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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. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 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.’ He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 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.For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 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.’ (Mark 8:31-38)
Good day, dear friend! I trust this finds you well after what I pray was a good weekend. We continue our Lenten Journey seeking to draw closer to God through Christ and I pray this day's devotional will be an aid in that journey. It comes from The Gospel According to Mark, 8:31-38.
The reality of our Lenten Journey is that it leads to the death of Jesus. It's also a reminder of our mortality. If you were present at an Ash Wednesday service and had ashes placed on your forehead you probably heard the pastor say, "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return; Repent and believe in the Gospel." This is always a moving experience for me as a pastor. I especially pray for the little ones who come and receive the ashes, praying God's blessing and protection on them.
Jesus has to announce the future as He knows it to be. He tells them plainly that He will suffer greatly and be killed. But, the gospel part was that after three days He would rise again from the dead. Jesus didn't pull any punches, He told the truth. Peter couldn't hear that. He took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him. He probably said things along the lines of, "Master, we would never let that happen to you!" Jesus in turn rebukes Peter and says, "Peter, you're in my way; Satan, get lost!" This is the way The Message version has it and it makes sense. Peter wants to stop the path of Jesus as painful as he knew it would be for Him. Peter loved Jesus very much and like most disciples does not want suffering to be a part of their Master's journey. But stop and think what would have happened to you and me, had Jesus chosen not to die for us. There's no telling of what history would be like without the death of Jesus. Thus, the title, "Let Jesus lead!" We think we know all the answers and we think we know the clear path for our lives, but as the theme for last week was all about surrender, this week's theme is to trust God and God's leading. As Jesus told Peter he tells us: Our minds are set on human things, not the divine things of God. Then Jesus calls all the disciples and spells it out; "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for myself ake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?" Jesus wants us all in. No halfway, no check with me later - NOW. ALL IN!
Dear one, if you trust God, let God lead you. We who have surrendered our lives to Him know to let Jesus lead us. One thing I'm sure of, it's never boring and it may not always be easy, but through it all, Jesus is with us.
PRAYER: Loving God, bless this dear reader and guide their steps. Let us follow you as we carry our cross. Lead us to victory and a closeness to You like never before. We seek to be just like You in all ways. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! May your life reflect an obedience to God that blesses others.
Eradio Valverde
PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for the family of Austin Fullbright, a young man who died Friday at age 22. He was like a little brother to Dewey Smith. Pray for comfort and strength for the family. Prayers for Joyce Yoakum who begins her fourth round of chemotherapy. We pray for healing and strength during this time. Joyce is the daughter of Marie Currie. Pray for one another. Pray for school children and their safety. Pray for the hearts of those with evil intent to be convicted by the Holy Spirit to not carry out their plans. Blessings!
