We are living in a frightening time. The threat of war and terrorism confronts us each and every day. People are naturally concerned about their personal safety and security. That's why there's now a market for a most unusual SUV.

This particular sport utility vehicle is being built at the Ibis Tek shop in Butler, Pennsylvania, and it looks from the outside like one of the suburban cruisers piloted by millions of soccer moms. But with the flip of a switch, the sunroof opens and a weapon pops out. You can take your pick: .50-caliber M2 machine gun, or 40mm grenade launcher.

Very few terrorists would want to face such a soccer mom.

Before you start placing your orders, I have to tell you that these heavily armed people-movers aren't currently available in the United States. According to the Associated Press, they are only being shipped to hot spots like the Middle East.

But here's a question for you: Is this really the kind of security we are looking for?

Simon Peter certainly would have appreciated an SUV like this for Jesus and the disciples. Peter was concerned about security, and he actually rebuked his master when Jesus began to teach that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed (Mark 8:31).

"No way!" thought Peter, probably wishing he could make a deal with an outfit like Ibis Tek. For a cool half-million dollars, this aspiring Head of Security could get an SUV with all the trimmings -- including options like protective plating that can stop an armor-piercing bullet. For a bit more cash, he could add some firepower, such as hidden, laser-guided gun platforms with machine guns or grenade launchers. At the very least, Peter would want the optional protection package that would shield his colleagues from gas or biological attack. (Charles Sheehan, "Road rage risky against this SUV," The Denver Post, August 8, 2002, 2A-5A)

As it turned out, Peter had to settle for a simple sword, which he swung in a desperate attempt to protect Jesus from arrest. But his master told him, "Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?" (John 18:11).

For Jesus, it seems, security is not to be found in firepower.

In today's passage from Mark, Jesus challenges Peter -- and, by extension, challenges each one of us -- to focus on divine things, not on human things. This means to respond positively to Jesus when he says, "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" (Mark 8:33-35).

Jesus lets us know that discipleship is not designed to protect us from pain or suffering or even death. But don't get me wrong -- to be a disciple is not to be suicidal. What we learn from Scripture is that by following Jesus we tap into the most powerful force in human history -- the life of Christ was nothing less than a godly grenade launcher that destroyed for all time the power of Satan, sin and death. Jesus did not show weakness or powerlessness by walking the way of the cross, and neither do we. The path of discipleship is, instead, an unconventional way to achieve an unexpected victory.

The question for us is this: How are we going to equip our personal mobile weapons platform? What are we going to use to fight the good fight? What are we going to put on the mobile platform that is our own God-created heart, mind, and spirit? Will it be a weapon of destruction ... or a weapon of salvation?

First, we are challenged to put a cross on our mobile platform. Yes, a cross. This is a strange sort of weapon, for sure, but it's exactly what Jesus orders for us when he says, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (v. 34). To mount a cross on our personal platform is to accept that we will someday die, as Jesus did. Nothing can change this reality, and so we should not put too much stock in the possessions or politics or powers of this world. To put a cross on our platform is to face the world with a weapon of salvation; it is to put the will of Christ ahead of our own will; it is to place the needs and desires of others ahead of our own personal needs and desires; it is to see the world through the cross of self-sacrifice, not through the crosshairs of an SUV-mounted machine gun.

You've probably heard of Gale Sayers, one of the best running backs in the history of college and professional football. His autobiography is called "I Am Third," and it tells the story of his football days and his friendship with Brian Piccolo. The title of the book comes from Sayers' personal statement of faith, which has guided him as an athlete, as a friend, and as a community leader: "The Lord is first, my friends are second, and I am third."

I am third. That's what it means to put a cross on your mobile platform.

In addition, we are instructed to put some protective plating on our mobile platform, so that challenges from others won't cause us to cave in, break down, buckle under, lose our courage, and deny Jesus Christ (v. 38). It's not easy to stand up for our beliefs, especially in a culture that has set its mind "not on divine things but on human things" (v. 33). Our society is suspicious of God-talk, obsessed with shopping, hungry for money, scared to death of death, and focused on preserving our way of life at any cost. When we say that there is more to life than gaining status and security and power and possessions, we run the risk of turning ourselves into targets.

But Jesus isn't afraid of speaking the truth. He really criticizes our culture when he says, "those who want to save their life will lose it" (v. 35). Those who put all their energy into self-preservation will wind up losers in the end. On the other hand, those who lose their life for Christ's sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will end up enjoying eternal life with God.

We may take some hits when we stand up for Jesus, so a little protective plating is always a good idea. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul recommends the "whole armor of God": The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation (6:13-17). These four are some super-strong and steely stuff -- truth, righteousness, faith, salvation -- and together they can serve as pieces of armor when you take your stand for what you believe.

In the end, complete security comes from being a disciple of Jesus Christ. A suburban assault vehicle isn't needed, nor is a machine gun, nor a grenade launcher. All you need is a personal mobile platform armed with a cross and a little protective plating. These are what enable you to travel through life as a disciple, and achieve unexpected victories in rather unconventional ways.

Ultimate security, after all, is found not in the best technology, nor in the most sophisticated weaponry, but in the final recommendation of Jesus the Christ. Jesus has already scored a surprising victory over the power of sin and death, and our challenge is always going to be to stay close to him, through whatever lies ahead. When we eat and drink together in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, we stay close to him. When we take a stand for Jesus and walk in his way, we stay close to him. When we focus on divine things instead of human things, we stay close to him. When we follow Jesus along the path of the cross, we stay close to him -- and that closeness is going to be what leads to our eternal security with God.

So save your half-million dollars for something else. Better to put your trust in a Savior than in an SUV. Amen.

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