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And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" So they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God."
And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."
Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."
- Luke 9:18-27
Yesterday, we read that Jesus called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them." So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. Herod said, "John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?" So he sought to see Him. And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here." But He said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people." For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty." And they did so, and made them all sit down. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.
And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" So they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again." My study bible points out here that -- as in every generation -- what the crowds have to say about Jesus is usually unpredictable and misguided!
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God." A note tells us that "Who do you say that I am? is the ultimate question in Scripture and in all theology. How this question is answered defines the universe. Christ (Hebrew Messiah) means "Anointed One." The declaration of Peter that Jesus is the Christ of God reveals Jesus is not merely another anointed king or prophet, but the long-awaited Savior."
And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day." My study bible says that "Jesus desires to keep His identity as the Christ hidden to avoid popular political and theological misunderstandings. Only after His Passion and Resurrection can His identity as Messiah be understood."
Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's and of the holy angels." My study bible claims we should note two things: "(1) Each person must take up his own cross. The burden in this world is different for each person, and each has been chosen by God to bear certain struggles for his own salvation and the salvation of those around him. (2) The cross is to be taken up daily. Commitment to following Christ is not just a one-time event. Rather, it is the continual practice of faith and obedience, even to the point of being shamed and persecuted by the world."
"But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God." My study bible suggests that this is a reference to those who will witness the Transfiguration (vv. 28-36, which will be in tomorrow's reading), as well as to those in every generation who experience the presence of God's Kingdom.
The Gospel takes us into a dramatic peak, and then into the reality of the world. Peter recognizes and confesses Jesus as the Christ. But immediately, there is a warning from Jesus, as well as a glimpse of the future: "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day." The Gospel in this way prepares us also for living in a world in which the perfect happy ending isn't necessarily around the corner. We hold this to be the ultimate truth, that Jesus is the Christ. When my study bible noted that "Who do you say that I am?" is the ultimate question in Scripture and all of theology, it's not only speaking from a Scriptural perspective but also the perspective of the whole history of the Church. The early councils that shaped and defined theology, including the Creed, were all held to answer questions regarding the identity of Christ. Many of us moderns seem to think that we invented these questions, but much of what one hears in popular sorts of debates about faith were questions raised, debated, and answered in the fourth century. But what we should not miss is the truth that the Gospel is presenting us with here. Jesus is identified, clearly. But it's not the end, and the latter part of His earthly story is foretold as one that is of struggle in this world. As John's Gospel tells us, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." Jesus prepares us for the Cross, and our daily crosses, in the world that we live in. We don't live in a world with perfectly logical happy endings (even after revelation of truth). We live in a world where the truth of love and grace is not always recognized nor prized, and we who believe in this must be prepared for that. Jesus' declaration about those who are ashamed of Him is a kind of warning of the difficulties in following a life which even the Son does not make simply perfect in a world that isn't free of darkness. He prepares all of us for the struggle of faith. This isn't just a struggle within us, but in may also be a struggle with the world -- even with those who would trample pearls under their feet. Even the very best things we may carry of the grace of God: kindness, companionship, compassion, help -- may be rejected by those who prefer not to prize what is on offer that is truly good. Jesus offers His love and goodness, and His truth of His identity. He will suffer for doing so. It is up to us who thrive on the Resurrection to carry His light in the world, despite how the world may respond to it. This is the power of the Gospel; it gives us the truth of our lives, of Christ, and also of the world. It is not a fairy tale, but a Scripture that gives us the reality we are born into: both the reality of the Kingdom and the reality of the world. And the Cross, as the place of tension between them. We are still in that place -- we live in a world where we take up our cross, give up our lives to the life He asks of us, and there will be those who wish even to shame our faith. The Gospels present this reality to us very clearly, in plain straight language directly from Jesus. Let us remember this is also what it means to be awake, and to bear the Kingdom into the world. By the way, this reading, as have so many others, begins with Christ praying. Do we notice how often He does so? Let us think about how we go about living the life, and bearing the Kingdom, that He asks us to do.
