To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps . . . when they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
(1 Peter 2:21-23)
When Peter was instructing slaves on how to respond to abusive masters, he pointed them to Jesus. He’s the example they should follow. In the midst of insults, threats and violence Jesus never struck back. He trusted God. Did it work out for him? No. He was executed. But he trusted God and is the example set not only for slaves but for all of us.
Peter understood the role of following Jesus. By the time he wrote his first letter he’d been following Jesus for some thirty years. Also, he understood failure in following Jesus because he himself tripped and fell early on in his discipleship.
Mark 8-10 unveils that early journey of the disciples. The trip begins in the northern Gentile region of Caesarea Philippi (named for Caesar Augustus and Philip of Macedon [i.e. Alexander the Great’s father]), and was a political hotbed too. Here Peter makes his confession and gets into a heated discussion with Jesus over the role of his Messiahship. As Jesus heads back to Jerusalem he passes through Galilee where the disciples argued over their own greatness. Finally, when they were headed up to Jerusalem, James and John made their ego-driven request for the seat of power. Let’s take a moment and unpack each of these moments.
* Caesarea Philippi (Mk. 8:31-38). In clarifying his role as the confessed Messiah, Jesus points to discipleship. He links his impending death, his first prediction, to those who wish to follow him. If Jesus is going to the cross and his disciples are going to follow him, then following in his footsteps means suffering even to the point where you’re willing to sacrifice your own life. Discipleship demands us to choose to loose life in order to gain it, which is exactly what Jesus did by going to the cross.
* Capernaum (Mk. 9:30-37). Instead of contemplating Jesus’ second prediction for his death, they decided to argue over who is the greatest among the Twelve. So Jesus, assuming the role of authority and of a Rabbi by sitting down, takes a child into his arms and tells them to become like this child. Such a move says nothing about innocence but about status. Unlike today where children are often propped up and showcased, first century children were rarely seen and never heard from. They had no say and no power in society. At best they were a symbol of hope (e.g. oldest son will inherit a double portion). Becoming a child means giving up rights, power and status, which is exactly what Jesus did by allowing himself to be vulnerable to the suffering he experienced at the cross.
* Jerusalem (Mk.10:32-45). After Jesus makes his third, final and most graphic prediction of his death, James and John requests seats of power and authority. Jesus’ response asks them if they can drink the cup he drinks from and be baptized with the baptism he undergoes. While they agree they can, they don’t grasp Jesus’ point. The “cup” and “baptism” is his suffering that was at his door and the disciples will participate in that suffering as well. Jesus’ final conclusion to the discussion is claiming that he came to serve not to be served, and to give his life for others.
This past week I was watching a mini-documentary that followed one person’s journey through the Holy Lands. They called it “Following in the Footsteps of Jesus.” They went to the Jordan River, Jerusalem, temple mount and Gethsemane. I can imagine that something powerful occurs when you step into those historical places. Then again, something even more powerful occurs when followers follow Jesus in his footsteps by embracing his sufferings.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)