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

 

 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 8:34—9:1 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus 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.  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."  My study Bible explains that the cross, a dreaded instrument of Roman punishment, is also a symbol of suffering by Christians in imitation of Christ.  We practice self-denial for the sake of the love of God and the gospel.  Accepting this suffering is not a punishment, nor is it an end in itself, but it is 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."  Jesus gives us a way to walk through this world, a purpose (for My sake and the gospel's), which indicates a particular journey of faith.  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, being willing to give up what stands in the way of living the life of faith), we gain eternal riches that are unimaginable (1 Corinthians 2:9).  

"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?  First, to clarify for a modern audience, the Greek word translated as man (ἄνθρωπος/anthropos) also means human being, a person.  So Christ's question applies to all people.  According to my study Bible, the question emphasizes the utter foolishness of accumulating worldly wealth or power, as none of this can redeem man's fallen soul, nor can 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."  This statement is considered to be a reference to the event that will take place in the next lectionary reading (Mark 9:2-13), the Transfiguration (Greek Μεταμόρφωσης/Metamorphosis), which is commemorated in most Christian denominations on August 6th.  In the Armenian Apostolic Church, it is a moveable feast celebrated on the 14th Sunday after Easter.  Jesus also speaks of those in every generation who will experience the presence of God's kingdom.  

What do we make of Jesus' categorical statements here in today's reading?  There is first of all His reference to the cross.  He has just finished telling the disciples for the first time about His Passion.  In the words of yesterday's reading (above), Jesus told 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."  There was no specific reference made to the Cross, and yet the reference is already clear here in Jesus' teaching to His followers.  One thing that is explicit is the specific reference to the importance of the gospel, and to Christ Himself:  "whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."  Here there is no mincing words at all.  As Jesus has begun to experience persecution and hostility by the religious leadership, and rejection in certain towns and places (like Bethsaida or His hometown of Nazareth) the choice becomes more stark and clear.  There is no compromise in the sense of the essential importance and significance of the gospel of the Kingdom and of Christ Himself.  We may find that we have many choices in our lives, and it's frequently our work to compare one choice to another, the relative negative points and advantages.  But in choosing Christ, and His gospel message, there is no compromise, for nothing else can be worth its value.  Nothing else can measure up to its importance and meaning for our lives.  For, just as is alluded to in today's reading, Christ's very Person and His gospel of the Kingdom is meant to transform, to transfigure our lives.  It is His work in us that gives our lives value and meaning, transfiguring the choices we make into those that ask us for our love of God, and our participation in the grace of the One who can offer us "life abundantly" (John 10:10).  There might be ways we can live our lives to put other things first, like the acquisition of wealth, or possibly of many friends, maybe toward chasing many pleasurable things.  But the accumulation of things can't offer us the life of the gospel.  It can't offer us a depth of meaning and purpose that nourishes the soul, or gives us a sense of an infinitude of riches in the mysteries of the Kingdom.  We may consider that blessings are purely material acquisitions, but the blessedness of the Kingdom is something else altogether (Matthew 5:1-10).  What Christ is saying, it seems to me, is that when it comes to the soul, the very fabric of who we are, there is only one Person, one place, one choice that offers us an interior richness that adds to our own person, that brings a fullness to our identity in an ontological sense.  That is, in the sense of our very being, beyond the appearances of the world and the material things we may acquire.  This interior wealth transforms everything else:  it adds meaning to our lives and to our choices, it more than doubles our sense of what love is, how truth works within us, and clarifies what may be easily muddied through our own confusion and the endless manipulation of the worldly.  This is the prize worth all the rest (Matthew 13:44), the one thing needed (Luke 10:42), the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46).  This is the wealth we cannot manipulate or buy our way into, for it's a gift of love from God who is love (1 John 4:8).  This is why there is no compromise for this gospel nor for His sake, for it is worth more than all else.  St. Paul writes in Hebrews 4:12:  "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."  Another way to understand what Christ is saying is to understand that His gospel is that which gets between everything, piercing more deeply into us than anything else.  If we have relationships we cherish, then God's love will help us to learn love better, to build and teach us what a good relationship is.  If we cherish justice, then the righteousness offered through Christ's gospel will teach us what real justice is, adding to it mercy and discernment.  If we wish to keep close to us those whom we love, the gospel will help us to truly find what the good is -- for us and for others.  Do we come from a broken or abusive background?  His love will teach us what love is, and what it is to cherish the value of the soul.  Christ and His gospel is the one thing that should pierce between ourselves and everything else, teaching us values and discernment, and not to make an idol out of what is not worthy.  Jesus teaches, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  This Kingdom is worth every sacrifice, as Jesus will indeed show us when He goes to the Cross -- and in so doing, He will transfigure a world and destroy death for us all.

 

Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it

 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"  But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!  You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone 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 will find it.  For what profit is it to 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 the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to His works.  Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." 

- Matthew 16:21-28

Yesterday, we read that Jesus came to 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.

 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.   Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"   But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!  You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."   Here is the true turn in Jesus' ministry:  this paradox of revelation that He is the Christ, and that He will suffer and die at the hands of the religious leadership.  This is scandalous because it was expected that the Messiah would live forever.  He has already prophesied that He will leave only "the sign of the prophet Jonah" for those who demand a sign (see Wednesday's reading).  It is inconceivable, in the context of expectations, that salvation shall come through suffering and death (see also 1 Corinthians 1:23).  Peter has just confessed that Jesus is the Christ, and Jesus confirmed such faith came from the Father in heaven.  But here, Peter unwittingly speaks for Satan, urging Christ that He must not fulfill this mission.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."  We note that Jesus did not explicitly state to the disciples the manner in which He will die.  But here, He refers to the cross -- and it is something for all of them, for everyone who would be His disciple.   In His time, the cross was a "dreaded instrument of Roman punishment" (says my study bible), but it becomes here in His words a symbol of suffering by Christians in imitation of Him.  Self-denial for the sake of love of God and love of the gospel makes the cross a symbol of Resurrection.  Such self-denial or suffering is never an end in itself nor is it a punishment.  It is, rather, a means of overcoming a fallen world and the evil we find in it -- for the sake of the Kingdom and for our own salvation and spiritual wellness (see Galatians 5:24).

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."  My study bible says that the central paradox of Christian living is that in grasping for temporal things, we lose the eternal; but in sacrificing the 'worldly,' we gain eternal riches that are unimaginable  (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Jesus points to an exchange; so much of His teaching falls into this understanding.  Forgiveness is yet another example.  The reality of the Kingdom is a heavenly participation even in this world; we give up a perspective that sees life as separate or without it.  Here, Jesus refers to one's very life as that which is saved and found.

"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"  Our souls are truly our very lives.  My study bible says that this question emphasizes the utter foolishness of accumulating worldly wealth or power without consideration for the things that truly give us life.  It reminds us in a very powerful way that "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"  (6:1).  It seems to come down to a question of what we're willing to sacrifice, for what treasure.  What is it that we treasure the most?

"For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to His works.  Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."  Jesus reminds us of Judgment; the one thing survival in the Kingdom will depend upon.  But His final remark is also a reference to the Transfiguration (tomorrow's reading) as well as to those in every generation who will experience the presence of the Kingdom in their own lives. 

 How do we define what our lives are?  How do we define what life is and means to us?  Throughout Jesus' ministry, He has been preaching about the Kingdom, and its advent among us.  And He will continue to do so.  He has given us a prayer, which we call "The Lord's Prayer."  And we pray to our Father in heaven, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  Life in its fullness, Jesus stresses, is all about this Kingdom that lives even within us and among us while we are here in this world.  But to truly realize that life in abundance, sacrifice will be necessary.  These sacrifices aren't random and they aren't legalistic and they aren't done as some sort of "check off" list in payment of some irrational demand.  They are the things that get in the way of our realization of this Kingdom and this life in our own lives.  Most of all, sacrifice has to do with the ways in which we meet the "fallenness" of the world, the evil that we find.  Jesus will face deep injustice, a false sentence, a court that has decided He must die before they try Him.  But it is in how He meets the death prepared for Him that we find our own salvation:  all is in the hands of the Father, and how Christ is taught He must meet that death.  It is and will be the ultimate sacrifice:  but it will also be the death of death itself.  It's such a great, strange paradox -- but I believe we must approach it through the idea of exchange.  Exchange, that is, of a limited life or worldly perspective for life in abundance, knowledge of the Kingdom, a heavenly reality that coexists within us and among us, an extraordinarily expanded and enhanced perspective:  His Way.  I have written above that forgiveness is a similar type of exchange.  We "give up" the things that plague us and hurt us to God; in exchange, we're given a way through life that is not merely focused on some sort of evening up or vengeance.  We give up a very material perspective for a better, more full point of view.   In place of what we leave behind, we are given a way to well-lived life, sage counsel, and a path that is unlimited in terms of spiritual wisdom we may learn as a result, including a transcendent self-discipline.  This is not a teaching that would simply deny us nice things or a comfortable life.  Everything comes under this sort of exchange when we think of life as limited to the worldly vs. life as expanded and enhanced through Christ's life and Resurrection, His Wisdom and light, the abundance He offers to us.  That would include the fullness and depth of all that is good, true, and beautiful.  The early Church would call this "the way of life" vs. "the way of death."  If you think about it, just one moment of such an exchange can make all the difference in a life headed the wrong way, burdened with destructive impulses, or slavery to a kind of life that never truly rewards with the fullness of life God can give us.  The author of life offers us life -- not only His life but also life in abundance.  He asks of us that we give ours to Him:  our perspective and limited understanding, our way of seeing the world.  That is the real sacrifice.  Our exchange is the world and our lives given back to us, with so much more added unto us.

Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it

From that time Jesus began to show to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord, this shall not happen to you!" But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone 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 will find it. For what profit is it to 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 the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

- Matthew 16:21-28

In yesterday's reading, Peter has made his great confession of faith - and Jesus has pronounced this confession the "rock" upon which "I will build my church." In yesterday's commentary, we discussed Peter's oft-quoted words as those which in some way speak for the disciples, and for us. Today's reading is no exception; immediately after pronouncing the deep confession of faith, which Jesus says could only have been revealed by the Father, Peter receives a scathing rebuke - perhaps Jesus' most serious - for what he will have to say today.

From that time Jesus began to show to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord, this shall not happen to you!" But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." My study bible notes, "After Peter's confession, Jesus reveals the true nature of his messiahship, the mystery of the Passion. But Peter took him aside (v. 22), expecting him to enter Jerusalem and establish the kingdom immediately (as Peter understood it, an earthly, political kingdom), not to go to the Cross and death. Peter thought the Messiah would reign forever, not die. But Jesus was to be a suffering Messiah, a scandalous idea to the Jews." What we remember here is that, for Peter, it was scandalous that Jesus should suffer. He has just pronounced his confession of faith, that Jesus is Christ (the Anointed One). Immediately after this confession, Jesus begins to teach the apostles about what is to come - hard to accept today, given our expectations, and despite our knowledge. Imagine how these words must have sounded to Peter.

But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." My study bible says, "Christ did not call Peter Satan to insult him, but to rebuke him for unwittingly serving as a mouthpiece of the devil." I must confess, I come up against this same conflict in my own life. What often seems like a "good" idea to me is contraindicated in my prayer life. Paradoxical; when I fail to take note my plans always come up as second rate at best. Temptation can come in all kinds of forms, including those with the best of intention. Faith asks of us something different from just good intentions and good works - it is a relationship.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." My study bible says, "The cross, a dreaded instrument of Roman punishment, is also a symbol of suffering by Christians in imitation of Christ. Self-denial is for the sake of Christ and the gospel, for a better life; it is not a punitive end in itself." There is much profound wisdom here to be listened to. Self-punishment is not the point of self-sacrifice! We exchange what we know for something better, for true self. Modern psychology will teach us that often what we accept as the conclusion of teachings from life around ourselves, from our environment that shapes us, can result in all kinds of coping mechanisms that are not necessarily good for us as we get older and grow into adulthood. To exchange what we think is good for the ideas we find in connection to "Higher Power" (to use the language of self-help and Twelve Step groups) is to exchange "childish things" for those of authentic selfhood, and for the transcendent of all. We recall St. Paul's words from 1 Corinthians 13: "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." It is love that is transcendent of all, of the best of our intentions and knowledge and accumulated wisdom. The relationship of faith is the relationship to love itself. And that love will teach us to "put away childish things" and the "things we know in part." It is that limited understanding that we sacrifice in exchange for what is deep and authentic, what gives us truly ourselves, "as we are known."

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. " A note in my study bible says, "Here Jesus states the central paradox of the Christian faith. In grasping the temporal, we lose the eternal; in sacrificing everything we can know, we gain unimaginable riches. In dying, we live." We die to ourselves, to a limited life. We lose what is limited in perspective, what "we see only in part." In our prayer life, in the life of relationship to God, we find ourselves. As did the Prodigal Son, we come to ourselves. This is the point of the cross, of sacrifice - to find this authentic reality, to come to ourselves. Jesus makes this point clearly himself in the next verse: "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" As true now as they ever were, we need to understand these words more than ever -- if we look around at the problems of society, we see that despite all of our gains we still need this reality the most deeply for what ails us!

"For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each according to his works." My study bible notes: "When the Son of Man comes in glory to reward each according to his works, it will be shown that absolutely nothing exceeds the value of finding true life, the salvation of one's soul." Jesus emphasizes the importance of our choices. It's not just for our own sake that we choose wisely, that we choose to "come to ourselves" in this faith. But it is also for the life of the world - and what he offers us is life in abundance.

"Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." My study bible notes here: "Seeing Jesus coming in his kingdom may refer to the Transfiguration, which occurs immediately after this."

So, in three sequential readings, we have this important transition: from the confession of Peter's faith that Jesus is the Christ, to the immediate contradiction of all that we think is "good" or are "good ideas or intentions" in favor of that which seems so paradoxical - that we give up what we think is "good" for the unexpected, the blessings of the kingdom, the better things that are of God and from this relationship of faith, to tomorrow's reading of the Transfiguration and its implications for us. We cannot escape from the understanding that selfhood/identity is intermixed with Christian faith. This is our model. Christ at once reveals himself and his identity after Peter's confession, and that he will suffer. He is to be a suffering Messiah. And more - we ourselves are called to this cross. To have life in abundance is to exchange our lives, our ideas, for those which are greater, more transcendent, which come from Love Itself. In that exchange, we receive our own "metamorphosis" (to use the Greek word), or Transfiguration. In tomorrow's reading, we will consider this subject more deeply. But first, we ask ourselves what it means in this spiritual context to put away our childish things, and to come to ourselves; the importance of our decisions, the choice for faith. And we remember and ask ourselves again, "To what do we say yes?"