Thursday, March 23, 2023

Today’s Scripture Reading 
Mark 8:31–9:1

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.” And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” (NRSV)

Reflection

If one were to give a title to this portion of scripture, it might be aptly titled “A Rude Awakening.” Two verses prior to this passage, in Mark 8:29, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you think I am?” Peter, the Braveheart, proclaims, “You are the Christ!”

A short time later Jesus began to prepare his disciples for the path ahead: the Son Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and after three days rise again.

In Jesus’ day, many had come to believe that the Christ would be the “Anointed One,” God’s political and national solution to liberate the Israelites from their bondage. Then this messiah, anointed by God, would be the prophesied Christ restoring the Kingdom of Israel as the Kingdom of God on earth. It is not a stretch to think the disciples would be aware of this widespread theory and view Jesus as the prophesied fulfillment of the conquering Christ. In light of this, it was understandable that Peter was stunned, took Jesus aside, and rebuked him, “Never Lord, this shall never happen to you” (Matthew 12:22)

Jesus’ response: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Jesus then began to explain to his disciples and the crowd that had gathered that a servant of God must follow God’s plan (sacrificial love) and not self-focused human ambition. Jesus says, “For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?”

Prayer

Dear Lord, give us the grace empowered by your Spirit to be a healing source of love and light in a dark and suffering world. Amen.

Written by Susan Cornelius, Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being Social Worker

Reflection and prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

Devotion index by date

Please email me daily devotions