What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

Now Jesus and his disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road he asked his disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?" So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to him, "You are the Christ." Then he strictly warned them that they should tell no one about him.

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when he had turned around and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

When he had called the people to himself, with his disciples also, he said to them, "Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when he comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." And he said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."

- Mark 8:27-9:1

This interesting and important passage or story in our gospel of Mark occurs at Caesarea Philippi, which is north of the Sea of Galilee. This was a city built by Herod's son Philip, and named after Tiberias Caesar and himself. My study bible points out that Jesus chooses this Gentile territory to "challenge his disciples with the messianic question in private, apparently wishing to avoid popular repercussions among Jews."

Now Jesus and his disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road he asked his disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?" So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to him, "You are the Christ." Then he strictly warned them that they should tell no one about him. Peter's confession, my study bible notes, is made on behalf of the disciples. "Christ" is from the Greek form of the Hebrew word "Messiah" - both mean "Anointed One." My study bible points out that Jesus will rarely use this title for himself, but he will accept it when questioned before the Sanhedrin. The popular nationalistic misunderstandings of Messiah were things Jesus took great pains to avoid -- and in today's reading Jesus comes up against some of these notions when Peter rebukes him. My study bible notes regarding Peter's confession: "The understanding of Christ's identity cannot be gained through human reason; nor do miracles divulge it. It comes only by revelation from the Father in heaven." (See For the life of the world.)

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He spoke this word openly. Jesus then begins to teach the disciples what it means to be "Son of Man." The title "Son of Man," is a veiled Old Testament messianic title, a clear reference which anyone familiar with Scriptures would understand from Daniel 7:13. My study bible explains that Jesus uses this title frequently, as it is more suitable than "the Christ" for this stage in his ministry: "Jesus must suffer: This is the inscrutable divine will, and the very heart of his redemptive work. Suffering marks Jesus' redefinition of messiahship (see Isaiah 53)." We note that Jesus' revelation of what will happen to him is made openly to the disciples. They are on the road.

But the "old" comes up with a shock against the "new." Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when he had turned around and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." My study bible notes helpfully: "Peter is shocked by this unprecedented notion... But Jesus is preparing his disciples -- and Christians today -- for adversity." It is interesting to me that this takes place in private -- Peter takes Jesus aside to rebuke him. I think this passage is very important, because it informs us that God's way of doing things in our world is not necessarily "worldly." In other words, it's not necessarily what we would expect, predict, nor declare worthwhile. In the passage with the story of the deaf man with the speech impediment, I quoted from a note that is worth repeating here again: "The ways of God at times do not make sense to us, not because he is illogical, but because his nature transcends our capacity to understand." That was referring to Jesus' ways of healing, but it still applies. Whatever is done for restoration and reconciliation of humanity to God in Jesus' life is healing -- and that also takes the form of the Cross and Christ's suffering. When Peter is told, "Get behind me, Satan!" Jesus is telling him that it is God's way of which they must be mindful, and not "the things of men" - no matter how good and proper they may sound from our perspective. Peter inadvertently is trying to sway Christ from His mission.

When he had called the people to himself, with his disciples also, he said to them, "Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it." What I find interesting here, and a pattern in Jesus' teaching, is how his experience - whatever is happening - is immediately used in his preaching and teaching. Here, he turns from a private conversation with Peter and calls the crowd to himself, together with all the disciples, and begins to teach based on the response of Peter to Jesus' declaration of future suffering. We must be prepared to give up our notions, our "worldly" notions, of what we think is good and right in exchange for God's notions of how we conduct our lives and what we are to expect. Jesus is drawing people away from self-centeredness, to the idea that it is a union and dialogue with God we are to seek for guidance and for what is "good." This is along the lines of his teachings about giving priority to the "traditions of men" over the "teachings of God," and in keeping with the same understanding. God does interact with our world and through us for healing on all levels, but we must be prepared to accept it and what it means. My study bible notes: "Discipleship is costly: it requires giving up all claim to everything the world holds dear."

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" My study bible points out the word here for "soul" is the Greek psyche/ψυχη. This same word, psyche, is the one translated as "life" in the previous sentence. My study bible says, "It can refer to our spiritual nature or the whole human being. Nothing is more valuable to us than our own souls."

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when he comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." "Adulterous" is not a literal term, but is meant to be understood in terms of fidelity to God. As God's people, Israel or the Church, is the bride, Christ is the bridegroom. So "adulterous" in this sense is the people who are not true to the Divine Bridegroom. We are to be loyal. Those of us who are ashamed, he will also be ashamed of. This gospel is hard, the teaching about suffering is hard - especially the giving up of our own ideas of what is good or necessary, or what is truly healing. Yet, Jesus asks all of us to embrace this paradox, this understanding that God's will is of a nature beyond our capacity to understand; yet we can receive that will and know what it is, despite the fact that we may not understand the reasons behind it (especially at the time we are called upon to follow and to embrace it). We may find guidance for what it is we are to do or to embrace (such as the Cross and Passion itself), but it may at times not make sense to us.

And he said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power." Tomorrow's reading will give us (and a handful of disciples) a foretaste of this glory, which my study bible says, "anticipates future revelatory moments of God's great power: the Resurrection of Christ and Pentecost, as well as the consummation of the Kingdom." But this is given to those willing to give up their notions of "good" for God's notions, giving up self for the true self present in worship, relationship, dialogue -- in the image the Creator has for us.

The word for this contradiction in what we think is good with what God teaches us through the Gospels - Christ's Passion and Cross - is "paradox." Why should there be such a conflict between our perspective and what God seems to ask of us, and what He asked of Christ? Well, this is an important question, but the perspective must shift all of us to that "sticking place" of what it is to be a Christian and a disciple. Life, we know, does not always make sense. And within a world filled with injustice and sin and all the things of which we wish to be healed, healing will take shape along lines too deep for us to understand, and from a perspective too grand for us to grasp. Yet - as Jesus has said above - the Father brings to him those who will understand. What we are to do, and how we are to live, and how we are to embody that Kingdom is not beyond our grasp. This can be given to us in our hearts, in that place where all of these things intersect, and all the dimensions of God and man intersect within us so that we can be given understanding and know how we are to live our lives in this world. This comes through prayer, and worship. But I personally cannot emphasize enough, this Lent, how important I think personal prayer is. These words that Jesus teaches us are not just for the disciples, nor are they simply for you and I to accept that his suffering and Passion were necessary to heal and reconcile our world. These words go far deeper than that. They go into each one of our lives, just as they would go into each life of every disciple present, many of whom would go on to martyrdom themselves. When we pray, we ask for God to make his Way clear to us in our own lives and for our own choices, and they may often make no sense. In fact, I would say that more times than not, it will come up against our own notions of what seems better or reasonable. To forgive is often paradoxical - we think we should be fighting for something instead. To accept setbacks, to learn humility, will always go against the grain of selfishness (and also what the world seems to popularly celebrate as success, or even what is rightfully ours). We do not know why we, too, must take up this cross. But the fruits of that life - such as humility, patience, and God's peace - may require that cost. We give up who we are in order to be taught in God's presence, through relationship - who God wishes us to be. We come face to face with Creator, with Christ, in order to find out who we can be instead. How will you make that journey? We seek God's image of ourselves. And can you embrace this paradox of suffering for the healing of the whole world, "for the life of the world?"

"And they shall all be taught by God, and great shall be their peace." Isaiah 54:13