Lord Jesus, thank you that, as you taught your disciples, through them you are teaching me. I want to be a receptive student as I read about the things you said and did. Please give me an open mind and heart.
Read MARK 8:31 – 9:1
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Jesus Predicts His Death
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
The Way of the Cross
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”
Footnotes
- Mark 8:35 The Greek word means either life or soul; also in verses 36 and 37.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“’Take up thy cross,’ the Savior said, / ‘if thou wouldst my disciple be. / Take up thy cross with willing heart / and humbly follow after me.’”
Think Further
Like the man no longer blind but with only partial vision, Peter and the other disciples still incompletely understood Jesus and his mission. They knew that God had in some way chosen him and gifted him. They had sensed enough about him to leave everything to follow him. They had seen him do what God alone could do. They expected greatness from him. They had seen the miracles. Yet Jesus’ true greatness still eluded them. That greatness would far eclipse his feeding of thousands, his stilling of storms, or even his power over demonic forces. That greatness would be in his death – his sacrifice of himself for the sins of the world. The disciples, however, did not understand when he tried to speak about it. Peter was angry that Jesus should even entertain such thoughts. There were forces in play here that Peter could not imagine when he unwittingly emulated the tempter in the wilderness when he spoke the temptation to avoid the cross.
Jesus’ temptation is ours as well, the temptation to avoid our crosses. Few of us will be called upon to sacrifice our lives for Christ, but all of us are called to take up our smaller crosses. Jesus did not bear his cross for himself and nor do we take up our crosses for ourselves. We must shoulder each day what we must do for the sake of others. For each of us, this burden is different, but it always consists in giving ourselves for others, the crosses of loyalty and forgiveness, patience and self-sacrifice. Hard work alone is not a cross, not if it is for our own gain, our own wealth or status. These are of no ultimate worth if we lose ourselves in achieving them.
Apply
We learn to willingly deny ourselves. Once again, we take up our cross, striving to follow the Lord along the road he trod before us. He will lead us home.
Closing prayer
As I seek to serve you, Jesus, help me to follow you with determination, to be ever growing in grace and willingness to suffer for your sake, whatever the cost.
Last Updated on November 5, 2024 by kingstar
