Mark 8:34-9:1

Welcome to Monday morning.  Hopefully you've recovered from time change Sunday.  If not, grab some coffee and your Bible and deal with it!

South's SOAP for the Day
S-Read Mark 8:34-9:1.
O-If anyone rejects Jesus, he will reject them.
A-How often are we ashamed of our faith, unwilling to share it with the lost?
P-Pray that God will help you to have the courage to always Jesus as your savior.

Ok.  I'm back by my resources today.  We'll do a little back tracking on Friday's passage and then hopefully make some quick work of today's passage.  We talked about our journey through Mark beginning to shift gears some as we worked through chapter 8.  Lets do a little bit of survey work.

In chapter 7, Jesus seems to open up the good news to everyone, both Jew and Gentile.  A simple discussion with the Pharisees about washing your hands before dinner turns into a statement that its not what you touch and eat that makes you clean or unclean.  It is what comes out of your heart--how you live your life.  Jesus then proceeds to have the discussion with they Syrophoenician woman.  There, Jesus shows that that the good news is even for the Gentiles.  He furthers that idea by healing in the gentile region of the Decapolis and feeding the Gentile crowd of 4000 in the desert.

This brings us the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida.  Here, it seems as if Jesus doesn't have his healing mojo up to what it needs to be.  He touches the man and give him sight, but the sight is not clear.  The man tells Jesus "I see people; they look like trees walking around."  Jesus touches him again and he is fully restored.

Some of the scholars I looked at today (since I didn't have my nerd books with me on Friday) draw some parallels with the two step healing and the disciples inability to fully grasp Jesus and the good news.  They get it, but they don't.  They are always second guessing themselves.  We see that previous to this healing of the blind man and we saw it shortly after that with Peter's declaration that Jesus is the messiah which was quickly followed by the rebuking.  In Peter's case, he'll need a few more times to fully get his act together (think denying Jesus three times).

Following the healing of the blind man, we see the disciples and Jesus in Caesarea Philippi.  Its here that our gospel begins to change.  Jesus is now headed to Jerusalem.  Mark's quick telling of the story will slow down.  Its not Jesus going here, then there, then there.  Jesus begins to focus on teaching his disciples in preparation for him heading to Jerusalem to be crucified.

The main scholar I'm leaning on states that Caesarea Philippi is a very pagan place.  It sits on the border of the Gentile north and the holy land (Israel) to the south.  It is here that Jesus asks his disciples who they think he is.  Its here where he first tells them he must suffer at the hands of the Pharisees and the keepers of the Law.  Its as if he is prepping them for the trip they are about to embark on...a trip that is "on the way" to Jerusalem where he will enter as the King of the Jews.

One more thing, then we'll be on to our passage for today.  Jesus asked his disciples who they thought he was.  They told him they thought he was the messiah.  At that point, he begins to teach them about what that means.  In Mark 8:31-34,  Jesus tells them he must go and be killed.  Then he will rise again.  Mark tells us he spoke plainly about this.  There were no parables or stories here.  This is direct one to one communication that this is the reality that is going to happen.

Last time we talked about Jesus' rebuke of Peter.  There was one thing I missed.  As Jesus takes Peter off to the side to rebuke him, I wonder if Jesus grabbed him by the arm or cloak.  In the majority of the healings we see Jesus do before this, he reaches out a hand to heal, to show the connection of the good news to the restoring that is happening.  Is this a showing of the good news setting Peter straight.  Even more than that, verse 33 says that Jesus turned and looked back at his disciples.  Why does Mark tell us this.  Is this a simple filling in of the details of the story?  Or is there something more there.  Some scholars connect this looking back as a contrast to Jesus focus of being "on the way".  Peter's rebuke makes him look back from his focus.  They need to be focused on things from above.  Certainly Peter's rebuke has been focused on something that is earthly.  It may even point back to Jesus discussion with his disciples about the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod--that they are focused on the wrong things (power, control, the public eye).  Jesus is not these things.  Being the Messiah is not these things.  The good news that the Kingdom of God has come near is not about any of these things.

Jesus goes to great lengths here to help his disciples understand what he means.  So much so that he calls to the crowd that is by them immediately after calling Peter Satan.  Time for a new lesson...a powerful lesson, a lesson of sacrifice--our passage today.

Jesus is very straightforward in the front side of this passage.  If you want to be my disciple--if you want to follow me--live like me you must do the following:

1.  Deny themselves
2.  Pick up their cross
3.  Follow me (Jesus)

We need to unpack these for a minute.  Deny themselves.  This following of Jesus is life altering.  The disciples have lived it.  They left their jobs and their families.  When Jesus sends them out he tells them to take nothing...no extra clothes, or food, or whatever.  Go and share the gospel.  A little bit later in our journey through Mark we'll see Jesus interact with a rich man.  That interaction results in Jesus telling him to get rid of everything he has, give it to the poor, and then follow.  This denying is a total loss of self.  Its no longer what you want or what you need.  Its what is good for the gospel.  It is living for the things above and not for the things of the world. (to look back at Jesus words to Peter).  Its not a half hearted, only on the weekends type of thing.  Its an all or nothing thing.

I know that I am horrible at this first challenge.  Even though I do this thing called ministry for a living, I still don't always put all of my daily living towards the good news.  Yesterday could be a prime example.  I was excited and ready to lead in worship.  But, I was also excited for all the sports things that would be on TV to take in.  I think that as we engage the gospel, we as the church need to talk about, encourage one another, and be more committed to the denying side of being a follower of Jesus.

Then there is the statement pick up your cross.  The reality of this to those hearing it before knowing Jesus would be crucified would be shocking.  For us, the cross is a symbol of something more.  The reality of it, while still harsh, is softened by what Jesus did.  For the hearers of this teaching, the cross was a way of punishment for thieves, wrongdoers, and those who opposed Rome.  It was public humiliation and torture that resulted in death.  Crucifixions were public statements to all who saw them to not cross Rome.  Being a disciple meant full commitment to the fact that your life might be in jeopardy for the good news.

Once you've done those two things, follow Jesus.  Follow his example.  Follow his footsteps.  Live the way he lived--not for himself or for his own gain, but a life that was about proclaiming the Gospel.

Jesus further explains this by stating that if you want to save your life--live for yourself, you will will lose it.  Yet, if you lose your life by living for him, you will gain life.  Gaining even the whole world won't do you any good.  You can't do any amount of anything to save your life.

And, as if this all isn't enough, Jesus adds the fact that if we deny his words, or again put in the words that he used to rebuke Peter--we deny the things of above for the things of the world, he will be "ashamed" of us when he comes in his Father's glory.

Thus, if we want to be disciples, we throw off our own lives and live lives that are fully committed to proclaiming the good news.

This is really hard stuff.  If you were posed the question, does the church live as Jesus calls them to live here in this passage, how would you answer?  If someone asked you point blank, are you living this way that Jesus calls you to live, how would you respond?  Would your living show this?  Does your house show this?  Do your hobbies show this?  Does your marriage show this?

Understand that through this whole process of blogging through Mark each day, I am putting these questions point blank in front of me just as much as I am putting them in front of you.  I would struggle to answer these questions well, just as I assume you would struggle.

What do you need to change?  Take some time today to pray about what you need to change.  Pray and ask God to challenge your heart.  Then, make a list.  Then start to plan out how you are going to change.  Once you've made the list and started to plan, talk to someone about it.  Be accountable and change.  Imagine what God will do with us?

Lord, challenge us to change. Challenge us to be bold in our faith.  Do amazing things for your kingdom through us.