I would be remiss if I whisked past the end of Mark 8 without comment. It is, perhaps, redundant for me to write about the incident when Simon Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah - but what strikes me in Mark is the brevity with which he reports that. I cannot slip past it so easily. I was just there 2 months ago - in the area of Caesarea Philippi - at the opening of the cave they referred to as 'The Gates of Hell' where Peter proclaimed the truth of who Jesus was.
There is so much fluctuation in what we see the disciples 'understanding' in their journey with Jesus. They miss the point so often - then in this moment, Peter gets it right.
However, that is what makes the timing of the next reported interaction so significant. Jesus' timing for explaining to his disciples what must be begins in earnest at this point. He tells them clearly that He must suffer and die and after three days rise again. I love Peter for his response. All he heard was the die part - not the resurrection part - and his response was from a heart of love...well, that and his pre-programmed expectation.
I can imagine his reactions to be something like: No, no, no - - that's not the way this is supposed to work. What do you mean, die.... You're the Messiah. You've said you are. You're supposed to rule over all the earth - be our King. You can't die.
Peter was human. In his humanity He had heard the teachings that the Messiah would come and right all the wrongs - and He knew Jesus to be the Messiah - the one who would do that. He didn't understand His methods - but clearly, he was to rule and reign forever - and surely it was only a matter of time before Jesus would set up His earthly kingdom and rule the world. They were under the heavy hand of Roman rule, straining against the political and financial burden of that reality - and Jesus was the Messiah. What did he mean 'die?'
He didn't even hear the part about resurrection.
The problem was, Jesus' proclamation didn't fit Peter's script. And Peter didn't understand the true agenda God had ordained and how it had to play out.
What hard words for Peter to hear: "Get behind me, Satan!" Peter wasn't Satan - but his thoughts were not God's thoughts. He had his mind set on what would feel fair to him - the overthrow of Rome and Jesus the Messiah ruling in majesty beginning a s a p. And - the reality was that Jesus was fully God and fully human. The human side of Him didn't want to suffer and die with all of the pain that promised - and the God part of Him couldn't bear to stand the repulsiveness of the sin, so He had to steel Himself to face the cross without reservation. It was what He came to do - and it was getting close. He needed His friends to understand and support Him. He didn't get that response. Their ears were not ready to hear - and they certainly weren't seeing with God's view.
We face the same risk. We can be intimately close to Jesus one moment - and totally out of the loop the next if we don't align our way of thinking to His. Prayer is how we do that - not the 'prayers' where we try to become His counselor and let Him know what our agenda is and ask for Him to bless it - - but prayer that brings us contritely before Him, waiting to hear His voice, and hear what He directs.
The end of chapter 8 is clear.
The ESV states: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
In the 2010 revision of the NIV it reads: 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. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 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.”
(I grapple a little with the intent of the inclusive language.... But the content is not changed, so I guess it is irrelevant. But - I am paying attention to comparing. Like I said, some changes they've made are improvements - like called Jesus Messiah instead of Christ. Christ is from the Greek translation of Messiah. Messiah is from the Hebrew. I like going back to the original. On the other hand, I'm perfectly capable of comprehending that 'man' is universal terminology for people, not offended that women aren't mentioned as well.... I get a little edgy about overdone political correctness. Sometimes it is a thorn in my side.)
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