Sunday, March 12, 2006

Synopsis of the Armenian Message

Mark 8:27-33

“No Instant Cross”

On the second Sunday of Lent, we will continue our journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem. Some Christians are fasting. Some have given up certain types of foods or drinks. I even heard that a teenager decided to “fast” by giving up the use of her iPod!

In the Bible, fasting is always related with prayer. Last Sunday we talked about Jesus fasting and praying in the wilderness. Our fast will be meaningful only if we do it in the spirit of prayer trying to have a close relationship with God. Fasting should help us understand the message of Jesus: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (vs. 34).

Cross… One day while I was watching the beautiful khatchkar (cross stone) on the pulpit of our church, I started thinking about all the khatchkars in Armenia. Why did our forefathers carve so many khatchkars? One of the reasons was to protect the cross from the enemies who would burn our churches and rob them. Another reason was that Christ built His church on the rock. Every time we look at those khatchkars, we should remember that the church is built on the rock which God Himself provided. Jesus himself is the “chief cornerstone” (Eph. 2:20).

The khatchkars provide us with some interesting information. If we go on looking at them, we realize that Jesus is not there. He has risen. Their patterns include pomegranates (everlasting life), grapes (the blood of Christ), wheat grains (the body of Christ), and flowers on every side (blooming life all over the world).

Some perceive these khatchkars merely as pieces of art, yet their true meaning stands in signifying the suffering of Christ. They present the sacrifice that Christ made for us, His body broken for us, His blood shed for our sins, and life everlasting in Him.

The Gospel of Mark has 16 chapters. In the first eight chapters, we see the disciples walking and talking with Jesus, learning who He is. Jesus is the shepherd, the light, a prophet, a healer, a teacher, the Messiah… Finally, Peter proclaims: “You are the Christ” (8: 29). Just right after that climax, Jesus tells his disciples about his suffering and death. “He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected, by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (8:31).

Therefore, we as disciples of Christ, are invited to take up our crosses and follow Him. But do we carry our crosses or are we just spectators?

Yaakov Smirnoff, the Russian comedian once came to the US and was amazed to see some products. He writes: “On my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk - you just add water, and you get milk. Then I saw powdered orange juice - you just add water, and you get orange juice. And then I saw baby powder, and then I thought to myself, ‘What a country!’”

Christianity is not “instant powder.” Just adding water will not make us Christians. We are saved through his grace, and not by our works. But growing in discipleship is carrying the cross and following him daily.

To be continued in English.