17
Feb
Feb
Reflection: Mark 8:34-9:1
Evangelist Mark is making the point that the message of Jesus is important particularly for the readers of his community. The fate of Jesus was to be the fate also of those who would follow him. While writing the Gospel, Mark was still so much affected by the Crucifixion that had happened over 20 years ago. That’s why he makes references to “taking up the cross,” although Jesus had not yet explicitly stated that he would be killed by crucifixion. Today we may not realise the brutality of the word “cross.” Over the centuries, the idea of cross has become spiritualised and today, we use it to refer to all the difficulties and inconveniences that come across our path of life. In the time of Jesus, and of Mark, this word had only one meaning – brutal killing. Death by crucifixion was reserved for political offences. It was the fate of rebels. To the minds of people of that era, crucifixion was the most shameful, dehumanising and excruciatingly painful and prolonged death imaginable. The cross was understood clearly as the symbol of resistance to Rome. In this context, the word “Cross” was relevant more to disciples who were being persecuted under the Roman rule. By writing this passage, Mark was giving a warning to his community in Rome to be prepared to face that possibility of being brutally killed for their faith in Jesus. Mark emphasised the possibility of loss of life for the members of his own community. Their losing of lives would happen gradually. Jesus asked his disciples to deny their selfish selves, to give way to more genuine, more deeply human needs: the good news that Jesus had come to make real. Losing one’s life would also mean the experience of denying one’s ego, denying one’s selfishness. This death of the ego and death of selfishness are basic conditions for the life that Jesus offers. In Jesus’ mind, this denial of the self would be the absolute necessary condition for becoming genuinely human. Care should be taken not to mistake the meaning of Jesus’ saying that “If anyone is ashamed of me and of my words… the Son of Man also be ashamed of him when he comes in the Glory of his Father.” It does not mean that Jesus is revengeful. Peter had denied Jesus in front of the people, during the trial of Jesus… not just once, but thrice. Yet, Jesus did not reject him, instead made him the head of the apostles. Jesus call us to love our enemies, to be ready for the cross, to give up everything for the poor. Failing to do that is to deny Jesus, yet still he waits for our return.