Sermon: "Life's Balance"
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Third Bishop of East Tennessee

[This sermon by Bishop vonRosenberg was delivered using the following notes.]

Life usually provides us with a wonderful kind of balance. Now, notice that I did not say that our lives are always in balance … nor did I say that we ourselves are balanced as we go through life. But I did say that life usually provides us with a kind of balance, at least eventually. That, I believe, is a gift … one of great value.

Thus, for instance, if things in general seem to be going badly for us, then we may have a reasonable expectation that circumstances in the future will improve. And, the reverse is usually true as well. That is, good fortune probably will be followed by a turn for the worse. Life does have this tendency to balance out. That is a lesson that experience teaches us.

Now, my golf game is a case in point. For instance, if I happen to hit a good drive, then I can be fairly certain that a shank into the woods may result from my next swing. And, of course, there is always the hope that a bad shot will be followed by a good one - eventually. Indeed, even folks with much greater golfing skill than I find occasions to experience humility on the golf course!

On a larger scale, life itself is balanced by birth and death. I think of that song from "The Lion King" in this regard - a song whose title is the point here: the "Circle of Life." And I remember, too, words from a Peter, Paul, and Mary song years ago - "When I die, and when I'm dead, dead and gone; There'll be one child born and a world to carry on." In the big picture, too then, life does balance out.

Of course, our Christian faith has this balance of life and death right at its center. That is, the death and resurrection of Jesus balance each other to the extent that we dare not remember one without the other. Indeed, the theology of our faith understands the connection of sorrow and joy to be so secure that we often refer to this as one event - death and resurrection.

Awareness of life's balance provides an interesting and important insight as we consider today's Gospel reading. It seems to me that what we find there are several examples of the balance that life offers.

We read of Jesus' question about his own identity, followed by Peter's rather remarkable answer. As a setting for this moment, we need to be aware of a couple of things. St. Mark's Gospel has sixteen chapters, and so this passage, in chapter eight, is precisely mid-way through the book.

In addition, though, this passage is a kind of balancing point - a literary fulcrum - in anther way as well. Scholars point to the "Messianic secret" of the first half of St. Mark. Over and over again - after a healing miracle or some profound teaching from Jesus - he told the witnesses not to spread the word about his identity … but, rather, to keep his identity a secret. For instance, "He sternly ordered them not to make him known"(3:12); and again, "He strictly ordered them that no one should know this"(5:43); and yet again, "Jesus ordered them to tell no one"(7:36). Thus, we may perceive the Messianic secret about Jesus' identity in the first half of Mark's Gospel.

Then, though, at this mid-point passage - this fulcrum, this balance point - Jesus himself asks the questions about his identity. "Who do people say that I am?" … and then, more personally, "Who do you say that I am?"(8:27, 29). And Peter answers, "You are the Messiah"(8:29). While the next sentence seems to continue the theme of secrecy, the flow of the rest of the Gospel works out what Jesus' messiahship will mean. Thus, the balance point is reached and, then, passed right here - from secrecy, to identity, and then, to meaning.

However, another example of life's balance comes personally and emphatically to Peter soon afterwards. Remember that he was the one who answered Jesus' question about identity. It was Peter who proclaimed, "You are the Messiah"(Mk 8:29). Yet, the very first thing that Jesus described about his messiahship indicated that suffering and death would follow. Peter, though, rebuked Jesus for that description, because it certainly did not fit into what triumphal messiahship meant within the Jewish tradition. Jesus' response to Peter was quick, and it even seems harsh - "Get behind me, Satan!"(8:33).

Wow! That must have resulted in a dramatic and painful plummet to Peter's day, as he encountered these words that counter-balanced his previous euphoria. He had identified Jesus as Messiah. But in Peter's understanding, messiahship meant power and armies and control. Jesus, on the other hand, spoke of betrayal, suffering, and death, and for that perception, Peter rebuked him. The former image of messiahship - Peter's idea - must have had some tempting aspects to it … and thus Jesus responded, "Get behind me, Satan!" Painful as that must have been for Peter, one does get the sense that balance is restored once again … and it is done so in no uncertain terms.

In conclusion, then, I encourage you today to be mindful of life's balances. Jesus lived this life, too, and he experienced what we are talking about. Think of his Holy Week journey. He was praised and adored as he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. But he was deserted by his disciples later that same week and, eventually, crucified. If our Lord experienced such balance, should we expect anything different? I think not. Balance describes part of the joy and the sorrow that is life itself.

Without crucifixion, the resurrection victory is hollow. But, without resurrection, death has the last word. Thus, good and bad, joy and sorrow, life and death - all balance each other … and God Himself holds that balance in His hand. Amen.

Copyright © 2006 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee