the disciples] did not understand what he was saying and where afraid to ask him” (Mark 9:31-32). Instead of considering what Jesus had to say, the disciples had other matters on their minds. “…On the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest” (v. 34). Talk about dense! Jesus is laying out the future, describing his purpose to those whom he has called to follow, and all they can do is fret about who gets to be in charge when Jesus isn’t around.

We’d like to think that given the chance we’d have understood exactly what Jesus was talking about, or at least we’d have known to ask questions. But in truth, how often do we get allow meaningless arguments to distract us from the important matters of faith? And how often do we find ways of taking issue with one another instead of embracing the unity that we find in Jesus? The fact is that we are no better than the disciples. Oh, we may be in motion, but are we getting anywhere? Is our faith growing, or do we simply tread the same ground over and over again?

The answer is that by God’s grace we do find ourselves taking a step forward from time to time, we do grow in our understanding and our insight, we do realize that our faith has developed and that we are not the same people we once were. The Christian faith is a journey, very much like the one the disciples walked with Jesus. Sometimes it takes us places we may not be comfortable going, and other times is may seem to lead us in circles. But is it a journey very much worth taking, because eventually it leads us past the cross, past the empty tomb, right up to the light of eternity. And when we get there we realize we are in very good company.

Prayer: Lord, help us to hear your word and to trust in you, so that we may avoid the angry words and divisive actions that so often tear us apart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.