Jeff Garrison
Mayberry & Bluemont Presbyterian Churches
August 28, 2024
Mark 8:27-38
At the beginning of worship:
Do you recall the old bumper sticker which read, “God is my copilot”? Did any of you have one on your car? Well, I hate to tell you this, it’s wrong. God, through Christ, should be our pilot. At best, we get to serve as a flight attendant. By the way, someone later corrected the theology of that bumper sticker with another one which read, “If God is your co-pilot, switch seats.”
Here’s the question for us to ponder this morning. Are we willing to get out of the pilot seat and turn the cockpit over to Jesus?
Before Reading the Scriptures:
As we’ve seen, the first half of Mark’s gospel focuses on Jesus’ preaching and teaching, his healings and exorcisms as he travels the countryside. Anticipation builds as to Jesus’ identity. While Mark identifies Jesus at the very beginning of his gospel, this was information for the reader to tuck away.[1] The disciples are not privy to it.
There have been those who have hinted of Jesus’ identity throughout the first half of the gospel, but not the disciples, nor do the religious leaders of the day understand.[2] Jarius with his dead daughter, the unclean woman who touched Jesus’ robe, and the Syrophoenician woman have a sense of Jesus’ powers. But do they even know his identity? The only ones who seem to get it are the demons, whom Jesus quickly quietens.[3]
In this passage, the major turning point of Mark’s gospel, Peter confesses Jesus is the Messiah. Our passage shows both sides of Peter. He gets it right and then finds himself rebuked. For Peter, this is personal and a little embarrassing. Some scholars think Peter served as one of Mark’s sources.[4] If so, it’s to Peter’s credit for in these verses we see both the honor and shame of the Apostle.
From this point on in Mark’s gospel, Jesus focuses on his upcoming passion, his suffering and death. Peter, however, doesn’t want to hear any such talk. Jesus shatters his image of the Messiah. Yet, despite this, Jesus sticks with Peter. Let’s listen.
Read Mark 8:27-9:1
We all want to be like Jesus, right? We’re in church so I expect your answer to be in the affirmative. But do we really want to be like Jesus? And if we’re sincere, do we have what it takes? Peter must have thought he had what it took. After all, he’s the one who hits the nail on the head, boldly proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah. This is the apex of Jesus’ ministry in Mark’s gospel. Peter reveals Jesus’ true identity.
Jesus and the disciples take a long walk north of Bethsaida.[5] As they enter Gentile territory, Jesus asks who people say he is. Leaders should ask such questions to understand their effectiveness. It’s part of being emotionally intelligent. We need such input. It helps us fine tune our way of relating with others.[6]
And the disciples give Jesus some wonderful news. People have a high opinion of Jesus. Some say he’s John the Baptist (which would require a resurrection as Herod had him beheaded). Or Elijah or another prophet of old. Elijah seems to have been popular in First Century Judaism since he didn’t die but was swept away in a chariot of fire.[7] The Jews hoped he’d come back and set wrongs right.[8]
People think highly of Jesus, it appears. But being ranked up there with great men of the past denies Jesus’ uniqueness. He’s being placed into old categories, or to use one of Jesus’ parables, they put the new into old wineskins.[9]
Jesus then turns the table on the disciples, by asking them who they say he is. Ultimately, the gospel turns on our decision as to Jesus’ identity. Peter nails it. “You are the Messiah.”
As he’s done many times in Mark’s story, Jesus tells them not to tell anyone. Jesus wants people to come to this conclusion themselves. Then he begins to talk about what’s ahead. And Peter, who wants Jesus to be a tough superhero, can’t bear it. Peter envisions the Messiah restoring Israel to her rightful prominence. He can’t handle this talk of death.
Jesus then does something that catches everyone off guard. Turning to Peter, he rebukes him, “Get behind me, Satan.” In a matter of minutes, Peter goes from being on Cloud Nine to having his parade rained out. Jesus calls Peter, the guy who has been beside Jesus for some time, Satan. Jesus goes on to show Peter his fault. The Rock, as his name implies,[10] thinks like any other man. His thought process is no different than yours and mine or any other human.
Jesus’ plans don’t make sense to our way of thinking. We understand power. Like Peter, we could understand if Jesus picked up a sword and lead a campaign again the Romans. But that doesn’t happen. God’s ways are not our ways. With God, the weak and the meek inherit the earth.[11] But face it, that’s not the way things generally work out.
At least Peter’s rebuke was in a semi-private setting with just the disciples and there off in Gentile territory. After these words, Jesus calls the crowd over and continues to teach. “If you want to be my followers,” he says, “you’re going to have to pick up your cross.”
I envision those following Jesus being a troubled by what they heard. These are the hardcore supporters, who followed Jesus to Caesarea Philippi, a long day hike from where Jesus had set off.[12] These are the groupies who’ve taken off work to follow Jesus for a few days and now they’re in a town named after the Roman Emperor (who they hope to overthrow). Hearing Jesus talk some kind of nonsense about picking up a cross, I’m sure, caused some of them to say, “I’m out of here.” They know what it means; they’d seen those who had taken up arms against Rome wither on the cross.
The late Will Campbell, an ordained Southern Baptist who referred to himself as a bootleg preacher, criticized the American church for teaching essentially, “Pick up you cross and relax.”[13]We’ve sanitized the cross to the point that it is safe to wear as jewelry.
When Jesus says, “Pick up your cross,” he provides a vivid analogy. Rome freely employed the cross to terrorize slaves and residents of conquered lands. The cross was the ultimate deterrent—you challenge Rome, and you pay dearly. Those Galileans following Jesus may have seen it in action. They lived in a brutal world. When Jesus talks about crosses, they don’t have any romantic allusions to some fashion accessory.
Bearing our cross is often used to express the difficulties we experience in life. But even here, we must be careful not to trivialize the cross. Jesus doesn’t refer the troubles we all experience. Instead, picking up the cross refers to the shame we may experience by placing Jesus above all our loyalties.[14] The cross was considered shameful. Loving the unloved of the world may also be considered shameful to those in power. But we must love because God, through Jesus, first loved us.
Jesus then continues with one of his paradoxical proverbs: “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.” One commentator puts it this way: “To lose one’s life is to lose one’s physical existence, but to lose one’s soul has eternal consequences.”[15]
Where are our commitments? Are we committed first and foremost to our Savior Jesus Christ? Do we love him and those he loves?
This passage implies the possibility of martyrdom, not an option any of us would willingly choose. Yet, when we accept Christ’s call, according to Paul, our old-selves die as we receive new life in Christ.[16] In a spiritual sense, we all die as we leave our past behind and seek to become more Christ-like.
Is Christ calling us to face martyrdom as this passage is sometimes interpreted? We don’t think about martyrs much anymore, do we?
Brian Blount, a New Testament scholar, dedicated a good portion of his academic life to Mark’s gospel of Mark. Brian suggests that martyrdom isn’t exactly what our Lord calls us to. Instead, he’s calling us to be his followers. We’re to join him on “the way” as outlined in Jesus’ teachings. It’s the way of healing, of confronting the demons of the world, of being merciful and proclaiming God’s kingdom. All disciples are called to share in this work.
We’re to follow Jesus, doing what he commands, which doesn’t necessarily mean death (even though it’s always a remote possibility). After all, aligning ourselves with Christ means we shun the values of the world.[17] This can be threatening. However, the most any worldly power can do is to kill us. However, as disciples, we don’t live for today.[18] We live for eternity. In the everlasting realms, the powers on earth are weak.
This understanding of picking up your cross as a call to follow Christ helps us make sense out of Jesus’ rebuke of Peter. “Get behind me, Satan,” is a command for Peter to take his rightful place as a follower. Peter, here, tempts Christ to deviate from his mission. As a tempter, Peter does the work of Satan, hence the reference.
Do we want to be like Jesus? Then we must follow him, which requires love and commitment. We dedicate ourselves to something bigger than us. We put away our worldly ways of thinking. Unlike Peter, we conform our mind to the mind of Christ. We can’t try to change Christ mind to reflect our values. That’s playing the role of Satan, the tempter. Instead, we put Jesus and his kingdom first in our lives.
Do we want to be like Jesus? It is a difficult road. Love can be demanding. But remember, the rewards are eternal. Amen.
[1] Mark identifies Jesus as “the Son of God” in Mark 1:1. In 1:11, God also calls Jesus “my Son, the Beloved.”
[2] Several of those whom Jesus helps understands Jesus’ power (and possibility) such as Jairus, the unclean woman, and the Syrophoenician woman.
[3] Mark 1:25, 3:11, and 5:7. See James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 245.
[4] Edwards, 255.
[5] We last saw Jesus in Bethsaida, Mark 8:22. See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/08/18/open-our-eyes/
[6] Daniel Goleman has written extensively on Emotional Intelligence and the need for “360 Feedback”. See Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence: Why it can Matter More than IQ (1995).
[7] 2 Kings 2:1-12.
[8][8] Edwards, 247.
[9] Mark 2:21-22. See Edwards 257-248.
[10] Matthew 16:18.
[11] Matthew 5:5
[12] Jesus was last at Bethsaida (Mark 8:22), roughly 25 miles due south of Caesarea Philippi, where he healed the blind man. See Edwards, 245 and https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/08/18/open-our-eyes/
[13] Will D. Campbell, Souls among Lions (Louisville; Westminster/John Knox press, 1999), 37.
[14] Douglas R. A. Hare, Westminster Bible Companion: Mark (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1996), 102.
[15][15] Edwards, 257.
[16] Romans 6:1-6.
[17] Brian K. Blount, Go Preach! Mark’s Kingdom Message and the Black Church Today (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1998). See especially Chapter 9.
[18] Matthew 10:18, Luke 12:4.
Another enlightening sermon, Jeff. Love the response to the bumper sticker. I hadn’t seen that one.
I thought the bumper sticker was a perfect reply!
I pray to be like Jesus and for Him to use me, but it’s a bold request. I’m not sure I always consider the implications of it. He might just ask me to do something scary and out of my comfort zone!
Often, we learn about faith when we are out of our comfort zones!
good morning Jeff and thank you for this it seems sometimes wonderful to simply get lost in the good words you share. Yesterday I needed a huge dose, and got a bit lost in Fredrick Buechner’s quotes, and continued the day with one of my granddaughters, who always knows we end up at Barnes and Noble for a visit. Keep spreading your compassion and wisdom and take good care of you.
Are you reading Buechner? If so, which books. Glad you found something helpful in my words.