"Who owns your soul?" Mark 8:27-38 + bonus commentary
Mark 8:27-38- Who owns your soul?
27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"
28 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets."
29 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels."
The great confession of Peter- he gets it soooooo right that Jesus is the Christ- and then Jesus explaining how he will suffer and be rejected is then confronted by Peter- and Peter gets it sooooo wrong.
Peter reminds Jesus of Satan- Satan had tempted Jesus by offering him dominion of the whole world without suffering, offering him bread- instead of fasting,- Evil avoids self-suffering that brings good.
Peter got the Christ-Title right- but he got the Christ-Mission wrong.
Sometimes we may have good titles or labels on us- “Christian” “Mother” “Father” “Citizen” “Boss” “Friend” “Pastor”- But getting the title right- means very little if we don’t have the substance of it
That is just what the world life here in this scripture means- the word in Greek is psyche- it can also be translated as “soul”- it is the essence or substance of our life.
What good is it for a person to live a “Christian” always going to church and whatnot, but failing to ever live the way of Christ- of self-sacrificing love. The name won’t save you- a life lived in title only- is a life lost. If you are a Christian in name only- beware
What does it mean to have your life “saved”?
It means you are buying in to God’s plan for life- completely. You are being saved from a life of self, into a with God life. The word means being made whole- being healed. You are becoming what God has intended for you- your are being healed of your misdirections, misdeeds and broken relationships- you are gaining a new life in place of the old one. Gaining new purpose, and direction.
What is your soul worth? If your soul was fading out right now- and you found out about it- what would you and could you do to remedy it?
Application: What do you need to “lose” in your life?
5 things- that I see a lot of Christians struggling to die to
Stuff people hold on to- that makes their own soul sick
1. A lack of mission-What is “your cross”- your personal mission of following Jesus?
My Mission is to be a loving and forgiving husband and father who is devoted to following Jesus Christ and serving others that they may also follow Christ.
Just because all of our daily survival needs are taken care of- doesn’t give us permission to go willy-nilly bouncing through life- never giving time to the question “What does God want for me?” or “Who does God say that I am?”
2. People Pleasing- People Hating
You cannot please everyone- if you are leaving this way- please die to it right now. Aim to love people- not please them- means doing the right and good thing, not always the nicest thing. We can’t live this life ashamed of the way of God- just to please the people of our age.
Some Christians need to die to the idea of hating people. Our faith- Our Lord has not called us to hate others. What is it to hate? To live denying the value of another’s life- wanting harm for them and not good. If there are people in your life in that state- you need to pick up the cross.
3. Unconscious “Fad” Living- Peter had bought into the “fad” or popular belief of who the Messiah would be and what he would be like. He believed this popular theory so much- that he rebuked Jesus- his rabbi. There are so many fads that bind us- I don’t know where to start. It all stems from a “lack of life mission”- If you don’t know why you are here- you live just doing things that come along or that everyone else does.
“Fad” of independent spouse- no such thing- dependent on each other
Fad of getting into unhealthy debt
Fad of unhealthy entertainment
Not anti-fun- anti-fad- I am having a fun-life
Prayer and worship cause the Holy Spirit- to make us conscious to things in our life
4. Unwillingness to Change- Jesus said, “Be perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect”- can I see the hands of those who have gotten there. So for the rest of us the road to becoming more like Christ- means being willing to change- in ways God calls us to change.
Change for change sake- not what I am talking about- all change not good
Change for Christ’s sake- for growth
Are you unwilling to bend in your relationships? Why- cause you are the perfect friend? The perfect spouse? The perfect employee? The perfect boss?
Here’s another angle- when people change things around us- we react Whether at home, school, work, church- even if the change produces growth or positive results- a common reaction is “let’s go back to the old way”- no one likes feeling lost- but friends when good change occurs- we believe that God is in the lead- the scripture says every good and perfect give comes from God- just because something feels new, strange- or isn’t the way we used to do it- doesn’t make it bad or wrong- if it results in good fruit- we should rejoice not retreat-
So if you resist all change- hoping to keep time still- I have sad news- God honors that and passes you by when he comes to town with his truck full of blessings- you wouldn’t be interested in a new blessing
For God’s sake- and for your own sake- pick up the cross of change. if you feel lost when good change happens around you- maybe you let go of God’s hand to stay where you were- no worry- just stick your hand up
5. Ownership (stewardship)- kids, money, talents- possessions, education- Your own soul- All life is a gift on loan from God- we don’t own it- we only take care of it. Like the home Tina and I live in- we don’t own it- we only take care of it- Like this church- Denomination, us, Board- we don’t really own it- maybe legally in the world’s eyes= but in God’s plan we are stewards- taking the best care and living out the best life possible with the gifts given us- Your life is not yours to waste.
I urge you to lose your life- and pick up God’s life- and a life of good news- Maybe you have clinging on to a part of life- a certain relationship- finances, possessions, habits- and you need to say today, “God you can have all of it- give back to me whatever I need to live a life of love, forgiveness and mercy.” If there is a place in your life you need to pick up the cross- we are going to pray here and I urge you to lay it down before God- maybe its your pride, your need to be right, your need to please people- whatever it is- bring it to Jesus today.
Let’s pray.
Extra commentary/reflection Bonus: Having our clear personal mission helps us to know what we are living for and what we are not living for- we have died to some things-
Taking up the cross in daily language- means being able to say NO to things that would put us off our mission
Many of us are addicted to saying Yes to everything- because we want to please people- but if our mission is to serve Jesus Christ- and not to please people- we can die to that desire. There will be plenty of ways that people will be indirectly pleased because we are living for Jesus Christ- its just that People- Pleasing is not our mission anymore.
Worship- some think worship is done to please self- but truly done to please God. Does that mean we can have no fun in worship? No- but it does mean we need to be clear on the purpose of worship.
v. 31 Commentary [it was likely the disciples great hope that he would be accepted by the religious establishment and pronounced the messiah]
v.32 commentary [Peter- it seems here rebuked him regarding what Jesus was speaking plainly- that is that he would “suffer many things and be rejected.” Peter and Jesus probably saw these two things as connected- because he would be rejected he would suffer and be killed. Peter’s assumed rebuke is that you would not have to suffer if you were accepted and proclaimed the Christ. When this doesn’t happen we see that Peter is ashamed of the arrest and denies his involvement with Jesus and his movement.]
V. 33 Very likely that Peter’s reasoning of winning over the leaders and making concessions in order to do so, reminded Jesus a lot of Satan and his temptations. Also the devil tempted Jesus to avoid suffering and this is also what Peter is suggesting here.
V. 34 What does it mean? "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”- It means that life is not about. 1. Avoiding suffering 2. Being in complete control 3. Living in relative comfort because you have made moral/ethical concessions. Life is about: 1. Suffering for the right and good thing 2. Surrendering control of your daily life to God 3. Dying to self in order to see how BIG and Beautiful life really is.
V. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Preserving your life today for your own selfish desires- will cause you too miss out on the fullness and goodness of the life God has intended for you. If your dream life is a faster car, a bigger house, a larger bank account, complete comfort- without inclusion of God or thought of the welfare of other people- you though in good standing by some worldly measuring sticks- are actually low in life- you are a lowlife. But if you choose to surrender yourself- mind, soul and body- all your possessions- your talents, your family- to live a life that honors and follows the teachings of Jesus Christ- you will gain a full and beautiful life- the life that leads to salvation.
