What Are You Going to Do With Your Life? (Mark 8:34-39)

Although Jesus was up in the far north of the country, where it seems the population was smaller numerically from areas further south, he was still followed by a crowd of people who wanted to hear his teaching. We saw in the previous passage that Jesus had now shifted what he taught to his disciples, moving from focussing on who he was to explaining what was going to happen to him in Jerusalem in a few months’ time. It is likely that the features of his message to the crowds may have followed this new emphasis as well.

The contents of this passage are probably a summary of what he may have taught on different occasions. Whatever else can be said about his words, we can see that he deals with serious issues, some connected to this life and some connected to the future after this life is over.

The invitation – ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’

The obvious feature about the invitation is that it is addressed to individuals. This is a reminder that the opportunity to follow Jesus is freely given to everyone and that anyone can become one of his followers. Further, the words of Jesus make it very plain that it is the individual’s responsibility to begin following Jesus, and to commence following as soon as possible.

A second comment we can make is that the invitation is a call to discipleship. We can see this in the words ‘come after me’ and ‘follow me’. They are word pictures indicating what discipleship is. In a sense it is similar to how a sheep would follow a shepherd, trusting in the shepherd to take it to suitable pasture and to provide security from dangers. It is also similar to that of a guide leading a person to a destination. A disciple is not free to plan his or her own journey in the spiritual life, but neither does he have to worry about some matters that disturb other people.

Then a third detail to observe is that a disciple gives up his own preferences and plans. This is what is meant in the demand for ‘deny himself.’ It is not a reference to giving up foods that make one overweight. Instead it is the realisation by the disciple that he is under new management, and that this new arrangement is definitive and permanent, and that he no longer lives for himself.

Moreover, the invitation by Jesus is demanding because he likens it to taking up a cross. This illustration pointed to death because whenever a person literally took up a cross he was on the way to execution. Such a fate was marked by pain and shame as well as death. Jesus is not saying that each of his disciples will be put to death, but he is saying that following him should look as if a death sentence has been passed. The only difference is that the sentence was not passed by the authorities on the Christian; instead it is passed by the Christian on everything this world has. Just as a condemned person left everything behind when he took up a cross, so a Christian leaves the old life behind when he begins to follow Jesus.

The investment

Why should anyone do what Jesus commanded in his invitation? Jesus answers that question in verses 35 and 36 and he uses an illustration from the financial world to explain why we should take his invitation seriously. ‘For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?’

Jesus here describes the worst scenario facing his hearers and a wise investment that they should consider. The worst scenario is described in the phrase, ‘For whoever would save his life will lose it.’ Part of the problem with the scenario is that the saver has not read all the terms. We are familiar with receiving a financial document that contains lots of sub-points that a financial adviser asks us to read before we sign it. Often we may be tempted not to read it, especially if the person we are dealing with is charming and assures us that there are no hidden problems in the details. That may be the case with our earthly documents, but it certainly is not the case with regard to this spiritual account. It is found in an institution that promises a great deal and delivers only bankruptcy. To all potential customers, each of whom has been given life and talents by God, it promises that it knows what to do for them.

Yet the financial institution is based in another place and only has branches here. Its base is located in the Kingdom of Darkness and its branch managers have already decided that they will do their best to ensure that you will lose everything you have – your soul – if you follow their advice. They can point to the fact that they have had millions of customers, and that they are finding new ones every day, but they will not reveal that not one of their clients ever obtains what they imagined they would get from this bank. The day for getting the dividend is when they die, and all of them will find then that in following the bank’s advice they have squandered everything and are now spiritual paupers with no prospect of recovery.

In contrast to the bank that promises a comfortable time and then delivers nothing but bankruptcy, there is another bank that says that while the going may be tough it can guarantee that each investor will have a fortune eventually. The rough time is described in the clause, ‘whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s.’ Clearly Jesus is stating that there will be a cost for those who follow him – they will lose their life. No doubt he has in mind the possibility of martyrdom, but we don’t need to limit it to that consequence. We can also say that his disciples often have to pay a price in other ways, such as not receiving deserved promotion because they put Jesus and the gospel first. Putting Jesus first has a price, and the price is that he demands our all. But he promises that if we give ourselves to him there will be a rich outcome that cannot be calculated.

Jesus in picture language mentions measuring scales and asks us to weigh two important questions: ‘For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?’ He tells us that our soul is worth more than the world in value and that once a person has lost his soul it cannot be recovered. What does he mean by soul, and by losing it?

The word translated ‘soul’ means life. Life means more than the ability to breathe. There is a sense in which the soul is our personal identity and contains our personal potential to become what God has planned us to be. Each of us has a soul that makes us different from one another. The differences are usually good things and if used properly they can make our own personal life and our communal life very pleasant. But if they are used badly they make personal and communal life unpleasant. We can think of numerous features of our personalities in which this will be the case.

All who follow Jesus will discover that at the end of the process he will make his followers rich in graces and in glory. All the costly sacrifices made during the difficult years will have contributed to an amazing outcome – a redeemed sinner made beautiful in character and capable beyond what we can imagine in this life.

In contrast, the bankrupt sinner will discover that there is no longer a possibility for him to recover his God-given capabilities and that for eternity he will have nothing to offer himself or to others. A world full of bankrupts would be a terrible place, and there is such a world coming sadly. Hell is the place where sin and spiritual bankruptcy will have their full effects.

We cannot miss the point that Jesus here is demanding total lordship over each of his disciples. Whatever they do is done for Jesus and for the gospel. Of course, they live this way out of gratitude. Jesus also indicates that living for him and living for the gospel basically amounts to the same thing. We cannot live for Jesus and ignore the gospel at the same time. Devotion to Jesus will lead his followers to be devoted to his message.

The investigation

Jesus describes the day when the final investigation will occur, but here he only describes those who have lost everything: ‘For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ It looks as if Jesus makes several contrasts to increase the effect of what he says. One contrast is between people being ashamed of Jesus and Jesus being ashamed of them. Another contrasts is those who look on, whether the adulterous and sinful generation now or the holy angels in the future. A third contrast is hinted at between what Jesus now is and what he will be on that future day.

The references here to shame probably connect to his demand that each of his followers take up their cross and follow him. Obviously there was shame in connection to carrying a literal cross. Yet there is no possible reason for a professed Christian being ashamed of the cross because he knows that Jesus’ death on the cross achieved great things for his people. It is a reason for shame if we are ashamed of him.

Moreover we should note where following Jesus will lead those who do. Such a path does not lead to final shame any more than his did. As far as Jesus was concerned his taking up of his cross was the path whereby he would be glorified by the Father and given the role of judging all men. In addition, when that day comes everyone will see that the mighty angels are his servants. His glory will be public. Similarly, the path of a Christian leads to glory, and on the journey they as the heirs of salvation are attended to by the angels.

Such a prospect is very comforting for Christians, but it is only for Christians. Those who spurn the invitation to become disciples of Jesus and prefer to believe that life is found apart from Jesus will, on the Day of Judgement, discover that Jesus is ashamed of them. We know that sometimes people are ashamed to be seen with others because the latter group have done something embarrassing or stupid or sinful. Jesus will not want to be seen with those who refused him and to serve him or his Father. It would on that day demean his glory to be seen with them. In this life, it would have brought glory to him if they had accepted him as their Lord. As far as they are concerned, when that day comes the opportunities for living for Jesus will have come to an end. Then they will see that their unrighteous shame over Jesus was very foolish and that they now deserve to experience the fact that he will permanently be ashamed of them. From that time on, he will not help any who rejected him in this world.