Luther Seminary

A daily devotion brought to you by the alumni of Luther Seminary

Friday, September 10, 2021

Mark 8:27-38 (NRSV)

Read Mark 8:27-38 on biblegateway.com

Verse 27Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" Verse 28And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." Verse 29He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." Verse 30And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Verse 31Then 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. Verse 32He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Verse 33But 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."

Verse 34He 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. Verse 35For 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. Verse 36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Verse 37Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Verse 38Those 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."

Devotion

After all the “who-are-you” questions, Jesus changes the subject, sort of. He tells his followers what he expects will soon be happening. Suffering, rejection, trial proceedings before all the powers—and death. Nothing at all neat or tidy or messiah-like. Peter, for one, isn’t having it. “NO!” he says, “this can’t be.” And for his honesty he gets called Satan—ouch!
Then Jesus’ speech continues with a simple summary of what following after him entails. Deny yourself, don’t save yourself, lose your life. Do this for my sake. You have heard my words and in them, in the goodness of them, you will become your true self, find your life, be saved. If you have heard anything of what I’ve said, you must have heard about the love God has for you. Follow that love, just follow that. That love will raise me up from the death of all your self-oriented fears. It will raise you up too.

Prayer

Be our Messiah Jesus—the kind of messiah that speaks goodness and love and which leads us not to fear to follow you as you raise us up to life. Amen.

Wade Wacholz ’17 M.Div. Pastor, Calvary Lutheran Church, Edina, MN