The Son of Man Will Suffer

The gospel text a few Sundays back was Mark 8:31-38. While it probably shouldn’t be over emphasized, I find it intriguing that Mark places this text – and Peter’s confession that precedes it – almost exactly in the center of his story about Jesus.

Mark begins with a bang – “the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1, NRSV) Early on (his first story about Jesus) John baptizes Jesus and a voice from heaven declares “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:9, NRSV)

From there, Mark begins a rapid fire journey in which Jesus calls disciples, casts out demons, heals people, and cleanses a leper. He steps out of the comfort zone of most Jews of that day and calls Levi the tax collector to be a disciple. He addresses questions about fasting and hints of a new age coming that could never be contained in the old, stretched out wine skins of another age. He even declares that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath!

When accused of being the most detestable of demonic agents – working by the Power of Beelzebul, He reminds His accusers that “no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man.” (3:27, NRSV) The parable of the sower, perhaps among the most crucial of His kingdom parables, sets an agenda which depicts God’s interruption of human history where “seed” will be sown anywhere and everywhere – some of which will produce an unbelievable harvest.

The journey keeps moving and almost unexpectedly, Jesus stops to summarize – debrief the disciples. It boils down to this: “Who do you say that I am?” (8:29, NRSV) We all know Peter’s answer on behalf of the group, and likely have repeated it ourselves on multiple occasions. Christ. Messiah.

Most of us would probably not plan on the follow-up that Jesus planned. He immediately tells them that they are headed to Jerusalem, and things will become very difficult. How quickly we go from “You are the Christ” to “I will be killed.”

Peter found that a bit discomforting – we can all understand. But Mark will have Jesus repeat that prediction in chapter nine and again in chapter ten. In chapter eleven, they arrive in Jerusalem and what happens is testimony that Jesus was not overstating reality in His predictions. 

If the season of Lent is to remind us of our own mortal natures and the fact that to follow Christ requires dealing with that mortal nature – then perhaps Mark’s arrangement of things can remind us that if the Son of Man Himself suffered before glory, then our own lives may be no different. We aren’t likely to face the intensity of what our Lord did – but Jesus seems to want us to remember that before glory, there is struggle.

Some scholars suggest that Mark is writing down Peter’s recollections about life with Jesus. Perhaps they are in Rome in the post burning of Rome period when Nero decided Christians ought to be persecuted. What if some of the believers there, not unlike we are sometimes, are wondering how the Jesus story could be true if their lives were so difficult?

One of my favorite things about Jesus is that He never asks of us more than He Himself has already done – and then some. The gospel of Mark is great testimony to that reality. 

May the season of Lent continue to motivate us to follow in His steps – and avoid the tendency to think that all of life should be easy and simple. We know by experience that it isn’t – may we learn by faith to accept that and allow Jesus’ example to form our own lives.