And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.  (Mark 8:31-32)

Why did Peter feel he must privately rebuke God Incarnate? Because he spoke plainly about suffering and rejection. Peter was only conveying what everyone else was thinking; “We are not interested in suffering – Yours or ours. This kind of talk could get somebody hurt!” This idea is so wrong headed, Jesus publicly rebukes Peter;

But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s. (Mark 8:33) 

This idea is so toxic, Jesus addresses it immediately trying to neutralize it before it spreads any further;

And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:34-37)

If the prevailing crowd-drawing gospel fails to mention that we must take up our cross daily and follow Him, I believe it is a false gospel that says, “You may keep your life. In fact Jesus came to enhance it. Be at ease. There is no cross for you.” Where this false-gospel is prevalent we are demonstrating our shame in Jesus’ words and that is a serious error.

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38)

We may have not said it directly to Jesus but we might as well have. After He plainly made his point, the western church at large has more or less taken Jesus aside and rebuked him, saying; “Lord are you not mad in telling us that we must die in order to live? No one is going to follow you if you talk like that!”

Men have not changed, only the cultural-specifics of our sinful generation are unique. Men despised suffering then and they despise it now. Suffering is an intruder on the good life. It is the burster of bubbles. It is the nagging reminder of our frail and temporal circumstances. Men will do almost anything to avoid the mystery of suffering. Suffering is not easily digested by anyone’s theology.

Men were slaves to lies when Jesus first spoke these words; we are slaves to lies now. Jesus came to liberate us from these lies, but who will identify them? Most pastors know where Peter was coming from. They know men are not interested in suffering. They know that kind of talk could get somebody fired!”

Father, you came to liberate captives. Set us free from the lies we have swallowed in our culture that would insulate us from our crosses. Liberate us for Your name’s sake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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