Jesus 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?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
Then 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. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But 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.”
He called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For 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. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those 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.” (New Revised Standard Version)
It is quite common for English translations of Holy Scripture to smooth over some of the rough edges of the biblical text. In today’s Gospel lesson, there are three instances of a Greek word (ἐπιτιμάω, pronounced ep-ee-ti-MA-o) getting a somewhat tepid translation into English:
- Jesus “sternly ordered” them not to tell anyone about him (8:30)
- Peter took Jesus aside and began to “rebuke” him (8:32)
- Jesus “rebuked” Peter (8:33)
These are accurate translations; it’s just that the Greek word’s punch isn’t quite there for us as English readers. “Sternly ordered” and “rebuke” are strong English words, yet they must go further. For a more vernacular reading, I would frame the verses this way:
- Jesus made it very clear to the disciples to “shut up” about him. In my family growing up, “shut up” was the one word we were never to say without severe consequences. Swear words typically were fine; “shut up” was not.
- Peter took Jesus aside and told him to “shut up.” Now you can see how much more forceful the word is. Imagine saying that to Jesus!
- Jesus told Peter to “shut up.” Christ took up his authority and let Peter know who was really in charge, and perhaps more importantly, let Satan know that he is to “shut up” and keep his sinister mouth quiet.
The strong language is necessary because Jesus was quite strongly upsetting the apple cart and being the sort of Messiah that nobody expected, and frankly, did not want to see.
Messianic hope in the first century did not include things like being crucified, and no less, by religious leaders. Folks believed the opposite would be true. Messiah would come, affirm the religious status quo, and crucify the wretched Romans, thereby setting up Jewish rule with no more Gentile interference and persecution.
But Jesus was insistent about the way of the cross, and was not about to sidestep his ultimate mission of suffering and death. This was not just being killed; it was terrible torture and human degradation.
What’s more, to follow Jesus is to follow the way of the cross. Self-denial, ironically and paradoxically, is the true way of finding oneself and becoming awake and aware of how the universe works.
Yet another less than stellar English translation is “life.” For 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 (8:35).
The typical Greek word for life was not used by the Gospel writer Mark; instead he used a word which denoted the substance of a person’s life, the essence of one’s innermost personhood: “soul” (Greek ψυχή, transliterated psyche)
It was necessary for Jesus to give himself for us. His self-denial and horrible martyrdom was the way to save our souls. Humanity is in such a dark predicament that they cannot save themselves; we need someone to deliver us, to save our innermost selves.
But, of course, that doesn’t stop so many of us humans from trying to save ourselves anyway. Knowledge and education, perfectionism and achievement, hard work and effort, money and resources, political power and control, are all the typical ways of trying to psychologically (or psyche-logically) make our souls, our inner person, feel as if there is freedom and happiness.
Yet, it doesn’t take long for those on the committed path of self-improvement to realize that they have only imposed a greater burden on themselves which keeps them in their immaterial shackles.
Instead, we must accept Christ’s authority over our lives, and over our souls. The stark reality is that we need a Savior, and that savior is not you nor me. And neither health nor wealth will get us anywhere with our soul.
It is imperative that we walk in the way of Jesus. It is the way of suffering. Yet, the suffering leads to glory; the crucifixion results in resurrection.
In giving your soul, you find it. In giving yourself to Jesus, you will discover the key to the soul’s freedom and happiness. Furthermore, in losing yourself for the sake of others, you find the soul’s real mission on this earth.
The only path to overcoming shame is by reframing it and embracing it, just as the Lord Jesus did:
Fix your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2, NIV)
Perhaps many of us need to “shut up” long enough to listen well to Jesus, and discover in him what our inner self has been searching for so long to find.
Blessed Lord, give us grace to deny ourselves, to take up our cross daily, and to follow Christ; to discipline our bodies and keep them under control. Keep us from being lovers of ourselves, and from being wise in our own eyes and leaning to our own understanding. Help us to seek, not our own good only, but also the good of our neighbor. And grant that we may not live to ourselves or die to ourselves, but whether we live or die, we may be the Lord’s, and may live and die to him. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 