Mark 8

Chapter 8 is a pivotal and powerful one. Jesus seems to push harder on the meaning of being a follower and the downsides of not being one.

A second feeding story is given. Notice Jesus does what he does out of compassion (willing to suffer with) for people. The disciples are just as dull as the last time, still not getting it. The actions (take, bless, break, give) are ones you will see in the Last Supper (Holy Eucharist) later. Seven is a powerful number, considered complete. 

Again the religious people come to test (trick) Jesus. Jesus is exasperated. They want a sign or miracle. In other words, they want magic. Jesus has said that faith (conviction turned into action) is what opens God's powerful healing love (or what some may call miracles.) But the miracles are not magic. That is, they are not meant to entertain or prove. They are the fruit of faith. No faith, no signs. Hard-hearted religious people are not candidates for signs. Miracles should always point back to God and God gets the thanks.

Jesus, probably out of his exasperation, uses this and the disciples' forgetfulness to bring food, as a teaching opportunity. He tells the followers that one needs to be on guard for the hard-heartedness of holier-than-thou types. Just a little false piety or self-centeredness can ruin a lot. It makes things grow just like yeast does. Only, in this case, what is growing is a monster and not food. The disciples don't get it. They are so worried (self-focused) about their own state (no food) that they act just like the religious people. They go on autopilot and forget what they both saw and heard from Jesus.

Jesus performs another healing. When people believe Jesus can help, he does. Notice that it takes more than one time and Jesus does the help in an unconventional (spitting) way. We who are the Church often become closed to prayer taking a while to work and working in ways we did not expect. God is bigger than we are. Jesus will use whatever he chooses to use and works at the "right time" but not always our time. Again, Jesus wants little attention brought to the miracle or to him. He knows that that diverts attention from the true power – God.

 

Lastly, Jesus sees its time to do a little more teaching and deepen the faith of his closest friends. He asks what others say about him. Then he asks what they say about him. Peter blurts out the right answer – Messiah (meaning anointed one or king.) Jesus says  for them to keep that to themselves because most people expect the anointed one to be a political or military leader who would restore the Kingdom of the Jewish people.

 

Well guess what? When Jesus explains the true nature of his mission (the Son of Man) to be one of suffering (probably seeing himself as one similar to the "suffering servant" in the book of Isaiah,) Peter shows that he had just the WRONG idea of Jesus' mission that others had. Peter has to learn that the Messiah he expects will not be the one who comes. God has something else in mind. That is, a Messiah who suffers (remember compassion?) for the sake of others, die, and rise.

 

Peter tries to correct Jesus. Jesus, in what must have been the most stinging comment – especially in front of Peter's peers – calls Peter Satan because Peter only has earthly things in mind and not God's plans.

 

Jesus then plainly states what will work for people who chose to follow him – Give up your claim on your life and let me (Jesus) lay claim on it. If a person lives for himself or herself, he or she will lose out on God's goodies (healing/life/eternity.) If the alternative route is taken, people will come alive by trading being self-centered for being God-centered. Which are you, self-centered or God-centered? What do you want out of live – power or powerlessness? Jesus hopes we will choose him and power.