God speaks plainly, so why do we complicate it?

³¹ And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Mark 8

I love this phrase in verse 32, “and he said this plainly.”  The disciples understood exactly what Jesus had just told them about his death.  The idea did not mesh well with their understanding for their King and messiah.  He was supposed to set them free from Roman oppression. He was supposed to make them the head and not the tail.  All their hopes for a better life did not include 

his death.  They had hitched their wagon to Him, death was not an option. Peter thought he needed to correct Jesus thoughts about his future.

Yet, Jesus taught them that he must SUFFER, Be REJECTED and be KILLED.  They had no understanding what he meant by rising again in 3 days.  After his resurrection they understood what he had been talking about.

You see it is the plain things that God requires of us that we stumble over. In the next verse he talks about following him in his steps.  Carrying the cross which would include suffering and shame.  To follow Jesus is to walk the walk that he walked.  This is not popular Christian doctrine, but it is solid biblical doctrine.  Jesus said that we are to forgive (everyone), we are to love God (with all that we have and are), we are to love our neighbor as we do ourselves, that all of our money is his (we steward what he has given us) and all of our free time, work time, family time is his (he paid for our lives).

He empowers us through his Spirit to accomplish all that he expects from us.  His presence will never leave us.  We can do what he asks of us. Let’s not try to negotiate another method or plan for our lives.  Let’s set our mind continually on the things of God from His perspective.

Father, give us ears to hear you speak plainly.  Let us have the heart that is moved to obedience to what we hear.  Even if the path includes pain and rejection we will follow you.  You are all that we have to follow that brings true life.  Thank you Jesus.