Pick Up Your Cross: Mark 8:34-38
The Father knows best. That’s a huge concept to take in. How many billions of people have lived on this planet, and God knew what is best for all of them. Consider that God knows what is best because He knew all those billion people better than they knew themselves. Now bring that home. God knows what is best for you, because He knows you more intimately than you know yourself.
We once more compare Jesus’ methods. Jesus turns to the crowd and gathers anyone who will listen. Look at His methodology. Jesus is back to parables. Jesus tells the crowd to take up their cross. Jesus talks to the crowd in terms of saving their life and losing it. In the prior passage where Jesus spoke to His disciples, He used direct instruction in telling them about the conflict with the religious elite and His death. Now we’re back to parables and generalized speeches of truth that intentionally leave the listener wondering.
I can’t help but wonder how the disciples heard this teaching. It’s possible they were still in shock from what Jesus told them and they had trouble focusing. It’s possible they were as confused as any of the other times Jesus spoke in parables. It’s also possible they were finally able to see the truth of Jesus’ message through the parable because of what Jesus told them privately. We don’t really know, but since we aren’t told Jesus needs to explain this teaching to the disciples privately, I’m hoping for the third option!
The teaching Jesus gives the crowd is difficult, though. Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow Jesus (to the crucifixion, naturally). It is a difficult pill to swallow. We all have our dreams. We all have the way we want our life to play out. What Jesus teaches here is the denial of that premise.
After yesterday’s post, Melissa (one of the readers of DFR) left a comment. Anyone who wants can read the comment - and reply, or leave your own comment - by reading the actual blog on the website and not the delivered email. The heart of Melissa’s thought is what Jesus is touching on here. She asked, “Why do we always think we know best?” That is a difficult question to answer because each of us has a different answer. The question, though, is at the heart of why Jesus teaches what He does. We all think we know what is best. That doesn’t mean we don’t come and get help or advice from others, but in the end we think we’ve got it. It’s our life. It’s our expectations. It’s our dreams. Of course we know what is best for us!
Except, we don’t. God knows what is best. God knows how to make us full of joy. What does it profit us to gain our biggest hopes and dreams if we do not have God and our soul is forfeit? The Father knows best.
