When speaking about real estate you often hear the term, “location, location, location,” to describe the single most important aspect of property. The same could be said for the passage quoted above. This scene takes place right after Christ performed two miracles (feeding five thousand and then four thousand), argued with the Pharisees about heavenly signs, confronted the whole of His disciples regarding their obtuseness, performed another miracle healing a blind man, and warns His disciples about what must soon take place. Afterward, the transfiguration in which Jesus appears on a high mountain with Elijah and Moses and God the Father speaks directly to Peter, James, and John, and then shortly thereafter another remarkable healing.
The disciples were even still at this point in the ministry of Jesus awaiting an earthly kingdom. It could well be said they expected such a kingdom right up to the very crucifixion He warns them about here. They did not want to believe what He was telling them. What did pain and suffering have to do with the Messiah? The Messiah is to put all things right again, He is to reign, to place the enemies of Jerusalem under His feet! And yet, here is That Messiah speaking openly and plainly about rejection, killing, and resurrection? Is it any wonder Peter took it upon himself to reprimand, rebuke, correct Jesus? What is often missed as a result of the harsh words, “Get thee behind, Satan,” is the warning that follows. The King James Version renders it this way, “for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” I wonder if on judgment day we will not be condemned by the same statement!
Are we not all guilty of being ever more “mindful” about the things of this world? Do we not all care more for our outward appearances than is necessary? Are we not more concerned with bread and the needs of this life than our spiritual needs? Do we not give more thought to how our credit looks or how green our yard is than the reading of God’s word? Do we not spend more time in front of the TV than we ever spend on our knees in prayer? Where are our priori- ties men? What are you mindful of, the upcoming college football game, or the soul beside you headed for hell and damnation while you root your team on.
I wonder if we like Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians will be able to say, “we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom.” (2) As fans of (insert your following here), it would seem at least inconvenient, and possibly in this day and age of postmodernism, even controversial or confrontational to seek others with whom we are to share our faith, and yet, that is exactly what we are called to do. “It seems policy to shun trouble, but if with that we shun duty, it is fleshly wisdom, and it will be folly in the end.” (3)
Peter genuinely loved Jesus. Peter was not speaking here out of anger or spite, and while he failed on numerous occasions, he ultimately died a martyr’s death. Not content with suffering as Jesus had, he considered himself not worthy to die in the same manner, church tradition says he instructed those who crucified him to do so upside down! Nor was Peter possessed by Satan at this point. God had just revealed to Peter who the Man sitting here with them was (Matthew 16:17). Additionally, Jesus had just praised Peter for his faith.
It should also be noted that Jesus loved Peter. Jesus rebukes and disciplines those He loves (Revelation 3:19). It is safe to say that no one will escape the scourging of the Almighty (Hebrews 12:6). However He never leaves the bruised uncured, and He always makes whole that which He wounds. (Job 5:18) For that is the way of our gracious and loving Savior.
It is amazing to contemplate the irony. Here, Peter, looking upon the very image and visage of God in the flesh cannot tear his thoughts away from the flesh and its carnal desires. He acts as one who has no experience with the things of the world to come, however we know from the positioning of the text this is not so. Peter has seen miraculous things, God Himself has whispered to Peter the very nature of the Being sitting in front of him, and yet, the desires of his flesh overtake him. He knows he is rebuking God Almighty and even pulls Jesus aside so He might speak more clearly lest the Messiah misunderstand him! This is the sin for which Christ made sure Peter was publicly corrected, and which is recorded for all of history not once, but twice (Mat 16:23 & Mar 8:33)!
This makes the call that immediately follows all the more commanding. What he just said to Peter privately, “you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men,” (4) he repeats to everyone within earshot. The text reveals, “He... called the people to Himself, with His disciples also...” (5) This next saying was not just for Peter, neither was it just for the disciples, neither was it good enough for just Peter, the disciples, and all the people, this next saying is repeated in the three synoptic gospels! Paul, Peter, James, and John all proclaim the same sentiment. Here is where the rubber meets the road, and the oil coats the bearings. The line is drawn in the sand and Jesus proclaims you must lose something in order to gain everything!
I want to present this next verse to you as it appears in the different books of the Bible, and in different translations. I don’t want you to just read these words; I want you to meditate on them. I want you to read each word slowly, breathing in each life giving word, and exhale before moving on to the next word. I want you to be open to the Holy Spirit and His leading.
Matthew 16:24: ...”If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. (6)
Mark 8:34: ...”If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (7)
Luke 9:23: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (8)
Matthew Henry has said in his well traveled commentary, “They must not be indulgent of the ease of the body; for ...“Whosoever will come after me for spiritual cures, as these people do for bodily cures, let him deny himself, and live a life of self-denial, mortification, and contempt of the world; let him not pretend to be his own physician, but renounce all confidence in himself and his own righteousness and strength, and let him take up his cross, conforming himself to the pattern of a crucified Jesus, and accommodating himself to the will of God in all the afflictions he lies under; and thus let him continue to follow me;” as many of those did, whom Christ healed. Those that will be Christ’s patients must attend on him, converse with him, receive instruction and reproof from him, as those did that followed him, and must resolve they will never forsake him. (9)
For years I read the Bible as if each verse were conveying a different meaning than the one that just preceded it. Perhaps it’s because in most Bibles the beginning of each verse is indented, and being a studious reader over the years, that usually conveys a new thought. It wasn’t until much later I began to read the Bible in context, and I can tell you from experience that has made all the difference. One clear example is this conversation we are looking at between Jesus, the people, and His disciples.
There may be some reading this who do not necessarily think Jesus is talking about material possessions or money when he utters the words, “deny themselves.” Perhaps some contextualization will help make this point clearly. Many people read the Bible chapter by chapter, as a result, depending on the chapter, they may be picking up where Jesus just left off, or in the middle of a scene, or perhaps even at the end of the scene. I think we can all agree that in this case the scene we are analyzing did not begin in Mark 8 verse 1. The Mark 8 verse 1 scene actually begins in Mark 7 verse 31 when Jesus departs from the region of Tyre and Sidon, and comes down to the Sea of Galilee and into Decapolis.
In Mark 8 verse 13 Jesus leaves them and crosses the Sea to the other side. In Mark 8 verse 22 we see he heals a blind man in Bethsaida. Then in verse 27 where our scene picks back up Jesus is visiting the villages around Caesarea Philippi. The point is in order to not take the verse out of context we must be ever mindful of the scene that is playing itself out that we are reading. We wouldn’t want to place Jesus anywhere other than where He is, saying anything other than what He is saying, to anyone other than who He was saying it to. Sadly the care this takes is severely lacking today, even in many of our churches, therefore you must be mindful of it yourselves so that you do not succumb to false teaching!
Jesus is clearly carrying on His thought that Peter was not being mindful of the things of God when He continues to teach that we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. Similarly, Jesus is continuing that thought with the next verse, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (10) If we interpret “deny themselves” as putting away selfishness, material possessions, lives of luxury and ease, then interpreting verse 35 becomes fairly easy. However if we interpret it some other way, interpreting verse 35 and the verses that come right after are troublesome. One thing we know, the gospel is simple, and in context, the gospel cuts and is sharper than any two edged sword. (Heb 4:12)
His words call us to lives of self-denial, surrender, suffering, and sacrifice. There is always the temptation to save our life—to live comfortably, to provide for the future, to make one’s own choices, with self as the center of everything. There is no surer way of losing one’s life. Christ calls us to pour out our lives for His sake and the gospel’s, dedicating ourselves to Him spirit, soul, and body. He asks us to spend and be spent in His holy service, laying down our lives, if necessary, for the evangelization of the world. That is what is meant by losing our lives. There is no surer way of saving them. (11)
Next follows the verses that should put it into context for even the harshest critic and protector of their own ease and comfort. “What good is it for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul? Or what can you give in exchange for your soul?” (Mark 8:36-37) (12) Can there be any doubt that Jesus has been drawing out the difference between what this world values, indeed what you may value even though you say you don’t, and what He values?
In case you need more evidence before you do something drastic I have another example, the story of the rich young ruler and the conversation between Jesus and Peter that follows.
The scene sets up like this. Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem (Luke 17:11). On His way He passes between Samaria and Galilee, there He heals ten lepers (Luke 17:14). Apparently some people including Pharisees came out to talk to Him (Luke 17:20). He shares with them insight about the coming Kingdom, and then shares a couple of parables about praying and self righteousness (Luke 18:1-14). About this time some babies are brought to Him and He blesses them (Luke 18:15). From out of the crowd a young man speaks out (Luke 18:18-30), “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asks him some probing questions which the young ruler apparently passes with spades. Then Jesus hits him with the coup de gra, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (13) Now we all know how the story unfolds from here. The rich young ruler goes away sad as he was very wealthy. The irony is this, many of you who are reading this are probably thinking of some millionaire you know who wouldn’t give up everything he had to follow Christ, and don’t even consider that this parable could be about you, even though you probably have far more now than the rich young ruler ever thought about having!
Another interesting insight when you are reading the Bible is to consider how those who were there actually interpreted what Jesus was saying. Chances are very good, especially in this case where Jesus is right there, that how they interpreted it is how it was meant to be interpreted. Notice the disciple’s reaction, the application was not lost on them. They imme- diately turned introspective, and instead of feeling sorry for the rich young ruler (as we would be want to do), they wanted to know what the implication to their lives was. Peter says, “Whoa! Hey, we’ve left all to follow you, what about us?” (my paraphrase of course but I think it fits) Now the question is for those still sitting all comfortable thinking they can have the world and Jesus too, what did they leave behind? The answer is...Everything! Jesus says, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” (14)
Here I would like to post some more verses for your study. I would ask that you not take my word for their interpretation but prayerfully contemplate their application in your life.
The Bible is at odds with the world we now occupy! No matter how much health and wealth preachers try to tie the two together they are as separate as oil and water, they simply cannot mix. This is the life we have been called to lead. His words call us to lives of self-denial, surrender, suffering, and sacrifice. (19) And even in this we are not to boast, for if we do these things, we have only done what was our duty to do. Consider this, upon asking the Lord to increase their faith Jesus had this to say to the apostles...
I have too often heard the phrase, “well, I just haven’t been called to this or that,” when confronting someone over missions, or the tithe, or self-sacrifice. What we have discussed in this book is just our reasonable duty. We haven’t even touched on something that is unreasonable. These are the basics to which we as Christians have all been called. We as His servants (slaves) have been called to no less. Jesus doesn’t ask us what we are willing to do as so many today interpret it. He has spoken plainly by His word. His gospel is simple to understand. Even the Roman Centurion understood Him perfectly! (Mt 8:9-10)
Upon hearing the confirmation of the man’s faith Jesus marveled! Think about that. This man who had none of the advantages of the Jews in knowing the things of God understood one thing perfectly well, He understood Jesus’ authority. And no less than the Son of God marveled at the simple faith of that understanding.
__________________________________________________________________
On November 4, 1740, a baby in Farnham, England was given the formidable name of Augustus Montague Toplady. His father died in a war, his mother spoiled him, his friends thought him “sick and neurotic,” and his relatives disliked him.
But Augustus was interested in the Lord. “I am now arrived at the age of eleven years,” he wrote on his birthday. “I praise God I can remember no dreadful crime; to the Lord be the glory.” By age 12 he was preaching sermons to whoever would listen. At 14 he began writing hymns. At 16 he was soundly converted to Christ while attending a service in a barn. And at 22 he was ordained an Anglican priest.
In 1776 Augustus wrote an article about God’s forgiveness. He ended hs article with an original poem. Augustus Toplady died at age 38, but his poem outlived him and has been called “the best known, best loved, and most widely useful” hymn in the English language.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee,
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wound side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Could my zeal no languor know?
These for sin could not atone,
Thou must save, and Thy alone,
In my hand no price I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Age cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee. (21)
No comments:
Post a Comment