FINDING LIFE BY LOSING IT. [MARK 8:31-38].

AS DEEP AS INSIGHT INTO THE MEANING OF LIFE, AS HAS EVER BEEN SPOKEN WAS GIVEN BY CHRIST ON THE WAY TO THE CROSS. AROUND THE DESTINY OF HIS OWN LIFE HE WRAPPED A TEACHING FOR EVERY LIFE CONCERNING HIS OWN SUFFERING DEATH, THE MESSAGE READS: TAKE THE LOVE HE BROUGHT. LEAD THE LIFE HE TAUGHT. JESUS SPOKE SIMPLY.  HE HAD A PREMONITION OF THE FATE IN STORE FOR HIM., AND SOME CONSCIOUSNESS OF HIS DESTINY. HE SPOKE ABOUT IT PLAINLY. MUCH OF HIS TEACHING WAS IN PARABLES AND THE DISCIPLES HAD AS MUCH DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING IT AS ANYONE ELSE UNLESS, AS SOMETIMES HAPPENED, JESUS GAVE THEM A CLUE TO THE MEANING. BUT ON THIS OCCASION  JESUS TALKED TO THEM PLAINLY, MARK RELATES THAT IS, IN A WAY THAT HE COULD NOT BE MISUNDERSTOOD. THEIR REACTION WAS TO REJECT WITH FRANK OPPOSITION  TO THE IDEA THAT JESUS AND PERHAPS ALSO THEMSELVES, AS MEMBERS OF THE PEOPLE WHOM THE "SON OF MAN" WOULD REPRESENT, SHOULD SUFFER REJECTION AND EXECUTION. THIS  AMOUNTED TO A FRANK SUBSTITUTION  OF HUMAN PREFERENCES  FOR OBEDIENCE TO THE DIVINE PURPOSE. IT WAS A MANIFESTATION, IN THE VERY CIRCLE OF JESUS OWN DISCIPLES ( FOR WHOM AGAIN, PETER STANDS AS SPOKESMAN), OF THE SEDUCTIVE POWER OF THE DEVIL WITH WHICH JESUS HAD ALREADY HAD TO WRESTLE IN THE "TEMPTATION" WITH WHICH HIS WORK BEGAN. HE BEGAN TO TEACH THEM, THE GOSPEL SAYS; IT WOULD BE THE HARDEST LESSON  THEY HAVE EVER LEARNED.  AFTER ALMOST THREE YEARS WITH HIM, THE DISCIPLES WERE PUT  TO THEIR MOST DIFFICULT TEST. COULD THEY DISCERN THE MEANING OF THE CROSS? WHAT JESUS WAS GOING TO SAY WOULD STAGGER THEM. IT WOULD BE MIND-BOGGLING. THEREFORE WELL AHEAD OF TIME, LOVE WAS PREPARING THE BELOVED. JESUS WAS ALWAYS PREPARING HIS DISCIPLES FOR THE NEXT STEP.  HE ONLY BEGAN TO TEACH THEM ABOUT THE CROSS. THE TEACHING WOULD NEVER END. THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD CONTINUE LONG AFTER JESUS DEPARTURE FROM EARTH.  " HE BEGAN TO TEACH THEM THAT THE SON OF MAN MUST SUFFER MANY THINGS." THAT THE DIVINE ONE COULD SUCCUMB TO SUFFERING WAS FOREIGN TO THE THOUGHT OF THE DAY.  HE WOULD BE VICTOR, NOT VICTIM. THE TITLE, "SON OF MAN," MEANING THE GOD-SENT MESSIAH, GUARANTEED EXEMPTION FROM SUFFERING IN POPULAR THOUGHT. YET CHRIST WAS SAYING, HERE TO HIS DISCIPLES THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO SUFFER "TERRIBLE THINGS" AS ONE TRANSLATION RENDERS IT. HE WOULD EXPERIENCE  EXCRUCIATING AGONIES. THIS LEFT THE DISCIPLES SPEECH-LESS. THEY JUST COULDN'T HANDLE SUCH A CONCEPT. SOMETIME AFTER THE EVENT THEY WOULD DISCOVER THAT "WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED." THROUGH THE SUFFERING DEATH OF THE MESSIAH, GOD WOULD WORK OUT THE WORLD'S RECONCILIATION  WITH THE FATHER. ON THE WAY, HOWEVER,  TO JERUSALEM THEY WERE BAFFLED. JESUS WENT ON TO SHARE WITH HIS DISCIPLES THAT "THE SON OF MAN... MUST BE REJECTED BY THE ELDERS, CHIEF PRIESTS, AND THE SCRIBES." THIS, TOO, BOGGLED THE MIND. WHY GO TO JERUSALEM IF THIS WAS IN STORE?  HEAD BACK TO GALILEE WHILE THERE WAS TIME. OF ALL PEOPLE THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS SHOULD ACCEPT GOD'S MESSIAH. THIS REJECTION WAS TO CUT JESUS MORE THAN WHIPS. HE CAME TO HIS OWN HOME, AND HIS OWN PEOPLE RECEIVED HIM NOT. WHAT A SUDDER MUST HAVE "SHAKEN" CHRIST'S OWN HEART.  AS HE FORESAW THE REJECTION HE MUST EXPERIENCE! HE MUST BE KILLED JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES, THE PREDICTION WAS GETTING MORE FANTASTIC WITH EVERY PHRASE. HERE WAS THE ULTIMATE SHOCKER. AFTERWARD THEY WOULD LEARN TO UNDERSTAND IT AS PAUL INTERPRETED , " GOD SHOW HIS LOVE FOR US IN THAT WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US.  THE DISCIPLES WERE APPALLED BY WHAT HE WAS SAYING. WHEN JESUS CAME TO THE CLIMAX, THAT HE WOULD RISE AGAIN AFTER THREE DAYS, THEY WERE COMPLETELY LOST.
 THEIR WAS NO PARABLE OR ALLEGORY WITH HIDDEN MEANING. IT WAS FRANK, OPEN, DEVASTATING.  AFTER THE DISCIPLES WOULD WITNESS THE SUFFERING DEATH AND TRIUMPHANT RESURRECTION OF THE LORD, AND THEY WILL COME TO REALIZE THE EARTH-SHAKING MEANING OF THESE EVENTS. GOD WAS EMBRACING HUMANKIND WITH AN OFFER OF MERCY THROUGH CHRIST. NO PERSON NEED EVER AGAIN FEEL REJECTED OR LOST OR HOPELESS. BY HIS CROSS CHRIST DREW THE STING FROM LIFE AND DEATH. FOR THOSE WHO PUT THEIR TRUST IN WHAT HE DID FOR THEM, THERE IS PEACE WITH GOD. THE SECRET HID FROM CREATION WAS NOW SHOUTED OVER THE EARTH.. HE DID EVERYTHING NECESSARY TO SETTLE EVERY ONE'S ACCOUNT. THIS IS WHY CHRIST SUFFERED TERRIBLE THINGS, AND WAS CRUELLY REJECTED BY HIS OWN, WAS CRUCIFIED LIKE A CRIMINAL AND WAS RAISED TO LIFE ON THE THIRD DAY. THIS PRICELESS ASSURANCE THAT DIVINE LOVE SUPPORTS HUMAN LIFE IN TRIAL AND DEATH FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST. "THEN JESUS GAVE LIFE'S GREAT MASTER PRINCIPLE. " FOR THOSE WHO WOULD  LOSE THEIR LIFE, FOR MY SAKE AND THE GOSPELS WILL SAVE IT. "THIS IS A SACRED PROMISE."  EVERY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP CAN BE REGARDED AS A SITUATION FROM WHICH TO GET OR WHICH TO GIVE. LIFE IS NOT TO GET BUT TO GIVE BECAUSE OF WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR ALL. WHAT CAN A MAN GIVE IN RETURN FOR HIS LIFE? CHRIST PRESSED FURTHER. WHAT IS FAIR EXCHANGE? WHEN IT COMES, TO  LIFE, MEANING LIFE THAT IS MADE UP OF INNER PEACE, JOY, FULFILLMENT.
 BRING BACK ALL WHO HAVE STRAYED FROM YOUR WORD., AND LEAD THEM AGAIN IN FAITH TO RECEIVE  AND HOLD FAST TO YOUR TRUTH. JESUS CONCLUDED, " FOR WHOEVER IS ASHAMED OF ME AND  MY WORDS IN THIS ADULTEROUS GENERATION, OF HIM WILL THE "SON OF MAN" ALSO BE ASHAMED, WHEN HE COMES IN THE GLORY OF HIS FATHER WITH THE HOLY ANGELS. THE WAY A CHRISTIAN LIVES ANNOUNCES HIS SHAME OR HIS PRIDE IN CHRIST. " TAKE THE LOVE HE BROUGHT. LEAD THE LIFE HE TAUGHT!
FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR ENTIRE LIFE AND WORLD VIEW IS OUR BELIEF THAT THERE IS A GOD
WHO IS THE SOURCE OF EVERYTHING AND ON WHOM EVERYTHING DEPENDS; HE IS ALWAYS NEAR US. AS MY GRANDSON SAYS: HE LIVES AMONG THE STARS AND THAT HE IS HOLY. MUCH OF OUR FAITH IS INVISIBLE, FOR US CHRISTIANS, WE HAVE A WRITTEN RECORD, THE BIBLE, WHICH FROM THE FIRST PAGE TO THE LAST SPEAKS OF GOD EXISTING.