Human Interest

As I think should be obvious, I've become more and more aware of late of the very real, very down-to-earth, very biblical description of the basic problem of sin: putting Man's interests before God's interests. The verse that first got my attention on this was Mark 8:33, so it was interesting to me that our sermon last Sunday also came from Mark 8. And there was more good stuff in there.

The chapter begins with the feeding of the 4,000 (Mark 8:1-9) followed with the bizarre demand from the Pharisees for a sign (Mark 8:10-12) (as if feeding 4,000 people with seven loaves and a few small fish wasn't sign enough?). Jesus and His disciples set off in their boat, then, but the disciples failed to visit the supermarket and only brought one loaf of bread. Jesus calls on them to change their focus. "Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod" (Mark 8:15). The lack of bread was a legitimate concern, but Jesus wanted to use the legitimate concern for a more important point. What was this "leaven"? Well, the Pharisees demanded a sign and Herod and the Sadducees (Matt 16:6) were really keen on signs, so apparently it was this demand for a real demonstration of the supernatural. "You know," this leaven says, "if you would show me a real miracle, I'd believe." Jesus's reply was, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah" (Matt 16:4). And we all know what the sign of Jonah was, right? (Hint: 3 days and nights in the belly of the whale.)

Now, pause for a moment. Remember where I started -- the mind set on the interests of Man rather than the interests of God. Where, then, are we going from here?

Well, clearly, the disciples didn't get it. "He's concerned about leaven because we don't have enough bread." Completely missing the point. Frankly sounding a bit exasperated, Jesus walks them through the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of the 4,000 and asks, "Do you not yet understand?" (Mark 8:16-21). Jesus then heals the blind man (Mark 8:22-26) (as if to say, "He sees; do you yet?") and then we get to the passage I've been mulling over for several months now, ending with "He rebuked Peter and said, 'Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's'" (Mark 8:33). Isn't that where we've been all chapter long? The people wanted to be fed (Man's interest) and the Pharisees wanted a sign (Man's interest) and the disciples were concerned about bread (Man's interest) and the blind man wanted to be healed (Man's interest) and Peter didn't want Jesus to die (Man's interest).

So I thought I'd read on ... you know, the rest of the context. Do you know what follows?

If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and 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 the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:34-38).

Well, now, that puts a little different spin on some very well-known verses, doesn't it? Jesus isn't talking in a vacuum here. He isn't just offering some juicy insights. He is speaking with a point. What point? He is trying to draw a line between God's interests and Man's interests. It is in Man's interests to not deny himself, to save his life, to gain the world, to get along with the world around him. These are matters of Man's interests. And Jesus is drawing a sharp dividing line here. God's interests are radically different. How do these looks through the lens of God's interests? Self-denial, taking up a cross, following Christ, losing your life for Christ's sake, not being ashamed of Christ. These are all things that are clearly in God's interests but not, on the surface, Man's interests.

One last observation. If indeed the repeated theme in this chapter is "God's interests rather than Man's", you might have seen a repeated indication of God's interest. You'll find it in the Matt 16:6 version of Mark 8:12 and in the bread dialog compared with Jesus's New Covenant with the bread representing His body and in the things Jesus was saying that upset Peter -- His impending death -- and even in His statement regarding denying yourself and taking up ... what? ... your cross. The Cross is a repeated theme in this passage. And that is a key interest of God.

It is the way of sinful humans to focus on Man's interests over God's interests. This standard operating principle puts us in direct conflict with God. Maybe it's demanding a sign like the Pharisees rather than believing. Maybe it's focusing on immediate needs like the disciples did with the bread rather than on the One who can supply them. Maybe it's even cloaked in concern for Christ's interests like Peter was when he urged Christ not to speak of dying after He told Peter it was the plan. Repeatedly in life we will find that there is a way that seems right to a man, but the result is death (Prov 14:12). And the way that is right just doesn't always look so right, does it? So we have to decide. Will we be wise and pay attention to God's interests, or will we be "wise" and pay heed to the interests of Man? The latter is deemed "hardhearted". The former begins with the Cross.