Today's Scripture:

Mark 8:31-38 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Read: Reflect on a story in your life that pertains to this scripture.
Jesus predicts the suffering He will undergo at the hands of various people in society, such as elders and teachers of the law. He explains his death and resurrection, but Peter tries to get him to stop talking about it. Jesus rebukes Peter and then speaks to a crowd, describing the way of the cross, saying that whoever loses their life for Him will be saved, and whoever tries to save their life will lose it. He continues speaking about the worth of a soul, and how being ashamed of Him would lead to God being ashamed of them when He comes again.

Reflect: What is this scripture telling you during this season?
This scripture has multiple components, all of which serve to embolden believers to speak about Jesus. A common experience amongst believers is embarrassment in proclaiming our faith when we are perhaps the only Christian in the room, or when others there might disapprove. But this scripture shows us how Jesus expects us to act, and emphasizes the theme of being concerned too with worldly things, instead of focusing on Jesus.

Respond: How is this scripture calling you to respond?
This scripture calls us to boldly proclaim our faith and our belief in the resurrection, even when others around us will think less of us or dismiss our words. Jesus calls us to follow him through sacrifice, “taking up our own cross”, and being willing to be ostracized. It gives us another example of the need to silence our concerns for worldly things, and focus on what Jesus tells us to do.

About Myles Gunsolley:
I am a student in the 11th grade.
I have been at Grace with my family for seven years.