Scripture/Sermon of the Day

31 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. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 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.”

34 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. 35 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. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 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.”

I. Often in the Gospel of Mark, after Jesus heals someone, he says: “Don’t tell anyone.” Many don’t listen and they talk about what Jesus did and crowds went out to see for themselves. Why did Jesus say, “Don’t tell anyone.”

II. Just before today’s passage, “some people” in Bethsaida brought Jesus a blind man and begged Jesus to heal him. It’s the only miracle in the Gospels where Jesus had to try two times. Jesus led the man out of the village, put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, and said: “Can you see anything?” The man said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” When Jesus tried again, the man opened his eyes and “saw everything clearly.” Jesus said, “Now go home — don’t even go in the village.” Why can’t the man go to the village and tell everyone? People would see him and be impressed — maybe Jesus would gain hundreds of new followers. Isn’t that what he wants?

III. Now — look at what happens next. This is the turning point in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus and the disciples are entering the villages of Caesarea Philippi — they’re moving towards Jerusalem, for the last time.

Jesus asks the disciples: “Who do people say that I am?” They say: “Elijah….John the Baptist….one of the prophets….” Notice — they’re ALL WRONG ANSWERS. Then Jesus says, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter says “you are the Christ — the Messiah.” Jesus says, “Don’t tell anyone.”

Here he goes again — why not tell people who he is?

IV. Because the Messiah was talked about in Jewish religion for millennia. And people expected his return in glory and power, destroying evil and making the world good and holy again — and peace on earth.

But now — Jesus tells them the opposite! That he must suffer and be rejected — and killed! Then rise again. This is why Jesus doesn’t want people to talk about him — because their ideas about him are WRONG! Like the movie BEST OF ENEMIES. The KKK prays to Jesus — then goes out and terrorizes and kills people of color or Jews or immigrants. To these groups, KKK, Christian Nationalists, MAGA Christians, Jesus says, “Please — don’t tell others about me! I’m not who you think I am!”

V. As the disciples heard Jesus, it was an awful dissonance — like the Dunbar choir is singing and imagine we sing the wrong note! You can’t see her, but if there’s a wrong note Joy looks like she just bit into a lemon. That’s how it was when Jesus told the disciples — his idea of the Messiah was a terrible wrong note and Peter said: “No no no! You will be glorious and powerful and you’ll crush all the evil people! People will love you!”

VI. Jesus said, “No, Peter. You’re talking like Satan — that’s his idea." But Peter was just repeating the popular religious idea of the time — something he learned from the priests and religious establishment. JESUS SAID A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THE WRONG IDEAS ABOUT HIM AND RELIGION IN GENERAL. Even today — there are versions of Christianity that emphasize “being saved!” But Jesus says we have to die! What does he mean?

VII. For some people, like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Navalny — it does mean physical death. But “dying” can also be something as simple as going to Staples to buy a chair. And we find just the right one and are about to take it to the register — but someone standing next to us says, “I’ve had my eye on that chair too.” And we say, “I’m still looking. You take it.”

Eknath Easwaran says that’s one of his 8 spiritual practices — PUTTING OTHER PEOPLE FIRST — EVERY TIME WE DO THAT, WE DIE A LITTLE. Our ego dies a little, and Jesus finds more room to live and grow in us. Jesus is raised within us.