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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
Yesterday, we read that the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Jesus, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation." And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread." But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" They said to Him, "Twelve." "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven." So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?" Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking." Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. Then He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town."
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?" My study bible tells us, "Caesarea Philippi, a major city rebuilt by Herod's son Philip, who named it after Tiberius Caesar and himself, was located some 20 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus chooses this Gentile area to challenge His disciples with the messianic question in private, apparently wishing to avoid popular repercussions among Jews." In Mark's Gospel, Jesus and the disciples travel back and forth across the Sea of Galilee, they go into various territories of the Gentiles, and into Judea and Jerusalem, and elsewhere, and a map becomes very helpful to understanding the breadth and different circumstances of Jesus ministry. Caesarea Philippi, a place symbolizing the worldly power and glory of the Romans, is perhaps the best place in which to define the glory of God.
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. My study bible says here: "Peter, on behalf of the disciples, confesses Jesus as the Christ. The Hebrew equivalent of Christ is 'Messiah,' meaning 'the Anointed One.' Because this title was fraught with popular nationalistic misunderstandings, Jesus uses it only rarely, but accepts it when questioned at His trial before the Sanhedrin (14:61, 62). 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 (Matt. 16: 16, 17)."
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. Another note tells us that Son of Man is a veiled Old Testament messianic title (found in the Book of Daniel). Jesus frequently will use this title for Himself as it is more suitable than "the Christ" at this stage of His ministry. It is also a title that emphasizes the fullness of His humanity, of the Incarnation. Jesus says that He must suffer. My study bible says that "this is the inscrutable divine will, and the very heart of His redemptive work. Suffering marks Jesus' redefinition of messiahship (see Isaiah 53). Peter is shocked by this unprecedented notion. But Jesus is preparing His disciples -- and Christians today -- for adversity."
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 says here that "Peter unknowingly serves the intent of Satan other than the plan of God in attempting to lead Jesus away from the path of suffering."
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." A note tells us, "After Peter's confession, Jesus injects a new solemn tone into His ministry by speaking about suffering and by teaching the people and the disciples the cost of discipleship: self-denial, carrying one's cross (a symbol of suffering), and obedience to Christ. By saying let him deny himself, and take up his cross, Jesus means His followers should separate themselves from their sins and from the inclination of their hearts towards evil (Gen. 8:21), crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal. 5:24)."
"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." This powerful statement tells us so much about our faith, and there is so much to "unlock" in it for ourselves. My study bible puts it this way: "To save one's life means to base one's earthly life on self. This is the opposite of self-denial, and ultimately results in the loss of eternal life. To lose one's life is to accept suffering and sacrifice for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom, which ultimately brings salvation. 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? 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." My study bible explains that soul, or psyche in the Greek, is also translated as "life." It can refer to our spiritual nature, or the whole human being. There is nothing more valuable to us than our souls. And then Jesus includes these powerful words clearly regarding Judgment; it is a powerful teaching on how we view loss, especially in a life dedicated to following Christ.
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." My study bible says that "the kingdom of God present with power is connected to the previous words about the Son of Man coming in glory (verse 38). A foretaste of this glory is granted at the Transfiguration, which anticipates future revelatory moments of God's great power: the Resurrection of Christ and Pentecost, as well as the consummation of the Kingdom."
In today's reading, Mark's Gospel finally gives us a definitive revelation of the identity of Jesus as Christ. But immediately, His word comes to the disciples: the Son of Man must suffer many things. How can this be the Christ, the Messiah? Why suffering? Jesus' humanity is, of course, a great key to this suffering. He is here with us, as one of us. But there's also more to it. Suffering comes for the sake of the Gospel, of the Kingdom. Taking up one's cross is the thing that He teaches each one of us, as disciples, must do. And then there is that powerful statement we read in the midst of His teachings today: "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 does that mean, exactly? How do we do that? In the traditional language of the Church, my study bible teaches about focus on the self, and about self-denial. But I think in popular language we also have the understanding of "ego" -- a kind of self-centeredness that involves all kinds of ways of thinking about self-aggrandizement, what we think we need, and this term also gives us a familiarity with the need to detach, to let go, to suffer loss in ways that help us more truly see ourselves and focus on the importance of the soul, finding simplicity and true needfulness. Whatever way we want to put it, I have seen in all kinds of ways that we will suffer in the world, and that the key to taking up the cross we're to bear is about finding God's way through the suffering. Whether we deliberately enter into ascetical practices of self-denial, or God brings that "self-denial" our way through loss, I really can't say which is the more effective way to understand this. But I will also say that whatever our own voluntary ascetical practices are, such as fasting, or taking retreats in silence, or whatever way we wish to "pare down" our lives in order to focus on what is important, I think that perhaps God brings our way experiences that illumine what we can't see voluntarily. Often, a particular crisis will needfully spark some painful self-reflection about what exactly we think we need, and what God seems to think we don't. Pain and suffering are definitely linked to effects of evil, but our prayer and devotion to God at those times may be crucial in understanding how we are to walk through this world, who we are, what we need, and how God may be glorified through our lives. In my opinion, this is what Christ refers to in taking up the Cross, even as His Crucifixion will be the supreme example of the same. As Son of Man, He bore the burdens of being human in this world: pain and suffering and every form of injustice, cruelty, betrayal, death. But I think the key here is who we find we are in those instances that bring us to our own crosses, and that ask us to make choices about what we are and what we ally ourselves with. When Jesus says, "Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed," He's talking about putting our trust in Him even through loss, through things that may seem in the world's eyes like we are the losers, whatever form that takes. There we get directly to the heart of how we think about ourselves, and how a kind of resurrection happens through a realignment of our way of thinking, a recognition of His way in the midst of loss, and who we are in His sight rather than the world's. Nobody can judge another's suffering. But I can tell you that our call to endure is one I have felt keenly in my life, and continue to feel called to learn and accept. It is a way of going through the darkness, in which we may lose ourselves, but find the person God calls us to be, in surprising ways that ask us for courage and endurance, and even humiliation. Jesus as human being calls us to be like Him, to help carry that Cross in our own way, and exchange the world for the Kingdom in ourselves and our hearts. Get behind Me, Satan! is the clear command that takes us away from one perspective, and demands another. We are to be mindful of the things of God instead.
