St Mark Chapter VIII : Verses 31-39
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| And Peter taking him, began to rebuke him... J-J Tissot |
[32] And he spoke the word openly. And Peter taking him, began to rebuke him.
[33] Who turning about and seeing his disciples, threatened Peter, saying: Go behind me, Satan, because thou savourest not the things that are of God, but that are of men.
[34] And calling the multitude together with his disciples, he said to them: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
[35] For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel, shall save it.
[36] For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?
[37] Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
[38] For he that shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation: the Son of man also will be ashamed of him, when he shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
[39] And he said to them: Amen I say to you, that there are some of them that stand here, who shall not taste death, till they see the kingdom of God coming in power.
[31] Et cœpit docere eos quoniam oportet Filium hominis pati multa, et reprobari a senioribus, et a summis sacerdotibus et scribis, et occidi : et post tres dies resurgere. [32] Et palam verbum loquebatur. Et apprehendens eum Petrus, cœpit increpare eum. [33] Qui conversus, et videns discipulos suos, comminatus est Petro, dicens : Vade retro me Satana, quoniam non sapis quae Dei sunt, sed quae sunt hominum. [34] Et convocata turba cum discipulis suis, dixit eis : Si quis vult me sequi, deneget semetipsum : et tollat crucem suam, et sequatur me. [35] Qui enim voluerit animam suam salvam facere, perdet eam : qui autem perdiderit animam suam propter me, et Evangelium, salvam faciet eam. [36] Quid enim proderit homini, si lucretur mundum totum et detrimentum animae suae faciat? [37] Aut quid dabit homo commutationis pro anima sua? [38] Qui enim me confusus fuerit, et verba mea in generatione ista adultera et peccatrice, et Filius hominis confundetur eum, cum venerit in gloria Patris sui cum angelis sanctis. [39] Et dicebat illis : Amen dico vobis, quia sunt quidam de hic stantibus, qui non gustabunt mortem donec videant regnum Dei veniens in virtute.
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Notes
31. he began to teach them , — i.e. the disciples. St Peter had acknowledged Him, in the name of all the others, as the Messiah. They must now learn that the Messiah was not to have a glorious earthly career, but one of humiliation and suffering.
the Son of man. Jesus’ favourite title for Himself. Only, too, as “ Son of man ” could He suffer and atone for humanity.
must suffer. There was no other path of Redemption. So, later, He explains His passion, Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so to enter into his glory ? (St Luke xxiv. 26).
many things. Some of which will only be revealed in eternity, since all the insults and humiliations to which our Lord was subjected are not detailed in Scripture.
rejected, — i.e. during the days of His ministry, and also during His Passion. Not this man but Bar abbas (St John xviii. 40).
ancients. Senators, not necessarily old men ; they formed part of the Sanhedrin, being nominated by those in authority.
The Sanhedrin consisted of —
(a) The chief priests. ( b ) The scribes, (c) The elders. Hence our Lord was rejected by the greatest Jewish legislators.
high-priests, scribes. (See Jewish Sects)
be killed. Our Lord announces His death, but not the manner of it.
after three days. Not necessarily three full days — one full day and a part of two other days would fall within the meaning of the term. This view is illustrated by St Matt, (xxvii. 63, 64), where the chief priests asked that the sepulchre might be guarded, since Christ had said, After three days I will rise again.
rise again. This is a clear prophecy of the Resurrection, which the disciples did not grasp.
32. he spoke the word openly. A detail peculiar to St Mark.
Peter taking him : apart from the others. Possibly he drew our Lord away by the hand or mantle. St Peter was scandalized at the idea of a suffering Messiah ; so were all the Twelve.
began to rebuke him, — i. e. to reason with our Lord and to endeavour to dissuade Him from suffering. Evidently this unbecoming action was due to St Peter’s natural impetuosity, to his want of spiritual discernment and to his vehement personal love of Jesus. St Matthew gives the exact words, And Peter taking him, began to rebuke him, saying: Lord, be it far from thee , this shall not be to thee (xvi. 22).
33. Who turning about and seeing his disciples. The second graphic touch of St Mark, who alone mentions that Christ looked at the other disciples as well as at St Peter. Our Lord did this to fix their attention ; since they shared St Peter’s sentiments regarding a temporal reign of prosperity, they needed to hear the rebuke addressed to St Peter, that they might profit by the lesson.
threatened : preferably “ rebuked.”
Go behind me, Satan. This sharp rebuke seems to betray intense feeling on the part of our Lord. As Man the passion was repugnant to Him, and naturally He could not but shrink from it. St Peter, in striving to persuade Him to give up this method of Redemption, was echoing the previous temptation in the desert, when Satan had promised Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them without suffering. Judas willingly gave himself up to Satan’s suggestions. St Peter did so unconsciously, but nevertheless the temptation existed, or Jesus would not have said, thou art a scandal unto me (St Matt, xvi. 23). Notice, our Lord used exactly the same words in His Temptation in the desert.
Satan : literally, an adversary, one who opposes ; so Christ speaks of Judas. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve; and one of you is a devil ? (St John vi. 71).
savourest, — i.e. carest for and thinkest of earthly things. St Peter could not grasp the divine plan of redemption. When the cross falls on us, or on those dear to us, we too are apt to repine, and to consider these trials from a mere human standpoint, forgetting that : All things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose , are called to be saints (Rom. viii. 28), and that it is through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God (Acts xiv. 21).
34. calling the multitude. St Matthew mentions only the disciples, St Luke says He said to all. Doubtless a crowd of faithful disciples and many others were still following our Lord. Naturally at times they would retire to rest apart, and our Lord had Himself just withdrawn to pray in secret. Jesus called them all because the truths He was about to teach concerned “ all.”
with his disciples. Jesus is about to re-enforce the lesson just given privately after St Peter’s presumption.
If. Jesus forces no man to serve Him. All depends, as far as we are concerned, on our free will, but God gives to all, sufficient grace for salvation. This is an article of faith, i.e. a truth which all Catholics are bound to accept.
will follow : in the path of suffering and humiliation.
let him, etc. Notice the three necessary steps if we would be disciples of Christ—
(a) Self-denial. ( b ) Acceptation of the cross, (c) Imitation of Christ.
deny himself. Christian self-denial is a Divine precept. The Jews were taught to practise it, since they were commanded to fast rigorously at certain times, and to give certain alms. We are bound to renounce our sinful appetites and passions. Just as the soldier must practise shooting before he goes to the battlefield, so the Christian must deny himself in lesser things (that are not positively evil), that he may acquire the habit of self-renunciation, and be prepared for the greater occasions when self-denial becomes a necessity.
take up his cross. Each disciple has his own personal cross to bear. Also, there is an indirect allusion here to the Crucifixion of our Lord. Criminals were forced to take up their cross and to carry it to the place of execution. St Luke adds the word “ daily.” Not fitfully, but daily we must bear the cross. Two of our Lord’s Apostles, St Peter and St Andrew, literally took up their crosses, while all except St John, died a martyr’s death, and this exception was due to a miracle.
follow me : by imitating His virtues in our feeble degree.
35. For , — i.e. since. Note that God has made it even our own interest to serve Him. We are created to love and serve God, and by so doing we merit eternal life.
whosoever. No distinction of person, no “ royal road ” to salvation, save that of the cross.
will save his life , — i.e. preserve it at the cost of his salvation. “ Life ” is here used in a double sense —
(a) The natural life.
(b) The supernatural life of the soul. Whoever clings inordinately to the former will certainly sacrifice the latter, since he will break God’s commandments rather than lose some temporal gain, and by sinning mortally, risk his eternal salvation.
shall lose. It is only an apparent “ loss ” when a man suffers for Christ or for the Gospel, since his eternal salvation is thereby secured.
for my sake : for the personal love of Jesus.
and the gospel : the faith which Christ came on earth to teach, and which, the Catholic Church hands down to us. This expression is related by St Mark alone.
36. what shall it profit, etc. In this text sold stands for “life.” The argument is, “ Of what advantage will it be to secure the whole world, and in so doing to sacrifice life, without which one cannot enjoy earthly pleasures ? ”
37. in exchange : preferably “ as a ransom.” When a man deliberately sacrifices his eternal interests and stakes his own soul in payment, how shall he buy back that soul ? Clearly the answer is : — “ Nothing, since the Blood of Christ shed for our ransom may redeem a dead soul ( i.e . one deprived of grace), but will never ransom a lost soul, one that has been condemned for all eternity.”
Note.— These words prove that the loss of the soul is perpetual and irreparable, and they must have gone home to the minds of those who were seeking an earthly kingdom rather than a heavenly one.
38. For = because.
he that shall be ashamed, etc. A solemn warning that we must be generous in standing up for Christ. We are not all called to heroic sacrifices to martyrdom, but we all are called to make some profession of faith, to endure the scoffs of the unbelieving, often to accept a lower rank in life just because we are Catholics. It is our duty to profess our faith whenever it would be a sin not to do so. If it is sometimes allowed to conceal our faith, e.g. in times of persecution, it is never lawful to deny it.
adulterous : attached fondly to the world and its pleasures, and alienated from God. The Church is called the “ Bride of Christ.” Unfaithfulness to the Bridegroom is a kind of adultery. The same simile is used in the Old Testament —
And the word of the Lord came to me saying : Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying : Thus saith the Lord, I have remembered thee, pitying thy youth , and the love of thy espousals, when thou followedst me in the desert, in a land that is not sown (Jer. ii. 2). Also St Paul, writing to the Corinthians, says, I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ (2 Cor. xi. 2).
the Son of man also will be ashamed, etc. Note the parallel. If man for some paltry earthly gain denies Christ his Saviour before sinful men, God’s creatures, Christ will deny that man before all the myriads of angels when He comes in the glory of His Father.
39. there are some of them, etc. This verse has given rise to much controversy. It cannot refer to the general judgment, since that has not yet taken place. Commentators in general are of the opinion that this prophecy may refer to any or all of the three following events —
(1) The Transfiguration ; when Christ appeared in glory, witnessed by three Apostles only.
(2) The Descent of the Holy Ghost ; witnessed by all except Judas.
(3) The taking of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. St John was the only survivor of the Apostles, and he was not an eye-witness, but others who heard our Lord speak would have been alive at the time, A.n. 71.
shall not taste death. An Arabic idiomatic expression, which presents death under the aspect of a bitter potion. Cf. If any man keep my word, he shall not taste death for ever (St John viii. 52). But we see Jesus . . . . that through the grace of God he might taste death for all (Heb. ii. 9).
Additional Notes
Christ’s prophecies regarding His Passion. After Peter’s noble confession of faith at Cæsarea Philippi, Jesus “ began to teach them ” how the redemption was to be accomplished. The Passion was not far off, for it was now about ten months before the Crucifixion. Both Jesus and His forerunner had previously put forth obscure intimations that the Son of man must suffer, but no details had been given. Christ now begins to speak “ openly,” i.e. plainly ; it was time to reveal these mysteries.
(1) Reasons why Christ revealed His coming Passion.
(a) The disciples’ faith in Him was now firm enough to bear the revelation.
(b) They must be taught that the Messias was to be no earthly monarch. This clashed with their preconceived notions, which it would require time, as well as a special grace, to rectify.
(c) Christ wished them to know that the disciple must be prepared to suffer and to take up his own cross.
(2) Manner in which the Passion was revealed.
This was done (A) obscurely, (B) openly.
A. Obscure intimations.
(1) St John the Baptist spoke twice of our Lord as “the Lamb of God.” “The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and he saith : Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sin of the world.” “And beholding Jesus walking, he saith : Behold the Lamb of God ” (St John i. 29, 36).
(2) Our Lord at the first pasch of His public life said: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up ” (St John ii. 19).
(3) In His instruction to Nicodemus : “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up ” (St John iii. 14).
(4) At the banquet in Levi’s house: “But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them : and then they shall fast in those days ” (St Mark ii. 20).
(5) At Capharnaum in His discourse on the living bread : “ The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world ” (St John vi. 52).
B. Clear intimations.
Note how the predictions of the Passion become more and more definite.
A. Proofs of the Apostles’ dulness of comprehension.
(1) St Peter’s rebuke to our Lord and his attempt to dissuade Him from suffering.
(2) Their “questioning together”: “And they kept the word to themselves; questioning together what that should mean, when he shall be risen from the dead ” (St Mark ix. 9).
(3) Their want of faith concerning our Lord’s Resurrection.
(4) Their question on Ascension Day : “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel ? ” (Acts i. 6).
B. Reasons for this “dulness” of apprehension.
(1) The doctrine of the Passion was so totally opposed —
(a) to the Apostles’ preconceived notions of the Messias,
(b) to their desires for a temporal kingdom,
(c) to their natural abhorrence of suffering and humiliation.
(2) They were probably too excited by recent events to listen calmly.
(3) They may have taken our Lord’s words as an obscure prophecy, to be interpreted metaphorically.
Jesus’ rebuke to St Peter. Some commentators (St Hilary, St Chrysostom, Marcellus, Eusebius, etc.) prefer the view that only the words “Get thee behind me” were addressed to St Peter, while the following words, “ Satan, thou art a scandal to me, because thou savourest not the things that are of God but the things that are of men” were addressed to Satan. Others take them as addressed to St Peter, but with a secondary reference to Satan, since St Peter was, as it were, the mouthpiece of the devil. If “ Get thee behind me” was addressed only to St Peter, then it would mean, “ Walk in my footsteps and renounce your ideas of earthly grandeur.” Non-Catholic writers have criticized this passage of holy Scripture and used it as a weapon against the Church. Where, they ask, is the Papal infallibility, if St Peter, directly after his election to the Primacy, so grossly erred ? To this objection Catholic commentators give the following answer : St Peter, though elected to be the Head of the Church, was not yet established as such, for our Lord was still on earth. Jesus’ promises were to be realized in the future. “ On this rock I will build my church.” “ To thee I will give,” etc. The future tense is used throughout As yet, and until after the descent of the Holy Ghost, the Apostles were not endowed with the prerogative of Infallibility. After Pentecost, St Peter is never found erring as regards the faith, and his successors, the Popes, share this wondrous privilege. As regards St Peter’s presumption in rebuking our Lord it should be remarked —
(1) That infallibility does not presuppose or include impeccability.
(2) That spiritual dignities do not eliminate the human element in man. The gospels shew us the Apostles even as they were, with all their faults and failings. Had the Church wished to conceal these she could have prevented the Sacred Books, which related them, from being read publicly in the churches, for we must not forget that the Catholic Church was the guardian of the Sacred Scriptures for over thirteen centuries, before the existence of Protestantism.
On Christian self-renunciation (ch. viii. 34-39)
(1) Its Importance :
(a) It is a formal precept of Christ.
(b) It is often absolutely essential for salvation.
(c) It is a condition of spiritual progress.
(2) Its Universality :
All must practise self-crucifixion.
It is a precept universal in time, in place.
(3) Practices :
(a) Renunciation of self-will when it is opposed to God’s will.
(b) Renunciation of earthly goods when they are an obstacle to our salvation.
(c) Renunciation of even lawful goods and pleasures, if we cannot refrain from
abusing them.
(d) Renunciation of wealth and comforts from a spirit of zeal.
(4) Reward :
A hundredfold in this life, and in the world to come, life everlastinging;
35. whosoever will save his life shall lose it. Our Lord enunciates this solemn truth on four different occasions —
(1) In the present chapter (viii.), after St Peter’s confession of faith.
(2) When Christ sent out the Twelve to preach. “ He that findeth his life, shall lose it : and he that shall lose his life for me shall find it ” (St Matt. x. 39).
(3) In answer to the Pharisees’ question. “ Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it ; and whosoever shall lose it, shall preserve it” (St Luke xvii. 33).
(4) In the Temple (when St Andrew and St Philip came to Him). “ He that loveth his life shall lose it : and he that hateth his life in this world keepeth it unto life eternal ” (St John xii. 25).
39. there are some of them that stand here, etc.
The general consensus of opinions of commentators, points to the destruction of the Temple, as best realizing the conditions of the prophecy.
(1) The words, “there are some of them that stand here,” etc., apparently refer to some more distant date than a few days, months, or years. Our Lord addressed these words not only to His disciples but to a large multitude. Out of this number it was quite possible that some might be alive when the destruction of the Temple took place. We know that St John was the only one of the Apostles then living, but he did not actually witness it. The destruction of the Temple, the extinction of the Jewish priestly race, and the consequent ruin of the Jewish Church, was indeed “the kingdom of God coming in power” and the triumph of Christianity on the ruins of Judaism. . In the xxiv. chapter of St Matthew, Jesus in His great prophecy refers both to the end of the world and to the destruction of Jerusalem. In this discourse He uses words which are identical in spirit with the text here discussed : “ Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done” (ch. ix. 5). It was a solemn promise that some of those standing there should see the triumph of the Church, of that kingdom, for the advent of which we pray daily, when we recite the “ Our Father.”
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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