"Who Do You Say that He Is? (Mark 8:27-38) (again)

It seems that University Students in Japan are receiving bags of Koala poop before they take their tests. It is not a mean spirited prank, but rather a token of good luck. Koalas can hang from trees for up to 20 hours without losing their grip, and the idea is that the poop will help students “hold onto” the information long enough to take their test. Silly. Then again, people have the silliest ideas about what will help their fate. Growing up in the States I had friends who carried rabbit feet in their pockets. (As if that foot had helped that rabbit at all!) Living in Germany I see little models of pigs on sale every New Year for people to purchase that will supposedly bring them a year’s worth of good fortune. In Chile, being a catholic country, people preferred to carry a dead Jesus on a cross for the exact same reason. He was merely a good luck charm. The problem is a lot of the Baptists I know, who claim to know better and don’t carry any amulet around, have no better understanding of Jesus. He isn’t a charm. But He isn’t any better than a source good luck for one’s life.

Who Jesus REALLY is impacts who we are in relationship with Him.

I: Jesus’ disciples understood He was the Christ.

People all over were talking about Jesus. His ministry was causing a stir. However, most people had a bunch of wrong ideas as to who He was. Only the disciples understood—to some degree—who Jesus really was. He is the Messiah, the Christ.

People today still make the same claims. Jesus is a moral teacher, a great example, or even as much as a prophet of God. That is not enough. C.S. Lewis in his book “Mere Christianity” addresses this problem in what has been called Lewis’ Trilemma.

Jesus is not:

A good teacher: People who claim this have not looked at His teaching.

A good Example: If He is not God then He is merely a misguided and irrational revolutionary.

A prophet: Once again, when we look at His “prophecies” we have to come to another conclusion.

A madman or liar: That is certainly an option, just not one that we Christians would chose.

Jesus IS the Messiah. He is God and the savior of the world. But what does that mean?

II. The truth of the Christ was, however, something they did not understand.

Once they arrive at the correct conclusion, Jesus’ teaching shifts. He begins to elaborate on His mission; about His death and resurrection. This is where the disciples’ ever still limited understanding is revealed. They believe Him to be the messiah, but they have no idea what that really means. They had a false preconception of who the messiah would be.

Jesus is not:

A superhero, not a god with a little g: The Hebrew understanding of the Messiah was little better than some Greek or Roman idea of a god. In today’s culture we still have these pantheons of heroes. They are the superheroes of comics and movies. We don’t exactly worship them, but we build fandoms around them. We admire their stories and the ideas they communicate. It can be a religious experience for some. Unfortunately, many Christians are fans of Jesus rather than followers.

A religious figure: Religion is a human invention. Before humanity sinned, we had a relationship with the Creator. It wasn’t until that relationship was broken through our rebellion that we see religious paths to gods. The religion established and seen in the Old Testament was not a solution, but rather an education. God intended it to show us our need for Him and our incapacity to overcome our sin. Jesus never set out to create or lead just another religion amongst many. In fact, He railed against religion in His teaching.

A good luck charm: He did not come to give us assistance in our little plans, ideas, and goals in life. He came to offer us the chance to join God in His plan for creation as it was intended to be.

Jesus is the MESSIAH. He is God and the Savior of the world. But what does that imply for us?

III. When we make Jesus into something He is not, we misunderstand who we are.

Those who follow Jesus—who truly see Him for the Messiah of God’s salvation plan—die to themselves. They give up their little idea of a kingdom and take on their role in God’s true Kingdom. Jesus lists four reasons (four “whys and wherefores”) as to why this makes sense in light of the truth of the Gospel.

1st Wherefore: The Mechanics of Life

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.”

This is a paradoxical idea, but also something that we understand. Story after story has been told about the villain who wants to avoid death, and how that makes them not only an evil character but ultimately leads to their defeat in the face of a hero who is willing to die for the sake of good. It is the basis for characters such as Lord Voldemort or Darth Vader, and the source of the main plotline in those sagas. In God’s order, we are to leave our needs and safety in God’s hands and concentrate on doing His will and fulfilling His plans.

2nd Wherefore: The Economics of Life

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

Today people are all about pleasure, comfort, and luxury. They see spiritual aims in life as being obstacles to those things. They only consider what is being offered in “the now.” They will do nearly anything that promises to make them feel good, and never mind the consequences.

3rd Wherefore: The Logic of the big picture

“For what can a man give in return for his soul?”

When Jesus phrases the exchange this way, it makes more sense. Who would agree to exchange their very life for any amount of money, or a drug, or an experience? It is hard to enjoy that buying power, that high, or that opportunity when you are dead. To make such a trade would be stupid. And what Jesus means is that living outside of God’s Kingdom is like making that deal.

4th Wherefore: The reality of two realms

“For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed.”

If what Jesus says—what people claiming to be Christians believe—is true, then there are two realms in life. The way things have been created to be--God’s Kingdom—and the lie that sin has woven—our delusion. How can someone claim to be a follower of Jesus, but remain ashamed and silent about the lie in which people are suffering? It does not add up. Those who are ashamed of Jesus need to reexamine their idea of faith.

If we say that we believe Jesus is the Messiah, then we have to live changed lives. To do otherwise puts our faith into question. We cannot afford to buy into the lie that Jesus Christ may just be our Savior and not necessarily our Lord.

Genus: Vipera

Systematics is a fascinating science. It is a perfect picture of the Modern impulse to try to classify everything, and how feeble that endeavor is. In the Order Serpentes, for example, things change so much. In the three or so decades that I have watched things, the family structure of Serpentes has changed multiple times going from around eight families to eighteen and whole families have been absorbed and split as scientists make arguments for better systems.

This is a fascinating order, and as always I have a hard time narrowing the interesting examples down to a few favorites. So, here are my ten favorite genera from the family Vipera (around 236 total species):

10. Vipera

The “boring” plain genus including the most common, European types is fascinating due to its close association with our Western culture.

Vipera berus Common European Adder

Vipera ammodytes Horend Viper

9. Echis

Desert vipers from Africa and the Middle East. Highly poisonous and interesting due to their tendancy to stridulate. Possible candidate for the “fiery serpents” from the Book of Numbers.

Echis pyramidum Egyptian Saw-scaled Viper

8. Cerastes

Another stridulating, desert species. They bury themselves in sand and wait for passing prey. A picture of this species in National Geographic Explorer Magazine freaked me out about deserts.  

Cerastes cerastes Saharan Horned Viper

7. Bitis

The heaviest, and one of the most beautiful vipers. Gaboons have the longest fangs.

Bitis gabonica Gaboon Viper

6. Sistrurus

One of two genera known as rattlesnakes. These are a little smaller and are often pretty little snakes. Whenever I found a Great Plains Ratsnake in the wild I would always have to consider closely before grapping, as the look a lot like the Massasauga. Pigmy rattlesnakes are so small they are hard to consider threatening.

Sistrurus catenatus Massasauga

Sistrurus miliarius Pigmy Rattlesnake

5. Atheris


Coolest looking?

Atheris hispida Spiny Bush Viper

4. Tropidolaemus

These are famous due to a high concentration that live inside an Asian temple. Supposedly, these worshiped serpents do not bite their adorers.

Tropidolaemus wagleri Wagler’s Pit Viper or Temple Viper

3. Crotalus

The bigger rattlesnake genus. Maybe the most famous and legendary snakes. Some are very beautiful, all are not to be messed with. Crotalus atrox is the only viper I have ever captured and held.

Crotalus atrox Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Crotalus cerastes Sidewinder

Crotalus horridus Timber Rattlesnake

Crotalus Lepidus Rock Rattlesnake

2. Agkistrodon

Boring genus if it weren’t for the fact that the most beautiful North American species of snake belonged to it.

Agkistrodon contortrix Copperhead

1. Bothriechis

The palm vipers are the prettiest, most evil looking things going.

Bothriechis schleglii Eyelash Palm-pitviper

Bothriechis aurifer Yellow-blotched Palm-pitviper

(Photos are from Wikipedia)

"Gravity" (2013)

All cinema is an illusion, but some more than others. “Gravity” is a supreme example of the way filmmakers can create a whole world out of vapor and immerse us into an experience that feels real, intense and amazing—at least insofar as anyone can attest to the validity of such a story as this. Scientists assure us that this film accomplishes more validity than any other, but if they are fibbing who are we to disagree?

The illusion falls apart a bit when it comes to the story. It is slim on plot, precarious on suspension of disbelief, and—for all of its birth imagery—weak on message. But not everything has to be about message. And, there is a sliver of something to be seen here. At least for me, Ryan Stones journey to new birth is a lot about the issue of faith.

There comes a point in the story where Stone is faced with her imminent death. Not the adrenaline fueled, disorienting terror of the first moments on mishap but rather a calm, still knowledge that she is going to die soon. She mourns a bit, prays a bit, and decides to quicken things as much as possible. However in that moment, she has an epiphany. She decides to go out fighting. She hasn’t the tiniest reason to hope he will live out the day, but she decides to fight for life as long as it is in her. She decides to believe that she can succeed. In her words: “Either I make it down there in one piece and I have one hell of a story to tell! Or I burn up in the next ten minutes. Either way, whichever way... no harm, no foul!”

Admittedly it is a weak form of faith. But it does make more sense than accepting defeat before its time has come. In a similar way, life is better when seen through the eyes of meaning, order, and the purpose of a loving creator than the pessimistic, empty chaos of dumb chance. And, if somehow that ends up being optimistic naïveté and there is no meaning, you’re no worse off. In fact, you probably had a better ride.

Poetry Scales

abattoir, brogue, cogitation
dalliance, escritoire, fulmination
gormandizer, hoarfrost, iridescence, juggernaut
kerfuffle, leitmotiv, mummification

naïveté, oubliette, pasteurization
quietus, repertoire, stridulation
tranquilizer, umlaut, vivisection, wanderlust
xenophobia, yashmak, zombification


(part 1 of a possible, planned, 27 part project)

"The Apartment" (1960)

Often considered one of the best “romantic comedies,” Billy Wilder’s 1960 film is indeed amongst the best of the genre because it doesn’t really fit. It is not the simple-minded story of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back (or for today’s more common formula, reverse the gender roles), but instead is an almost depressing story of the reality of society’s idea of romance.

In a strange world of 1960s New York, where it seems every man is cheating on his wife, Jack Lemon plays Calvin Baxter, a man who can’t say no. He is therefor used and abused by all his superiors who adopt his apartment as a rendezvous point. Baxter thinks that this will eventually help him climb the corporate ladder. Where love is concerned, he is more idealistic than the other men. He is single but uninvolved. He likes one of the elevator operators in the building, Fran Kubelik, and he is shy but gentlemanly in his pursuit of her.

Fran, on the other hand, is the newest visitor to his apartment. When Baxter’s big boss, Sheldrake, learns of the arrangement he forces Lemon to change things so that only he is able to take a mistress there, and it just so happens that his mistress is Fran. She is not your typical mistress though. She was unaware that the boss was married when she fell in love and has broken things off when she realized he was not going to leave his wife.

However, things start up again when Sheldrake lies about his intentions and takes her to Lemon’s flat. One thing leads to another and Fran realizes that she is simply a plaything and tries to commit suicide in Baxter’s apartment. Baxter finds her, saves her, and nurses her back to health. For that, he earns a huge promotion but is willing to throw everything away when he too comes to his senses. Seeing he is merely being used, he quits to pursue a better career elsewhere.

When Fran hears of Baxter’s action, she realizes at once that he does indeed care for her, and that she too is not showing enough pride in herself. The ending scene is not the typical “happily ever after” scene, but there is potential.