The world teaches us from a very early age that we should all be pursuing wealth, and that fame and fortune are goals we should achieve if we want to be a success in life. Parents and schools strive to instill that in a young person’s mind, and we are offered classes, seminars and motivational speakers to help us achieve that. At the end of life, society will review a person’s achievements and judge whether they were a success or not by how far they climbed to the top in their career, the size of their bank accounts, and their possessions and popularity. What does God say about this? Does He agree, or does He have a different message to give us? Let’s take a look in our passage today from Mark’s Gospel to find His answer.
Our Scripture opens with words that Jesus spoke to His disciples about His approaching death (vs. 31). The death of Jesus was not some unfortunate accident, where His enemies caught Him by surprise. It was divinely ordained, though it was brought about by His rejection by the Jewish religious leaders. Whenever Jesus spoke of His death, He also spoke of His resurrection, three days later. It is a puzzle as to why the disciples didn’t understand or comprehend.
When Peter heard these words, it was something that he couldn’t understand or accept (vs. 32-33). For Jesus to die this way would seem like a failure, not a success. Peter spoke up, expressing his thoughts and the thoughts of the others. They could not comprehend a dying Messiah. The disciples were trying to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. However, if Jesus did not die upon the cross, all of mankind would be doomed to an eternity of damnation. This was exactly what Satan would want. Peter didn’t consider God’s purposes, but only his own natural desires and purposes. Jesus’ sacrificial death was God’s plan (Acts 2:22-23). Whoever opposed it was, knowingly or not, advocating Satan’s work. Do we try to stop the work of Jesus today? Do we resist Him or quench the Holy Spirit?
Jesus continued on teaching His listeners to take up the cross and to follow Him (vs. 34-38). Bearing our cross has to do with submission to Jesus Christ, not our own personal struggles. We often hear some people moan and groan about this or that being “their cross to bear”. That is not what Jesus was talking about. It is willing submission and voluntary servanthood to Christ. We bear our cross daily in sacrificial service to God’s kingdom. A prisoner carried his own cross to the place of execution. Jesus used this image to illustrate the ultimate submission required of His followers. We must follow Jesus, moment by moment, doing His will, even when it is difficult and the future looks bleak.
We cannot be a true disciple of Jesus unless we are willing to deny ourselves, to the point of death if necessary (vs. 35). We should be willing to lose our lives for the sake of the Gospel because nothing can compare to what we gain with Jesus. Those who pursue a life of ease, comfort, and acceptance by the world will not find eternal life. Those who give up their lives, whether literally or figuratively, for the sake of Christ and the Gospel will find it (John 12:25).
As mentioned above, the world and today’s society urges us to seek a life of pleasure, possessions, and power. That is their definition of success. However, those pursuits are worthless, and only temporary (vs. 36-37). They cannot be exchanged for our soul and where we will spend eternity. All of the world’s goods will not compensate for losing one’s soul for eternity. The pursuit of God is eternal.
Jesus closes this passage with a warning (vs. 38). We can reject Jesus now, and be rejected by Him at His second coming, or we can accept Jesus now and be accepted by Him then. We need to take up Jesus’ cross and go with Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. Then one day we will exchange the cross for a crown.
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