Mark 8.31–38: Get behind me, Satan (Day 36)

Pray

Lord, prepare me to receive your word. Clear my mind and warm my heart. Assure me of your loving purposes for me, and speak into my life today.

Read

Genesis 38 Mark 8 Job 4 Romans 8

Daily reflection: Mark 8

Jesus' ministry had been going well. There were lots of healings, crowds flocked to hear him and he hadn't yet been faced with much significant opposition. For him to start talking about crucifixion must have struck his disciples as unnecessarily pessimistic. This was not what they'd signed up for: Peter had just testified (verse 29) that he was the Christ – the conquering saviour who would rid them of the Romans – and he remonstrates with Jesus accordingly.

When Jesus accuses him of being inspired by Satan and speaks of the need for his disciples to be willing to give up everything, he's saying that discipleship is not about worldly success. The path to victory goes via the cross, always. In an age that worshipped power, and where compassion was regarded as a weakness, Jesus turned those values on their heads.

In many parts of the world today, the words 'whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it' (verse 35) are read absolutely literally, because Christians are being martyred every day. In the West, we need to think harder about what that means. We might well need to sacrifice personal comfort, or money, or position, for instance. We might need to challenge typical ideas of what 'success' looks like in Christian terms. Right at the beginning, Jesus knew his followers would be tempted by power and respectability. But no glossy outreach programme or building project is faithful to Christ if it doesn't include the cross.

Pray

God, help me to see Jesus in the least and lowest. Show me what it means to deny myself and take up the cross of Christ.