Mark, Day Thirteen

Mark 8:27-38

• Jesus is talking to his disciples about what people think of him.  Mostly, they seem to think he's John the Baptist or other prophet come back to life.  And Jesus says, "But who do you say that I am?"  And Peter answers, "the Christ" (v. 29, NASB).
• So Peter understands a little about Jesus, but when Jesus talks about how he must suffer and be killed, Peter rebukes him.  Rebukes Jesus!  The audacity! :)  And Jesus says to him, "Get behind me, Satan."  Um, whoa.  It has seemed for the last few chapters that Jesus is tired and frustrated and even angry, often with his disciples.  They do seem rather slow.  But it makes me wonder what Jesus thinks of us Jesus-followers these days.  How often do we make him feel tired and frustrated and even angry?  At least the disciples had the excuse that this was all pretty new to them.  We've got 2000 years of Christian history behind us.
• And so Jesus tells them, "whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."  Which is very noble, but counter-intuitive to our give-me-more culture.  And also a little hard to know how to apply to our present-day security (in the US).  Most of the disciples really did lose their lives for the gospel, but most of us will not, and not because we're choosing the easy way, but because that's not a choice we have to make.  So what do we do?  Jesus has been healing people and feeding people in abundance.  He's not exactly telling people to suck it up and live lives of pain and hardship.  Some people will, of course, but that doesn't seem to be what he's advocating as the best way for all people.  So what part of our lives do we need to lose?  There are lots of answers to this, I'm sure, but I'm wondering what part of my life do I need to lose?  In my grasping for community and security and comfort, what do I need to lose for Jesus' sake?