Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me

 

 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 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 Him, 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, to 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?"  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 calls Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?" the greatest question a person can ever face, for the reason that it is this question that defines Christianity.  Peter answers correctly, and this answer prevents the Christian faith from being understood as just another philosophical system or path of spirituality.  In St. Matthew's Gospel, St. Peter adds to his answer here; he says that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the Living God."  This is a unique, singular identity that excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  My study Bible comments that St. Peter's understanding cannot be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One," and is the equivalent of the Hebrew title "Messiah."  Moreover, my study Bible points out that Jesus first draws out erroneous opinions about Himself.  He does so in order to identify these incorrect ideas, as a person is better prepared to avoid false teachings when they are clearly identified.

 

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."  Following the confession of St. Peter, made on behalf of all of the apostles, Jesus now reveals the true nature of His messiahship.  This is the mystery of His Passion.  My study Bible comments that it was expected that the  Messiah would reign forever, so the idea that Christ would die was perplexing to Peter and remained scandalous to the Jews even after the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 1:23).

Peter unwittingly speaks for Satan, as the devil did not want Christ to complete His mission and save humankind through His experience of suffering and death.   

 

 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."  The cross was the most dreaded instrument of Roman punishment, crucifixion being reserved for the worst of criminals.  But for Christians, and in the language of Jesus here, it's a symbol of suffering in imitation of Christ.  My study Bible explains that we practice self-denial for the sake of the love of God and the gospel.  This does not glorify suffering in the sense that to accept it is not a punishment, not an end in itself, but rather a means whereby the fallen world is overcome for the sake of the Kingdom, and the flesh crucified with its passions and desires in exchange for higher purpose (Galatians 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."  My study Bible comments here that the central paradox of Christian living is that in grasping for temporal things, we lose the eternal; but in sacrificing everything in this world, we gain eternal riches that are unimaginable (1 Corinthians 2:9).

 

"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."  Jesus asks, "What will a man give in exchange for his soul?"  My study Bible comments that this question emphasizes the utter foolishness of accumulating worldly wealth or power, for none of this can redeem a person's fallen soul, nor will it benefit a person in the life to come. 

 

  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 suggests that this is a reference to those who would witness the Transfiguration (which follows in our next reading), as well as to those in every generation who will experience the presence of God's kingdom.

 

Jesus asks, "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?"  With language like this, Jesus makes it clear that -- at least spiritually speaking -- there is an exchange taking place, and this is one that is always with us, whether or not we recognize it.  There is the way of the world, that seeks to gain the whole world, and then there is the way of the soul.  That is, there is a way not simply to gain one's soul, but to feed and magnify it, even to save it.  This language puts life and the ways in which we face life and our choices in life into stark contrast.  We have two ways, apparently, to choose.  There is the way of the world (also sometimes referred to as "the flesh") and the way of the cross, the way for the soul.  We might think of "passions and desires of the flesh" noted by my study Bible as those things which belong strictly to the body, but this would be a false kind of equivalence, a wrong inference.  These would be akin to that which seeks to gain the whole world, and yet cannot recognize the loss of the soul, nor the value of the soul.  It is a kind of material focus that does not recognize the great value of the soul, our potential for all the things of the soul, including beauty and holiness, and the possibility of eternal life.  The Cross in this perspective offers us an exchange, and it is all about what we choose.  Through His Passion and death on the Cross, and His Resurrection and Ascension, Christ brings about the potential for union with the divine for all of us, the potential for eternal life with Him.  Had He chosen instead the "worldly" life of ease and forgetfulness, not heeding His divine mission, we can imagine what would have been lost for the entire world, and the whole history of humankind and of creation.  In a similar sense, our own personal crosses offer us that same kind of exchange.  We can follow our faith to save, magnify, and feed our souls for all the potential of the soul and the spiritual reality Christ offers to our lives (both in this world and beyond), or we can follow the way of "the flesh" or "the world" and be distracted from every spiritual joy and beauty, seeking only that which feeds us in the moment, ignoring grace, seeking a foundation in what is temporal and does not touch the heart of a human being in the inner life.  Jesus chooses His mission from the Father, for all of us, but He invites us, too, to take up our own crosses and do likewise.  For we may all participate in His life, Passion, death, Resurrection, Ascension.  We are meant for greater things than survival, consumption, the distraction of competition around us, what the "worldly" can offer to us.  There is a transcendent joy promised in faith, a way to build for a future we don't quite know, for values that accrue within us through grace, a life built upon the rock that is the foundation of faith.  When Jesus says to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan" He makes it clear that it is through His own forbearance, even His suffering, that it becomes possible for the divine to sanctify what is human, to offer to all of us the chance for holiness, to be "like God."  This is not something reserved only for the great saints of history, but on offer -- even commanded in discipleship -- for all of us.  Jesus says, ""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 we are meant to be mindful not simply of the things of men, but of the things of God, and in that exchange to be capable of something much greater.

 

 

 

 

Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me

 

 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 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 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?"  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 comments that, "Who do you say that I am?" is the greatest question any person can ever face, for it's the question that defines Christianity.  As Peter answers correctly, this prevents the Christian faith from being seen as merely another philosophical system or path of spirituality, as it names Jesus as the Christ.  That is, the one and only Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16).   This position, it says, excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  Peter's understanding cannot be achieved by human reason, but only through divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One."  It is equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."  My study Bible also asks us to note that Christ first draws out erroneous opinions about Himself.  He does so in order to identify these incorrect ideas, as a person is better prepared to avoid false teachings when they've been clearly identified. 

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."  Here, following Peter's confession of faith that He is the Christ, Jesus reveals the true nature of His messiahship:  this is the mystery of Christ's Passion.  My study Bible explains that it was expected that the Messiah would reign forever, so the idea that Christ would die was perplexing to Peter and remained scandalous to the Jews even after the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 1:23).  Here Peter unwittingly speaks for Satan, as the devil did not want Christ to fulfill His mission and save humankind through suffering and death.  

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."    The cross was a dreaded instrument of Roman punishment, reserved for the worst of criminals.  But it is also a symbol of suffering by Christians in imitation of Christ.  My study Bible comments that we practice self-denial for the sake of the love of God and the gospel.  To accept this suffering is not a punishment, and neither is it an end in itself.  Rather, it's a means to overcome the fallen world for the sake of the Kingdom and to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 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."  My study Bible notes that the central paradox of Christian living is that in grasping for what is temporal, we lose the eternal.  But in sacrificing everything in this world, we gain eternal riches which are unimaginable (1 Corinthians 2:9). 

 

"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."   Jesus asks, "What will a man give in exchange for his soul?"  My study Bible says that this question emphasizes the utter foolishness of accumulating worldly wealth or power, for none of this can redeem a fallen soul, nor benefit a person in the life to come.  

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."  This is a reference to those who would witness the Transfiguration (tomorrow's reading), as well as those in each generation who will experience the presence of God's Kingdom.  

My study Bible emphasizes Christ's gospel of the Kingdom as making that presence real to those who may experience it through faith.  Jesus will teach, as reported in Matthew's Gospel, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).  Here in today's reading, Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ makes the presence of God's kingdom real and palpable in the midst of the disciples, for He is the only-begotten Son.  Therefore, Christ's final comment in today's reading is illumined through His real identity as the Christ.  He introduces the great paradox of saying that, although that kingdom of God may be present with power to some, nonetheless that Kingdom will be achieved and claimed for Him with all authority through the means of a tremendous sacrifice, His suffering and death on the Cross.  There are many, many things that can be inferred and understood from this sacrifice, Christ's mission in the world as the Incarnate Son of God and human being Jesus, and no doubt many more to come.  But for now let us pause to consider that in teaching the disciples about taking up their own crosses, He invites us into perfect participation in His life, death, and Resurrection.  These things do not simply mean the life of this one human and divine Person, but the entirety of the life of the Kingdom.  For in so doing, Jesus invites us to live the life of the Kingdom, and for that Kingdom to be present to us even in the here and now.  Let us remember that through His mission and the Cross, Jesus assumes all authority as Lord.  So, He teaches here, "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?"  How will we know what life of the soul is in store for us?  How can we understand these grave questions except in terms of participating in the life of the Kingdom, and what that holds for us?  There is no other way, except to understand that in imitation of Him, and through His invitation to us here to take up our own crosses, He invites us into that eternal life of the Kingdom, that "more abundant" life with Him.  We are asked to participate in His sacrifice ourselves so that we may also participate in His life and Kingdom.  Let us understand this great mystery, and the tremendous invitation to the gift of this life and this Kingdom.  Moreover, the gift of the soul is the gift of identity, and the "more abundant" life possible therein.  We can look at the saints and understand their sacrifices for the life of the Kingdom, and note that these lives are dynamic and powerful, people becoming somehow "more" themselves through such sacrifice, not less.  That door is open to us, and He is the Door Himself.

Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven

 

 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. 

 

- Matthew 16:13-20 

 

Yesterday we read that the Pharisees and Sadducees came to Christ, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.'  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  And He left them and departed.  Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.  Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?  Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?  How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? -- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  Then they understood that He did not tell the to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.   

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."  My study Bible comments that Christ's question, "Who do you say that I am?" is the greatest question a person can ever face, because this is the question that defines Christianity.  Peter answers correctly, and his answer prevents the Christian faith from being seen as simply another philosophical system or a path of spirituality, because it names Jesus as the one and only Son of the living God.  This is a position, my study Bible explains, which excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  This understanding on the part of Peter cannot be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One," and is equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."  My study Bible also notes that Christ first draws out erroneous opinions about Himself.  This is done in order to identify these incorrect ideas, as a person is better prepared to avoid false teachings when they are clearly identified.

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."   Peter/rock is a play on the word for "rock" in both Aramaic and Greek (petros/petra), my study Bible teaches.  It says that this rock does not refer to Peter per se, but rather, in the words of St. John Chrysostom, "the faith of his confession."  The real Rock is Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 10:4), and the Church is built on the faithful confession of Christ.  The gates of Hades are the powers of death.  In the Old Testament, gates are suggestive of a fortified city (Genesis 22:17; 24:60; Isaiah 14:31).  In shattering its gates, Christ opens the stronghold of death to set free the souls of the righteous; this is the historical way the Church understands Christ's mission which even extends to Hades and to those therein.  So, also, my study Bible adds, the Church shall not be stopped in her proclamation of salvation.   Moreover, my study Bible adds that the term church is mentioned only twice in all the gospels, here and in Matthew 18:17.  This Church is the true Israel and the Body of Christ, and her citizenship is heavenly.  

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.  The expression keys of the kingdom, my study Bible says, refers to a special authority that will be given to both Peter and the other apostles after the Resurrection (see Matthew 18:18; John 20:23).  Peter was not a leader over the others, but rather among them.  This truth was confirmed at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) where the apostles and presbyters met as equals, and where Peter advised but James presided.  Claims in later centuries, my study Bible asserts, should not be confused with the New Testament witness regarding Peter, nor should the role of Peter be diminished in these claims.  According to St. John Chrysostom, binding and loosing is a reference primarily to the authority "to absolve sins" (see also John 20:23).  It also includes all the teaching, sacramental, and administrative authority of the apostles.  This authority has been transmitted to the bishops of the Church, and continues today.

The concepts of the Church which arise in today's reading give the firm foundation of the Church as profoundly spiritual in nature.  That is, the Church is the Body of Christ, and as my study Bible puts it, her citizenship is heavenly.  As today's reading indicates, everything begins with the rock of faith, which is a  profound divine/human connection, dynamic in its energies, and producing what we understand of our faith and all that is connected to it.  It begins with Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.  In Christ's response to him is revealed to us this profound divine/human connection:  "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."   Jesus affirms that this conclusion from Peter has not come through Peter's faculties alone, his capacity for reason and intellectual understanding, or any other resource that is Peter's alone.  Rather, we are given this extraordinary affirmation that the Father in heaven has in fact revealed the truth of Jesus' identity to Peter.  And this connection of faith is the rock upon which the Church is founded.  It is for this reason that we truly need to consider the spiritual nature of the foundation of the Church, all of its buildings, services, saints, our Book -- the Bible, and all our Scriptures.  All of it is the product of this profound spiritual entity, this divine/human reality of faith and the grace that it locks into the world.  If we think of the Church on these terms, we may come to see how central Christ's Incarnation itself is to the identity and meaning of the Church, for as the Body of Christ, the Church makes manifest Christ Himself as part of our world.  From there we come to see the Eucharist as so central to the Church as to be inseparable, for it is in the Eucharist where we find Him and His life that is given for us.  None of these things can be separate from our deep need to understand the Church as truly spiritual in nature, and not simply a collection of buildings or services or Scriptures or even a physical population of worshipers.  This spiritual reality is one that is dynamic and living, that must live and be revived through each new generation, giving life to the Church, meaning to the Scriptures, and generating faith in the world.  For each new generation will seek and find meaning in all of the aspects of the Church that have been produced through her history only through this living faith, this understanding of the spiritual foundations within which we must root ourselves and from which all else proceeds.  Just as the disciples will come to the fullness of their understanding of Christ and all of the Scriptures fulfilled in Him, His teachings, and His life, only after Pentecost, so we need to rely upon the grace of our spiritual foundation to rediscover those meanings and enlightening values in the saints, in our prayers, in our Scripture, and all else that the Church can offer.  Let us understand the incredible revelation given to Peter, wherein even God the Father indwells us and "speaks" to us, a more powerful foundation than any the world can give us.  Even the gates of Hades cannot prevail against it, and we are always in need of it, in each generation, for the true life of the world.

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?

 

 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 sighted 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?"  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.  This area of Caesarea Philippi, according to some, was a sparsely populated region, named for Caesar by Philip, the son of Herod the Great and brother to Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee (and earlier husband of Herodias, Antipas' wife).  My study Bible comments that the question, "Who do you say that I am?" is the greatest question a person can ever face, for it is the question that defines Christianity.  In the Gospels of Saints Matthew and John, Peter answers this question more fully, saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16; John 6:69).  My study Bible says that the correct answer to this question prevents the Christian faith from being seen as merely another philosophical system or path of spirituality, for this answer is one that names Jesus as the one and only Son of the living God.  This is a position that, in effect, excludes all compromise with other religious systems, as it places Christ in a unique position to God.  Peter's understanding cannot be achieved by human reason (Matthew 16:17), but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One," and is equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."  My study Bible further notes that Christ first draws out erroneous opinions about Himself.  This is done in order to identify these incorrect ideas.  A person is better prepared to avoid false teachings, it notes, when they are clearly identified.

 

 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."   After Peter's confession (on behalf of himself and all of the apostles), Jesus here reveals the true nature of His messiahship.  That is, the mystery of His Passion.  My study Bible comments that it was expected that the Messiah would reign forever, so the idea that Christ would die was perplexing to Peter, and remained scandalous to the Jews even after the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 1:23). Christ's response comes as Peter unwittingly speaks for Satan, as the devil did not want Christ to fulfill His mission and save humankind through suffering and death.

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."  Here my study Bible comments that the cross, which was a dreaded instrument of the worst form of Roman punishment, is also a symbol of suffering by Christians in imitation of Christ.  We practice self-denial, it says, for the sake of the love of God and the gospel.  To accept such suffering is not a punishment, and neither it an end in itself.  It is rather a means whereby the fallen world is overcome for the sake of the Kingdom, as well as to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 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."  Here Christ sets out the central paradox of Christian living.  My study Bible describes it by saying that in grasping for temporal things, we lose the eternal; but in sacrificing everything in this world, we gain eternal riches that are unimaginable (1 Corinthians 2:9).

 

"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."   Jesus asks, "What will a man give in exchange for his soul?"  According to my study Bible, this is a question which emphasizes the utter foolishness of accumulating worldly wealth or power, for none of this can redeem one's fallen soul, nor benefit a person in the life to come.

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."  Here we note that the story of the Transfiguration follows in the Gospel (tomorrow's reading), and this, my study Bible says, is the event to which Jesus refers.  There will be those disciples who witness it (Peter, James, and John).  It is also a reference to those in every generation who experience the presence of God's Kingdom.  

In our modern world, we're beset by claims of injustice, and needing to find ways to address its myriad occurrences, from the smallest level of intimate encounter to the greatest of whole populations that suffer unjustly.  Perhaps one of the greatest stumbling blocks and temptations presented by the story of the Cross, and by Jesus' admonition that we, also, must follow and carry our crosses, is the idea of unjust suffering.  If there ever is a story of worldly injustice, it is the story of Jesus on the Cross.  Perhaps this is why, in traditional institutions of justice among us -- especially in countries with large Christian populations -- the importance of naming, addressing, and securing the rights of the accused has been such a central focus in the law.  But what does it say to us of God's justice?  And what does it suggest to us that we are taught to take up our own crosses and to follow Him?  In theology, the question of why there is evil in the world when God is a just God is called a theodicy.  There are various ways in which such a question has been addressed throughout history.  But let us focus on the experience of evil and injustice in the world, and our response to it.  Certainly the repeated examples of Christ's compassion for people and their needs tell us an important story.  And there, too, we are asked to carry our crosses and follow Him, as we seek to imitate Him in His compassion also.  For surely, Christ's innocence and even His great mercy and grace is part of the story of the Cross, and of the injustice done to Him in worldly terms.  Too many people have had their own compassion and mercy abused in the world to think that Christ's suffering on the Cross is isolated to Himself alone.  In fact, what we need to admit to ourselves that it is precisely because of the nature of evil in the world, and the world's experience of it, that the world needs such a Savior; that, in fact, the great issue of justice is resolved only through such a Savior.  For Christ's suffering for us takes a form of transfiguration in meeting our suffering in His divinity.  This could only have happened out of the most profound divine love for us, granting the security to us that no matter what it is that we endure in this world, whatever the injustice or evil, He has been there with us and is now and forever there with us.  The Suffering Servant prophesied by Isaiah is the One who goes voluntarily to the Cross for us, and the One who is resurrected in new life for us as well.  So therefore, when we participate in His life, when we seek to imitate Him, we are a part of that life also; our suffering may also be transfigured as well.  Jesus says, "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."  We might try as hard as we can to find justice in this world, but perfect justice will always elude the world.  Violence, force, and various other forms of manipulation or coercion have often been sought as either a retributive or corrective solution, but violence and other forms of power beget their own uncontrollable and unforeseen outcomes, and collateral damage.  We can make systems to seek to protect justice, to emphasize truth, to protect the rights of people and especially the accused, even to define rights in a way such that they are codified and expanded.  But we will never find perfect justice in a worldly sense or through worldly methods.  It is simply too costly, and too subtle, and we still struggle "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  For that cosmic struggle to be resolved relies upon more than human desire, and rests within a time frame we don't set, and with a judge who has told us that "of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only" (Matthew 24:36).  As we seek to follow Him, so we may participate in His suffering via our own for the sake of the gospel, but we also may participate in His Resurrection.  When we devote our lives to His way, our suffering has meaning and significance, and we look to the outcome of the life He promises, and it is in the joy of the Lord that we find our strength.  Suffering can have surprising outcomes when we walk with Him through it, with all the weapons and armor and supplies we may find stored up for us and generously distributed to us (Ephesians 6:10-20), and resurrection -- even in this life -- can take surprising forms as well.  But let us consider that when we take up our crosses and follow Him, we also participate in the only form of justice that will have a full outcome, and for all the universe for all time.  Let us consider how we, too, are called to His kingdom, and to the things of God.

Do you also want to go away?

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  

 

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

- John 6:60-71 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus spoke of Himself as the bread of heaven, the religious leaders in the synagogue quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 

  Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  My study Bible comments that even His disciples took Christ's teaching on His Body and Blood as a hard saying, and so many walked with Him no more.  It comments that still to this day, many reject Christ's words concerning the sacramental eating of His Body and drinking of His Blood, and so do not walk in this teaching.  It says that because of the difficulty of grasping the depth of this Mystery, many seek to define its nature rationally, or to explain His words by casting them as metaphor.  But either extreme is risky; to reject the sacramental nature of it is to reject the witness of the Scriptures and the unanimous teaching of the Church throughout history.  

 

 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.  Here is the power of confession, at a time when others fall away.  In John's Gospel, Peter's confession comes in response to Jesus' question, "Do you also want to go away?"  He asks a question in return, "Lord, to whom shall we go?" and expresses the remarkable finding of faith:  "You have the words of eternal life."  Note that Peter speaks for all of the apostles here, and in His confession, "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  My study Bible comments that to name Jesus as the one and only Son of the living God distinguishes Christianity from being seen as merely another philosophical system or path of spirituality.  It adds that this position excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  Peter's understanding cannot be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One," equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."

 

Let us note the unusual turning of the hearts of people given to us in today's text.   As Jesus reveals that "the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life," there are many who fall away, because they cannot accept the "hard saying."    We are told that many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.   Jesus has His own pronouncement on this:  "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."   So we are to notice this spiritual connection between the Father, the words of Christ, and faith.  There are those who cannot "walk" with Him any longer past this point.  But then Jesus turns to the twelve:  "Do you also want to go away?"  And Peter responds with his confession, and evidence not of turning away, but the opposite; that is, a deepening of faith, a deeper grasp of the reality of Christ.  In an echo of Jesus' own teaching that His words are spirit and they are life, Peter says, "You have the words of eternal life."  And this in turn leads to his confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.  As we noted above, Peter's statements here are made on behalf of all the twelve, as he speaks in the plural "we."  Of course, the text also notes that Jesus is aware one of them will betray Him, as are the hearers of the Gospel.  So couched in today's reading, and in the context of the whole of chapter 6, are important indicators of the movement of faith in the hearts of people.  Some move away.  Some have never believed, but have instead demanded a sign in order to be convinced.  These are the ones who wanted to make Him king after they were fed in the wilderness, but He taught them, "Do not labor for the food which perishes...."  Some have simply complained against Him and criticized Him (the religious leaders in the synagogue),  Now in today's reading, there are many disciples who no longer "walk" with Him, because they simply cannot hear His words, they cannot grasp His teaching on His Body and Blood.  Jesus speaks of those given Him by the Father, clearly indicating that those who cannot continue this journey of faith any further (or perhaps we could also say 'any deeper') are not included among them.  So, our faith doesn't come simply because others believe, nor is it based solely on signs, nor some form of intellectual acceptance.  But there is a powerful key in His teaching that His words "are spirit and they are life," that Peter says He has the "words of eternal life," and that He is the "Son of the living God."  For spirit and life are intertwined here, necessary for faith and the deepening of that faith, the continuing journey the disciples are on.  They are intertwined also with the "living God" who is the One who gives all to Christ who are truly is -- and those who cannot go further in faith are not among them.  For we have this working of spiritual reality among us, and the action of Father, Son, and Spirit cannot be excluded from this understanding and connection.  For faith and community go hand in hand, and there is the power of spirit and life to be grasped in faith.  We know that the disciples who continued Him did not understand all that He taught, but faith in Christ is more than intellectual understanding.  It is trust in Him, and the compehension that despite mystery, His words are "spirit and life."  For most of the world's denominations, today is the feast day of the Annunciation, the time when Mary was told by the angel that she would give birth to a Son.  If we look carefully at Luke 1:26-38, we can see some similar elements there that we pick up in today's reading.  There is the spiritual action of the angel Gabriel, sent by God to Mary with an announcement, special words that also convey spirit and life, teaching her that she is blessed among women, and that "the Lord is with you."  Mary doubts, asking, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  But the angel replies, again bringing in the power of the Holy Spirit working among human beings, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."  Gabriel also teaches about the child coming to her elderly cousin Elizabeth, and adds, "For with God nothing will be impossible."  Mary responds with faith, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."  She responds to the words of spirit and life, and her faith will sustain her through all the rest that is to come, even the pain of losing her Son in such a way as will come.  In John's Gospel, we have yet another reference to Christ's words of spirit and life, and what an impact they make, when the temple officers, sent to arrest Jesus, are unable to do so.  When they are subsequently questioned about this, they simply reply, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  (John 7:45-47).  Even they were able to hear and grasp what most of the leaders could not, responding to the "spirit and life" in Christ's words.  Let us consider today the Annunciation and Mary's faith, and that deepening journey of faith that is asked of us when we are invited by God to know the Christ.  For this is indeed a continuing walk, a path that threads throughout our lives and their difficulties and joys.  It will try our faith, our trust, and we will come to new roadblocks that seem to defy all logic and meaning, asking us to grasp yet more deeply the spirit and life in His word and teaching, and find what they mean to us.  For this is the journey we see in the Gospels, and it is also ours.  In Greek, the Annunciation is called "Evangelismos/Ευαγγελισμος" -- the same word that means gospel, literally "good news."  Let us take heed how we hear, and grasp hold of the spirit and life in His words as we go forward in this journey and walk with Him and all the rest who've come thus far.

 

 

 

 

 

Who do you say that I am?

 

 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, 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 they had done.  Then He took them and went aside privately to 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 comments 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."  My study Bible claims that "Who do you say that I am?" is the ultimate question in Scripture and in all theology.  How one answers this question defines the universe.  "Christ" (in Hebrew, "Messiah") means "Anointed One."  The declaration of Peter that Jesus is the Christ of God is a revelation that Jesus isn't just another anointed king or prophet; rather, He is 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 in order to avoid popular political and theological misunderstandings.  It is only after His Passion and Resurrection that  His identity as Messiah can be properly understood.  Note in this context that in yesterday's reading, for example, we were told that Herod Antipas has become aware of Him and wonders who exactly He is. Additionally, there is already friction and conflict with the Pharisees (see this reading from chapter 7), and there remains the popular anticipation of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader like a great worldly king.  Moreover, Christ's emphasis on faith is not about coercion through signs, but the desire to find those of genuine faith.

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 asks us to note two things in Christ's teaching here.  First, 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.  Second, the cross is to be taken up daily.  It says that commitment to following Christ isn't only a one-time event.  It is, instead, the continual practice of faith and obedience.  This means 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 comments that this is a reference to those who will witness the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36, tomorrow's lectionary reading), as well as to those in every generation who experience the presence of God's Kingdom.  

In today's reading, the central event is this recognition and definition of who Christ exactly is -- in Peter's words, Jesus is the Christ of God.  He's not simply an anointed king or prophet.  He is the Messiah, the Christ, for all the world.  As my study Bible says, this is the most important question in all of Scripture, because the identity of Jesus Christ also defines many other things we want to know and to think about for ourselves and our lives.  The "people of God" or the "church of God" that will gather through faith in Christ will not just be from one ethnic group, from one nation or country, from one state or political grouping, or any other nominal sort of worldly grouping or classification that we can think about.  Those who will become a part of His Church through faith will be from throughout all the world and throughout all the ages of the world.  There will be no barriers to becoming a part of this Church save through faith.  But it is, indeed, more than a Church, as Christ has said.  "Those who hear the word of God and do it" are His mother and brothers (Luke 8:21), His family.   St. Paul, in his letters, writes several times about the spirit of adoption that makes this family.  For example, he writes to the Romans, "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father'" (Romans 8:15).  We cry out "Abba" ("Daddy") as did Christ (Mark 14:36), for we are a part of His family through this spirit of adoption.  It is only because of His identity as the Christ of God that this is understood.  Moreover, such a notion makes it conceivable that St. Paul can write to the Galatians, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:26-29).  Christian faithful can only become Abraham's seed, heirs according to the promise (Genesis 17:1-7), if Jesus is the Christ of God.  As the Christ of God, Jesus becomes relevant to the entire world, creating the potential for all of us to become true brothers and sisters, and "heirs according to the promise."  The power of that call toward a basic understanding of humanity as equally offered Christ's salvation and redemption becomes an acknowledgement of the radical truth of God's love for all, for each.  It enables us to recognize this spiritual call as one made to each, from all walks of life, ages, classes, categories, where there are no boundaries to God's love nor to its recognition by each of us -- save through faith alone.  Each may become a part of the great cloud of witnesses, joining in with the worship in heaven we glimpse in the vision of Isaiah, in which the seraphim cry to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" (Isaiah 6:1-3).  We may note for ourselves that the seraphim declare the whole earth to be full of the Lord's glory.  Only if we understand Him as the Christ of God does this become fully manifest for us in its meanings and potentials.  It is only through this understanding that all human beings are elevated through the gift offering of Christ for salvation, which awaits only our own love in return to join in this communion.  Finally, the understanding of His true identity after His sacrifice and Resurrection means He offers Himself truly "for the life of the world."  In this identity as Christ of God He gives each one to another, for we have many brothers and sisters, from all ages and places of the world, whom we don't even know.  Let us consider the many gifts we're given; and how they continually give more, even those we can't yet know or name.

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it

 

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

 

- Matthew 16:13-20 

 

Yesterday we read that the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Jesus asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.'  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  And He left them and departed.  Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.  Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?  Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?  How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? -- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

 

 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  My study Bible comments that "Who do you say that I am?" is the greatest question a person can ever face, for it is the question that defines Christianity.  It says that Peter's correct answer to this question prevents the Christian faith from being seen as merely another philosophical system or path of spirituality, as it names Jesus as the one and only Son of the living God.  This position effectively excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  Peter's understanding cannot be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith, as Jesus indicates in His response (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One," and is equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."  My study Bible also asks us to note that Christ first draws out erroneous opinions about Himself.  He does this to identify these incorrect ideas, as a person is better prepared to avoid false teachings when they are clearly identified.

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  Peter/rock is a play on the word for "rock" in both Aramaic and Greek (petros/petra).  This particular rock refers not to Peter per se, according to St. John Chrysostom, but to "the faith of his confession."  The true Rock is Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 10:4), and the Church is built on the faithful confession of Christ.  The gates of Hades is a reference to the powers of death.  In the Old Testament, my study Bible says, gates suggest a fortified city (Genesis 22:17, 24:60; Isaiah 14:31).  By shattering the gates of Hades, Christ opens the stronghold of death to set free the souls of the righteous.  So also, the Church shall not be stopped in her proclamation of salvation.  There are only two mentions of the term church in the Gospels; here and in Matthew 18:17.  This Church is the true Israel and the Body of Christ; her citizenship is heavenly.  

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ."  My study Bible says that the term keys of the kingdom refers to a special authority that will be given to both Peter and the other apostles after the Resurrection (see Matthew 18:18; John 20:23).  Peter was not a leader over the others, but among them.  This was confirmed at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) where the apostles and presbyters met as equals, and where Peter advised, but James presided.  My study Bible says that claims in later centuries shouldn't be confused with the New Testament witness regarding Peter, nor should the role of Peter be diminished in opposition to those claims.  Binding and loosing is, again according to St. John Chrysostom, a reference primarily to the authority "to absolve sins" (see also John 20:23).  But it also includes all the teaching, sacramental, and administrative authority of the apostles, my study Bible notes.  It says this authority was in turn transmitted to the bishops of the Church and continues in effect to this day.  

If we look at this place where Peter's confession is made -- and the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God -- we find that it is a place of Gentile civilization.  It was established during the Hellenistic period by Alexander the Great and dedicated to the god Pan, previously having been dedicated by local peoples to the god Baal (a form of Ba'al dedicated to luck), and later it became a part of the Roman Empire, as is reflected in its name for Caesar by Philip.  Pan was the god of wild places, or what one might call wilderness or desolate places, and there was a great road nearby upon which marched countless armies in the history of conquering and war in this region.  So perhaps into this place, previously dedicated to Ba'al (a form of the god for Luck), and Pan, and now under the Romans and near a great road that connected the kingdoms of the world and the conquering armies of history, it is fitting and appropriate that somehow the birth of the true faith in Christ should take place.  Jesus calls Peter's confession the rock upon which He will build His Church, made by the appropriately-named Peter (whose name means "rock").  For, after all, Christ is "the stone the builders rejected" which became "the chief cornerstone" (Matthew 21:42, Psalm 118:22).  So, in this place previously dedicated to seemingly all that is the opposite of Christ the Son and Logos, both ancient worship and the conquering armies of history and also of empires of the time of Christ, we have the birth of the Church.  It is fitting in the sense of all that was rejected in the concepts of the history of this place, which was anything but the gracious and humble Christ, dedicated to the will of the Father, and opposed to all manner of manipulation and materialism, we have the birth of the Church which will replace all of that and turn its values upside down.   The empires and ancient gods will come and go, and armies and conquerors as well, but the Church -- based in the rock of faith in Peter's confession -- remains.  And this is our conquering Savior in action.  For His Church is founded in a place whose very foundations stand in opposition to Him (we can see, in some sense, those ancient concepts and values rooted in the temptations put to Him in the wilderness, in Matthew 4:1-11).  He is One who is the rejected stone which becomes the head of the corner, the One who "scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts," who "put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty" (Luke 1:46-55).  He is the One who is always making all things new, turning the values of the world upside down, and replacing the powerful; He is the "stronger man" who storms the house of the strong man and plunders all his goods, the only One who can say without arrogance or pride, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters" (Luke 11:20-23).  In this place once dedicated to the worship of the demonic, to the conquering power of all kinds of armies, Jesus begins His Church.  In the Holy Spirit, the "leaven" of the Church will continue to transform and make its way through our world, through our values, through all that might be opposed to it.  The world might be far from perfect, but we are armed by the One who dares establish His Church here, armed only with the rock of faith that carries us forward, and the Holy Spirit who continues His work (fitting to think about in this week of Pentecost).  Let us consider what we do when we sign on to this rock of faith, when we engage with the Spirit of truth, when we ask Him to build up our lives no matter what environment we come from or what needs transforming and changing.  He is the One who takes it all on, and continues to work with us and in us and among us, and even the gates of Hades can't prevail against it.  He is the One who storms Hades to free us, against whom even death cannot prevail.  

 

 

Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me

 

 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 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?"  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.  Here Jesus is once again in nominally Gentile territory; that is, places where there were populations of Jews but the towns established with strong Gentile presence and influence (as we can tell from the name of the region).  He and the disciples are once again traveling in the region east of the Sea of Galilee.  My study Bible comments that "Who do you say that I am?" is the greatest question a person can ever face, because it is the question that will define Christianity.  It says that Peter's correct answer to this question prevents the Christian faith from being seen as merely another philosophical system or path of spirituality, as it names Jesus as the one and only Christ.  In Matthew's Gospel, Peter adds, "the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16).  This excludes all compromise with other religious systems,  my study Bible explains.  Peter's understanding cannot be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (Matthew 16:17; 1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One" and is equivalent to the Hebrew title, "Messiah."  My study Bible also asks us to note that Christ first draws out erroneous opinions about Himself which were popular at the time.  This is done in order to identify these incorrect ideas, as a person is better prepared to avoid false teachings when they are clearly identified.

 

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."  After Peter's confession, Jesus reveals the true nature of His messiahship:  the mystery of His Passion.  My study Bible comments that it was expected that the Messiah would reign forever, so the notion that Christ would die is perplexing to Peter, and still remained scandalous to the Jews after the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 1:23).  It says that Peter unwitting speaks for Satan here, as the devil did not want Christ to fulfill His mission and save humankind through suffering and death.  

 

 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."   The cross was the dreaded instrument of Roman punishment; but it is also a symbol of suffering by Christians in imitation of Christ.  That is, as my study Bible puts it, we practice self-denial for the sake of the love of God and the gospel.  In this sense, any suffering which we encounter in our lives can be given over to the Cross to be seen in its light as to how we approach our suffering.  Accepting suffering, then, becomes neither a punishment nor an end in itself.  Instead, as my study Bible puts it, it becomes rather a means to overcome the fallen world for the sake of the Kingdom and to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 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."  My study Bible comments that the central paradox of Christian living is that in grasping for temporal things, we lose the eternal; but in sacrificing everything in this world (that is, in giving up our lives to Christ and His gospel), we gain eternal riches that are unimaginable (1 Corinthians 2:9). 

 

 "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 tells us that this question emphasizes the utter foolishness of accumulating worldly wealth or power, for none of this can redeem man's fallen soul, nor benefit a person in the life to come.  That is, we focus our goal on the cross and Christ's gospel, and it is to this  end that our lives -- and all that is a part of our lives --  are dedicated.

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."   This is a reference to those who would witness the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-13, our next reading), as well as to those in every generation who will experience the presence of God's kingdom.  

How do we take up our cross?  How do we give up all that is in our lives to Christ, and to the goals which Christ would prepare for us?  It is an even more profound question for us to begin to ask how our own suffering can become transfigured in the light of the Cross of Christ, as part of His mission in the world.  These are important and central questions to what it means to be a Christian believer.  In a certain sense, all suffering that we undergo in life can be used as an occasion for witnessing, for testimony to our faith.  We should remember, also, in this context, that the word "martyr" is actually the Greek word that means "witness."  It is the root of the noun that means "testimony" and the verb that means to "give testimony" or to "witness."  So we must consider how we live our lives in the light of the Cross, and how that life itself, the way we choose to live, becomes witnessing for the gospel.  When we undergo any kind of suffering in the world, enduring that suffering in the ways that our faith would teach us, dedicating ourselves to prayer and to seeking God's way through it, becomes a form of witnessing and participation in Christ's Cross through our own cross we bear in life.  We may recall that St. Paul also prayed for some firm of infirmity to pass from himself, but was told by God, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."   St. Paul's response:  "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (see 2 Corinthians 12:8-9).  Sometimes, also, we will suffer directly as a result of our faith, as the result of "witnessing" according to the teachings of Christ and our faith in Christ and what Christ would ask us to choose and to do in our lives.  We may stand up for values that are important to us via our faith, and this results in types of suffering, such as shunning by others, even family members.  But in this context we recall His words, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26), or Christ's teaching from the Sermon on the Mount:  "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:10-11).  Each occasion in our lives becomes an opportunity for witnessing and testimony, because every occasion is a choice for an offering to live our lives through the light of the Cross, through God's guidance and teaching to help us find our way.  Thus, we may glorify Christ and the Kingdom through our choices.  When we suffer, the great genius of God's gifts to us is that we are offered a choice to participate in the Cross with Christ through our own cross -- or we may choose to see ourselves as merely a pawn of fate, a victim of the world without recourse, without choice, and without meaning.  The illness of a parent becomes such an occasion, for example, when one may choose to either prayerfully address such a circumstance or to abandon it to fatalistic thinking, or too much faith in material means, or simply a tragic error of suffering in a meaningless life.  But Christ calls us to something much, much greater than that.  He asks us to step up, and to join Him at the Cross, each in our own way.  Why?  Because our own soul is worth so much more than even what the whole world would or could offer us instead.  He offers us our souls, and a Kingdom that has no end.