Scripture: St. Mark 8:10—9:1 (NKJV)
And He sent them away, 10 immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and
came to the region of Dalmanutha.
11 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him
a sign from heaven, testing Him. 12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and
said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign
shall be given to this generation.”
13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other
side. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have
more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Then He charged them, saying,
“Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you
have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still
hardened? 18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And
do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how
many baskets full of fragments did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” 20
“Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets
full of fragments did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.” 21 So He said to
them, “How is it you do not understand?”
22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged
Him to touch him. 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of
the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked
him if he saw anything. 24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees,
walking.” 25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And
he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 26 Then He sent him away to his
house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”
27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and
on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”
28 So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one
of the prophets.” 29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter
answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.” 30 Then He strictly warned them
that they should tell no one about Him.
31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and
be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and
after three days rise again. 32 He spoke this word openly. And Peter took Him
aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had turned around and looked at
His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not
mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said
to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For
what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed
of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of
Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy
angels.”
9:1 And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing
here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with
power.”
Devotion
“The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and
chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
God’s work of redemption does not happen in a vacuum. Jesus Christ lived in
this sinful world and dealt with the trials and temptations that are common in
it. And He overcame them. He did not compromise with the powerful religious
leaders and their lies. He proclaimed the truth against them and used them as
an example of how dangerous corruption can affect anyone. He did not just
cooperate and then bloodlessly declare how things ought to be. He lived and
personified the truth and was executed for it. He overcame that as well and
rose again after three days.
The preaching of Jesus Christ does not continue in a vacuum either. There are
trials, adversaries, and serious persecutions that surround also the faithful
preaching of Christ. The poisonous leaven of false religious leaders should not
be accommodated; it must be resisted. It provides the framework for teaching
repentance from such wickedness and faithfulness to the truth in rejection of
the devil’s lies. And there will be suffering for those faithful teachers who
stand against the more powerful corrupt teachers. But as Jesus Christ overcame
all these things and manifested the everlasting glory that God’s children will
possess, we too will overcome such things by the power of His Spirit and
faithfulness to His truth in repentance and the forgiveness of sins.
We pray: Lord God, deliver us from the leaven of false teachers and the lies of
the devil. Grant us true repentance and faithful adherence to the victorious
cross of Jesus Christ so that we may overcome all the suffering of this world
and obtain glorious life in our Savior at the Last Day. In Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Lutheran Herald is a publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of
North America. These daily devotions are authored by the bishop, pastors, and
deacons of the diocese. Daily posts are provided by The Reverend Jeffrey A.
Ahonen.
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