“Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:27-38

Peter — always the impetuous one — “rebuked” him. Mark doesn’t tell what Peter said, but we can surmise that it was something like, “We have seen what power you have and thought you would free us from the Romans and restore the kingdom of Israel to its previous glory.” Jesus responded that such an opinion is a “human” way of thinking. It’s what we all would have thought had we been among those first disciples. Jesus not only rebukes Peter, but then shocks them even more deeply by telling them that his way of the cross may well be their future too. Those who would follow him will “deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.” As if that’s not enough, Jesus continues with even more unexpected and totally unforeseen news: To save your life you must lose it. You may lose your lives for Jesus sake. This news was so contrary to the disciple’s expectations and so difficult to comprehend that Jesus would have to repeat it twice more. The second time he spoke of his they still did not understand him, but “were afraid to ask him” (Mark 9:31), probably for fear of being rebuked again.

 When they were going to Jerusalem, Jesus told them yet a third time of his impending death, this time with an even more grim and graphic description, namely that he will be condemned, handed to the Gentiles, who will mock him, spit on him, flog him and kill him, but that he will rise again (Mark 10:33-34). Listening to Jesus predict this ending for him must have been the worst three days of the disciples’ time with Jesus. It was Jesus’ way of helping them begin to understand that “my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways.” It was a bitter pill for the disciples to swallow! But it was necessary that they understand, otherwise they would miss the whole point of Jesus’ ministry, i.e., that he came to give his life for the salvation of them and us. By our human nature we want to be prosperous, strong, successful and influential. Jesus has other priorities. He, on the other hand, came to serve, not to be served. His ways are not our ways, yet he invites us to follow him and his ways.”  (workingpreacher.org, Commentary on Mark 8, Michael Rogness, March 1, 2015)

My immediate reaction to this text is this – if I am to pick up my cross, then I think I am going to have to put some things down that I have been carrying around for a while.  From the time our son Matt was very little, he has had the habit of carrying things around.  For example, he might finish a pack of crackers, and hours later I would find him still carrying the plastic wrapper in his hand.  He would not throw it away, he would not put in on the floor or on the counter – he would carry it around – for hours.

We tend to do the same with a lot of things in our lives.  We tend to carry a lot of things around with us – a lot of unnecessary baggage, feelings, hurts and worries.  It seems to me that if I am to pick up my cross, then I am going to have to put some things down.  What might those things be?  Some will be relationships that are toxic to my relationship with G-d – or a distraction to my involvement in a faith community.  Others will be the sinful thoughts and desires that run counter to my faith development and trust in G-d – for example, the material possessions that I covet, the nasty thoughts that I harbor about my co-workers or my fellow drivers on the road – the things that someone said to me fifteen years ago that I just won’t ever allow myself to forget because I’m stubborn like that.

My other reaction to this text – that one must deny themselves and take up their cross – is to ask this question: what is my cross?  The cross here that Jesus is talking about is not literally a cross on which we will be crucified, not pain that we must endure.  Instead the cross represents turning over, or crucifying our will to God – so that we will take on God’s will in our lives.  This is the rainbow that we all are praying for – the same rainbow that was a covenant for Noah – just like God’s covenant with Abraham – the visible sign that God is our God for all time.  What he seeks is our willingness to be obedient to his will.

Pastor Dave