So, having spent my morning thinking about the dual-nature of Jesus Christ, which was fun, I am back to the lectionary for today!

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Psalm 22:23-31
Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38 or Mark 9:2-9

There are two things guaranteed to grab my attention when I look at the lectionary, the first is why a who set of verses has been omitted from within a specific reading, the second is why two alternative readings are offered.

So, the Genesis continues the story of Abram and Sarai, and we are given the verses where they are re-named as Abraham and Sarah (kind of amusing to me since this morning I was talking about the significance of the composite name Jesus Christ).  What it skips over is the description of circumcision... what for centuries has been there in black and white is maybe not suitable for the delicate little ears of nice 21st century Christians since it describes a ritualised medical procedure.  How twee we have become!  Well, at least on Sundays.  The passage also, very conveniently stops short of the Abram guffaws at God's promise of a natural heir via Sarah... heaven forbid we should notice that it wasn't only Sarah who chuckled on hearing of this preposterous promise.  So, less reflection on what this says, and more a reminder about how we read scripture.

So, I opted for the Mark... all of it, plus the linking verse:

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."  And he said to them, "Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power."

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them.  And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  He did not know what to say, for they were terrified.  Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!"Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Mark 8: 31 - 9:9 NRSV

So, we pick up the story just after Peter's declaration that Jesus is the Christ and the command to 'tell non-one, Mark's 'Messianic Secret' and get the sharp contrast of Jesus predicting his death and resurrection, something that causes Peter to take him aside, in order to rebuke him, only to receive the most stinging rebuke possible.  Whether or not this happened as soon after the previous verses as a superficial reading suggests, clearly the writer wants to link the two, and then connect them with two more experiences.  Firstly the very public invitation to deny self and take up one's cross, followed by a promise of the Kingdom of God being experienced within that same generation.  And then the very private experience of Peter, James, John and Jesus at the top of a high mountain.

I think what strikes me most, aside from the Markan zap-pow approach to telling the story, is the constant roller-coaster ride of emotion and experience, understanding and not understanding, plain speech and theological riddles that goes on here.  Taken as read, Peter has a moment of outstanding insight swiftly followed by total failure to understand followed, within a week, by a spiritual experience that leaves him speaking gibberish.  People in the crowd are told that to follow Jesus they must deny self (kenosis of a kind maybe (ding ding if any Gatherers are reading) and accept the estate of a criminal... but they may yet live to see the Kingdom, the Messianic Age of which they have dreamed.

As I think about my own life, this pattern of peaks and troughs, highs and lows, understanding and not understanding (or being understood), spiritual insight and earthly clay-footedness has strong resonance.  Without sliding into a careless dualism, it does sometimes seem that opposites occur remarkably closely in time.

Jesus of history,

Man of mystery

Sharing the highs and lows of life

Disicples' insight

Disicples' stupidity

Seeing, then failing to see

Jesus of history

Christ of eternity

Divinity poured into our form

Forgive our stupidity

Grant us new insight

Seeing, then walking with you.