What's My Way?

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Who can forget the line from The Princess Bride, when Andre the Giant, portraying Fezzik, wants to know how to kill Westly?

Vizzini: Finish him. Finish him, your way.
Fezzik: Oh good, my way. Thank you Vizzini... what's my way?
Vizzini: Pick up one of those rocks, get behind a boulder, in a few minutes the man in black will come running around the bend, the minute his head is in view, hit it with the rock.
Fezzik: My way's not very sportsman-like.

                http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/quotes

It’s good for one of many laughs! But it’s not so funny in the Gospel of Mark when those who have been around Jesus don’t recognize his ways! Even Peter, the one who seemed to understand best who Jesus was in the conversation just before (Mark 8:27-29, Jesus: ‘Who do people say that I am?’ Peter: ‘You are the Messiah’)  now has no clue The Ways in which Jesus wants to be this Messiah.

There are so many ways! My Way (see Sinatra,) Their Way, the Easy Way, the Hard Way, the Old-Fashioned way….and Jesus says ‘Let me teach you my way (Mark 8:34-37.) He wants us to let him let us in on the mysterious ways he works, in the present day, today. His ‘secrets’ of how he works are only secret if we are out of listening range.

Sitting at his feet and listening is still the highest place on earth.  There’s no shortcut to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. But the teacher is ready to instruct. He is ready to share. He’s ready to let us in on what in the world he’s up to.

Lord, speak! We’re listening!

This Sunday’s Gospel lectionary reading, Mark 31-38, speaks of Jesus trying to tell his disciples that they need to let him teach them his ways. Above are some of my thoughts on this.