Sunday September 16th Gospel

Mark 8:27-35

Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.”

Analysis

The gospel this weekend was Mark 8:27-35. In the gospel, Jesus asks his disciples what others call him. His disciples respond, saying that people believe that he is John the Baptist, Elijah, or a prophet. Jesus then asks the disciples what they personally call him. Peter wisely tells Jesus that they call him the Christ. Jesus, perhaps cognizant of the political consequences of announcing that he is the Christ, instructs his disciples not to tell anyone. Jesus probably did this to prolong the amount of time he had to teach. Jesus then tells his disciples that he will suffer greatly for them and his people. This gospel highlights the troubles that Jesus faces in his mission. In this gospel, Jesus accepts his fate and calls all of us to accept our own fate and walk with him on the path to holiness.